ON average 17 children drown every year in the UK.

With this in mind, RNLI volunteers are keen to bring water safety education into the classrooms, youth clubs and scouts groups around the county.

Local volunteer Peter Scott is one such educator. Formerly the training co-ordinator in Fermanagh RNLI station, he was involved in the operational side since 2000.

Now, the organisation feels that it is important to “give something back” to the community which fund raises so tirelessly for it.

“Thirty minutes is all we need to give the school children lifesaving advice,” Peter explains.

To date, he has presented his water safety programme in a number of Fermanagh schools, including Lisbellaw PS, which recently raised £870 for the RNLI.

“We would rather teach young people about water safety, rather than having to rescue them.” “We have free downloadable material that ties in directly with Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 citizenship classes. The teachers can use that themselves, or they can have us in free of charge to do it,” Peter says.

The lessons include rescue role play, know your beach flags and safety signs and inland water safety advice.

Children are taught to identify a life guard as a safe person to approach for help and ‘Lifeboat Luke’ helps keep the younger pupils interested.

He adds: “We have a dedicated team of former-teachers or lecturers who created the programme and who look after the education side.” Peter can be contacted on peter_scott54@hotmail.com or log onto www.rnli.org/education