Roedean School (SA) Water Polo Prestige Cup centres on social responsibility
The Roedean School (SA) based in Parktown will, through this collaboration, ensure that under-resourced schools are water safe.
Considering the many drownings which occur especially in the summer season as holidaymakers head for the beaches, the Learn-To-Swim programme has become more urgent than ever.
As the Roedean School (SA) Water Polo Prestige Cup celebrated its 10th year in existence, this social development programme was amplified.
The school’s Marketing and Communications manager, Ntando Ndokweni shared that the prestige cup event was founded in 2011 by Sandy and Mike Harper, and the former executive head, Mary Williams. The event continues to host top ten Gauteng First Team Water Polo teams who go head-to-head for the honour of winning the prestige cup.
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The head of the Roedean Water Polo Team, Anita Trninic, pointed out, “The primary aim of the competition is not so much rooted in sporting success but aims to drive community development and partnerships. Our other long-term goal is to ensure that the tournament is positioned as one of the best water polo tournaments hosted in Gauteng and has a proven sustainable impact on both sports’ transformation and water safety.”
To amplify these efforts, Roedean has since partnered with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), the Gauteng Department of Sport, Art and Recreation and Gauteng Aquatics to ensure that all under-resourced state schools are able to offer their students the Learn-To-Swim programme.
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The programme was founded by Roedean 20-years ago with the intention of ensuring that children from underdeveloped communities are water-safe. In line with this, Roedean has requested that all schools participating in the prestige cup make their swimming facilities available to the Learn-to-Swim GDE Programme.
To aid this, the GDE has made a three-year commitment to working with the schools to implement this social developmental model.
Deputy chief Education specialist, Kavi Naidoo, whose directorate, School Sport and Extra-Curricular Coordination, falls under the GDE, addressed the schools participating in the prestige cup on October 15, citing the scarcity in facilities and the high number of drownings in the province. He said the Learn-To-Swim initiative had to receive the priority it deserves.
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“It all starts with a graded programme whereby we teach children basic principles of water safety to developing learners to swim competitively and identify their talent. All we want from you is access to your pools at zero cost to your school; we provide the schools with logistics to get the learners to your school; provide them with costumes and caps whilst monitoring and supporting the programme in consultation with yourselves,” Naidoo said.
Aforementioned stakeholders are jointly encouraging all schools who participate in the Prestige Water Polo Cup to register with this initiative as soon as possible.
Details: Roedean head of Social Responsibility, Charlotte Hulley, chulley@roedeanschool.co.za
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