MaTT’s GOlf CHaRITY GIfT

On the day that English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick got his US Open title defence underway, his inspiration is being brought to life at his former school. Tapton School in Sheffield has celebrated the milestone by becoming the latest school to enjoy Golf Foundation support, as the national charity helps to bring the sport to a new generation of children. As Fitzpatrick prepared to tee off in Los Angeles, pupils and teachers at Tapton School received their Golfway kit bag from the Golf Foundation team to begin their own journey into golf, marking the start of training for teachers to deliver the fun and easyto-learn golf games that can inspire children from all backgrounds to enjoy golf in school. Fitzpatrick has previously met groups of kids at Golf Foundation events, including a special meeting with some GolfSixes League winners at the British Masters back in 2017. Year 8 pupils (12-13 year olds) at his former school have now got access to Golfway kit, which is designed for all abilities, offering adapted equipment, energetic team games and underpinned by mental toughness tools such as concentration, selfreflection and emotional control, all designed to promote mental wellbeing.

COld waTER awaRENEss

Yorkshire Water is reminding people in the region of the dangers of open water, as the utility support Drowning Prevention Week, which aims to raise awareness of enjoying water safely. The Royal Life Saving Society’s awareness week runs from 17-24 June aims to encourage people to enjoy water safely and encourages parents, schools, leisure centres and communities to educate young people to help them stay safe around water. During the week Yorkshire Water will be hosting a series of live events for schools.

Anne Reed, social value & education manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “Swimming isn’t just a critical lifesaving skill, it’s a skill that opens up a lifetime of fun and adventure. The UK’s beautiful waterways should be places where everyone feels at ease, and can take pleasure from their surroundings, whatever their age, whatever their activity level. Cold water can be a killer and we’d like to start to raising awareness of water safety from a young age. Tragically, we have already seen a number of open-water fatalities in our region this year. To support Drowning Prevention Week, we are holding a series of water safety live events specifically tailored to different age groups from Early Years to Key Stage 4. Aligning to Swim England’s water safety messaging, we’ll explain how students can help keep themselves and their friends safe, endorse messaging about where to find safe places to swim, and explain in detail why there are hidden dangers in open water areas such as rivers, reservoirs, canals and seas, and that algae in the water can cause rashes and stomach upsets.”

The session for Key Stage 3 and 4 students will be delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the RNLI.

The live events will provide information on the potential increased risk of being near water with peers, for older students including elements of peer pressure, risk taking, alcohol and drugs, and students will receive details on how to look after their friends and help ensure they stay safe.

Anne added: “We’ll explain how students should react in an emergency situation, who to contact and that they should not enter the water. They’ll also receive a reminder about ‘Float to Live’ messaging in case they ever get into difficulty.”