A project which aims to keep young people safe on the water has achieved national recognition.
Galloway Activity Centre on Loch Ken has been awarded the Paddle UK Engagement Award for the water safety training it offers with Loch Ken Trust.
The Dumfries and Galloway Youth Warey Safety Awareness Programme was launched two years ago following a tragic accident on the loch. So far, more than 200 young people have been trained for free thanks to support from the Holywood Trust, Drax and the Galloway Glens Legacy Scheme.
Galloway Activity Centre manager, Ben Sharp, said: “Receiving this award from Paddle UK reinforces our mission to make water safety education both engaging and accessible.
“Every year, we provide water safety training as standard for our residential school groups, yet across Dumfries and Galloway, access to this lifesaving education remains limited – despite our region’s vast network of lochs, rivers, and coastline.
“Thanks to the Loch Ken Trust’s efforts, funding is now secured for 2025, but our ultimate goal is clear: no young person should leave school without hands-on water safety training.”
The programme has helped transform traditional water safety training into a hands-on experience, with young people able to practice real rescue techniques.
Loch Ken Trust has now secured funding for a pilot scheme with Castle Douglas High School which aims to help pupils qualify for the Paddle Safer Certificate – a more comprehensive syllabus which builds upon the success of previous training.
The trust’s head ranger, Leanne Pumpr, said: “We are pleased that our Loch Ken Youth Water Safety Programme will continue. Promoting water safety to our young people is so important, with the number of accessible lochs, rivers and open water in our region.
“Having this knowledge and skills is vital for young people, especially where they may access the water independently. We are very grateful to our funders and the fantastic team at the Galloway Activity Centre, without whom none of this would be possible.”
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Paddle UK presents four of its engagement awards every year, with this year the first time Scottish organisations have been recognised.
Representatives from the centre and Loch Ken Trust will give a presentation on the water safety education project at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) national conference in Birmingham on March 12.
South Scotland MSP, Emma Harper, said: “Your work means that our region, with its abundant lochs and rivers, can provide a model to the rest of Scotland for how to keep water sports and recreation safe.”