What is Swim Generation?

Swim Generation is Speedo’s social purpose programme that is designed to reduce incidents of accidental drowning worldwide. A catalyst for change, Swim Generation marks the launch of a movement that will span generations and have a lasting impact on drowning prevention.

Is Swim Generation a charity?

No. Swim Generation is Speedo’s social purpose programme. Working with charity partners, such as the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) and Centre For Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh (CIPRB), we will support and donate to projects and initiatives related to water safety across the world.

What is the problem that Swim Generation is trying to solve?

In 2014 the WHO (World Health Organisation) published their Global Report on Drowning. The report highlights drowning as a global emergency. Shocking statistics demonstrate that drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death worldwide, with at least 372,000 people losing their lives to drowning every year. That’s a staggering 1,000 people every day. We know that accidental drowning is a serious and overlooked public health threat globally and we want to help change this.

Why has Speedo opted to launch the programme?

Swim Generation underlines Speedo’s mission to create a world where everyone has the right to be able to swim. It marks the brand’s commitment to campaigning for better water safety, helping to prevent avoidable deaths.

How will Swim Generation work?

We want to take action and create ripples that will motivate people, communities and organisations to strive towards a world where everyone everywhere can swim safely.

Our framework for action will tackle the issue of accidental drowning by offering support and donations in the form of financial funding, Speedo products, skills and expertise to support the work of numerous life-saving water safety projects across the globe. In addition, we will work to raise awareness and build advocacy to help bring about positive change.

What are the objectives of Swim Generation?

Swim Generation focuses on three core principles which deliver against our objectives:

Core Principle 1 – Safety - Teaching basic swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills.
Objective - Decreased risk of drowning in targeted communities through the acquisition of increased awareness of water safety and basic swim skills to enable survival/rescue

Core Principle 2 – Livelihoods - Introducing children and young people to different career and livelihood opportunities in the swimming and lifesaving sector.
Objective - Increased awareness and improved access to employment.

Core Principle 3 – Passion - Introducing swimming at a young age
Objective – Development of communities with a passion for swimming as a life skill.

What organisations will Speedo partner with for Swim Generation?

We are working with a range charity of partners across the world with a focus on life-saving water safety projects and drowning prevention initiatives.

How will Speedo promote the programme?

We are investing in marketing activities including social media and Public Relations to help promote the importance of water safety, and engage members of the public in pledging their support to Swim Generation aiming to motivate them to take action to help make a positive difference.

What is the problem that Swim Generation is trying to solve?

Swim Generation introduces swimming and water safety to children at a young age to help build lifelong passion and develop communities passionate about swimming as a life skill.

What has Swim Generation achieved so far?

Swim Generation is the biggest step so far in Speedo’s pledge to have a lasting impact to prevent water related deaths. Projects and initiatives we are supporting have, to date, helped our partners to spread water safety messages to over 600,000 people, taught basic swimming and swim survival skills to more than 10,000 children and enabled the training of 64 new lifeguards, ensuring more people can stay safe in, or and near water.

How can people pledge their support to Swim Generation?

Visit //www.speedo.com/uk/en/swimgeneration.html to find out more about Swim Generation and pledge your support.

Can I apply for support for my charity/project?

Speedo does not accept unsolicited requests for support.

I am a member of the press. Who do I contact for media enquiries?

Please send an email to swimgeneration@speedo.com