Water Safety New Zealand’s 2021/22 investment into community projects to combat drowning was confirmed in August 2021.
Around $1.9m was distributed to a wide range of organisations to deliver water safety education programmes throughout Aotearoa.
This year the focus was on the delivery of the flagship programme Water Skills for Life and other areas of high-risk behaviours and targeted activities that feature heavily in drowning statistics and hospitalisation data.
Seventy eight applications were received and while some groups and organisations will be disappointed to learn that their bids were unsuccessful, the round was very competitive and the funding panel had to make some tough decisions on who to fund or not.
The successful applicants met the drowning prevention objectives contained in the 2021/22 Water Safety Funding Prospectus and the education pillars of the Wai Ora Aotearoa – Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025 which was launched earlier in 2021.
Water Safety New Zealand is grateful for funding from the NZ Lottery Grants Board, Sport NZ and ACC as well as continuing relationship with corporate partner Protector Aluminium – the pool fence specialists – which supports water safety around the home and specifically promoting active supervision of under-fives.
The next funding round will open in April 2022 and Ants Lowe, Funding and Relationships Manager, is happy to discuss any ideas for drowning prevention initiatives leading up to that date.

You can contact Ants on ants@watersafety.org.nz.