STAFF WRITERS
A NEW multicultural swim program at Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre (GRAC) is breaking down barriers, equipping locals with essential water safety skills.
Developed through a collaboration between Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS), GRAC, and local organisations including Quantum, Centre for Multicultural Youth, and TAFE Gippsland, the program addresses alarming drowning statistics within multicultural communities in Victoria.
Many participants had never stepped foot in a pool before, let alone learned how to navigate open waterways.
Tess Poole, Community Engagement Officer at GRAC, explained that the program extends beyond water-based activities.
“We wanted to create a safe and inclusive space where participants could build confidence, develop friendships, and feel part of the community,” she said.
Thanks to funding from LCHS, swim packs – including modesty suits for women, goggles, towels, and open water safety textbooks – were provided at no cost to participants.
The program also offered six weeks free entry and guided survival swimming lessons at GRAC, with classes scheduled on Saturdays to accommodate work and transport barriers identified through community surveys.
The program’s survival swimming component focuses on building both confidence and capability in the water.
Participants learn essential skills such as floating, sculling, treading water, swimming continuously for 25 meters using any stroke, demonstrating basic rescue techniques, completing a survival sequence, and practicing the DRSAB method (Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing).
The impact has been profound, with participants ranging from toddlers to a 69-year-old, representing diverse backgrounds, including Chinese, Thai, and Sudanese. One family of five was so inspired that they enrolled in ongoing swim lessons.
“Many of them had never been in the water before,” Ms Poole said.
“Now, they’re not only learning to swim but actively engaging in our community.”
Participant Amina Khatun shared her experience, saying: “Myself and my kids really enjoyed the program! I have signed up my kids to swimming lessons so they can build confidence and learn more from what they have learnt from the program”.
With strong local support, discussions are underway to secure funding for future programs. As the region welcomes more newcomers, GRAC aims to continue providing vital water safety skills while making learning enjoyable and strengthening connections within the region’s CALD communities.
