The Margate Swimming Club has been very busy in the last two weeks giving free swimming lessons to the public at St Michaels Beach.
The programme was adopted from Swimming South Africa and is run every December holidays as a means to create water safety awareness, and help reduce drownings at the beach.
Coordinator, Gerhard Labuschagne said he and two coaches have been on the beach daily and the turnout from locals and visitors has been amazing.
“From the time we started we had two local families who joined the programme. The parents and children did not know how to swim. They participated in a five-day programme and will be going into the pool to swim independently,” Labuschagne said.
He said they were also very privileged to host 17 boys from an orphanage in Springs who have never come close to the sea before.
“We taught these boys how to enter the water, water safety and things they should look out for when they are swimming. At the end of the programme all the participants are given a medal for encouragement.
“The programme will continue and we will be at St Mikes everyday from 08:00 to 13:00,”he added.
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