What is Drowning Prevention Week?
Drowning Prevention Week is the campaign of the Royal Life Saving Society UK, the drowning prevention charity.
By spreading water safety advice far and wide, Drowning Prevention Week aims to teach people how to stay safe in and around water. The Campaign also helps the charity to raise valuable funds for their vital drowning prevention activity and to support those affected by drowning.
Why Is It Important?
Around 400 people drown in the UK every year and hundreds more suffer life changing injuries through near drowning.
More people die from drowning in the UK than from domestic fires or road cycling accidents.
What Can You Do?
· Keep your family safe by making sure your children learn to swim as soon as they are able to, and that they also learn essential survival and self-rescue skills in a programme such as the Rookie Lifeguard Programme.
· Always take your family swimming where there are lifeguards, and remember there is no better supervision than the constant supervision of a parent or guardian (lifeguards have lots of people to watch, you can keep a much closer eye on your family)
*Information provided by the Royal Life Saving Society website*
It’s Never Too Late To Learn How To Swim!
At Aneurin Leisure we provide a range of swimming lessons for people of all ages and abilities. Our Aqua Pathway swim school is a seamless journey from a baby’s first experience in the water with an adult, to children who are competent swimmers, confident and skilled enough to continue with aquatic activities for the rest of their lives. Our Aqua Skills sessions also provide the opportunity to learn a variety of life saving techniques.
If you’re an adult looking to learn to swim, improve your skills or build up your confidence to get back in the water, our dedicated team of professional teachers can tailor lessons around you to achieve your specific goal.
For more information call our Customer Advisor Team on 01495 355958.
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Blaenau Gwent Libraries are celebrating this year’s Festival of Learning (previously known as Adult Learners Week) with a selection of FREE digital learning sessions at all six of our Blaenau Gwent based Libraries next week.
The Festival of Learning is the biggest celebration of lifelong learning in the country and aims to highlight the benefits of learning, celebrate the achievements of adults who have used learning to transform their lives, and also to encourage everyone to embrace lifelong learning.
As part of the week-long festival that runs from 19th – 25th June, each of our six libraries throughout Blaenau Gwent are offering free help and advice on a number of digital topics; including basic IT taster sessions, how to use an iPad and an introduction to our new e-book service.
Sessions are free to attend on the following days:
- Monday 19th June: Tredegar Library from 10am – 12pm
- Tuesday 20th June: Cwm Library from 10am – 12pm
- Wednesday 21st June: Abertillery Library from 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 22nd June: Brynmawr and Blaina Libraries from 10am – 12pm
- Friday 23rd June: Ebbw Vale Library from 10am – 12pm
Visitors to our libraries can also get information and advice on the wide range of courses available from Adult Community Learning in Blaenau Gwent.
For more information on our Libraries and their services visit our website at http://aneurinleisure.org.uk/heritage/libraries or call your local library:
Abertillery Library 01495 355646 Cwm Library 01495 370454
Blaina Library 01495 290312 Ebbw Vale Library 01495 355055
Brynmawr Library 01495 357743 Tredegar Library 01495 357869

On Friday 9th June 2017 an intrepid team of four people from the Cardiff branch of Now Careers took on an epic 80k Source to Sea Challenge to raise money for Ty Hafan, a charity that cares for life-limited children in Wales to enhance the time families have together.
Do you have a hazardous waist?
That’s the theme for this year’s Men’s Health Week campaign which runs from 12th – 18th June 2017.
Each year the Men’s Health Forum selects a particular theme for their week long campaign to raise awareness of men’s health issues, and this year it’s all about belly fat.
Why belly fat? The belly is the single most dangerous place for excess weight and men are more likely to have it.
Belly fat is a problem because it lurks not just beneath the surface but also gets down deep and surrounds your vital organs.
Regardless of your overall weight, a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of:
· Cardiovascular disease
· Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
· Colorectal cancer
· Sleep apnoea
· Premature death from any cause
· High blood pressure
So, this week men are being encouraged to get their measuring tapes out and check their waist measurements.
If you have a waist measurement over 37 inches (94cm), you are at increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke and erection problems. If it's over 40 inches (102cm), you're at a considerably increased risk of all these.
Top Tip: - Your waist measurement is not the same as your trouser size. Get a tape measure and measure around your stomach at the belly button.
A new community play called The Last Post is being promoted through a replica World War 1 bunker. Filled with artefacts and information, the mobile bunker will be visiting towns across the Eastern Valleys, encouraging people to talk about their families’ experience of the home front during World War 1.
“The idea is to invite people to help us devise the story and create the characters through attending workshops taking place throughout June and July”, said director Stuart Bawler.
Members of Head4Art’s team are on hand at the bunker to tell people how they can get involved right at the beginning. Many of the roadshow locations will also feature an accompanying exhibition in a local venue – the result of previous WW1 themed community projects developed by Head4Arts.
Head4Arts Manager Kate Strudwick said of the project; “People don’t need to have any previous experience of doing a play. There are lots of different ways that you can join in. For example, we’re looking for people who can sing some of the well-known songs, and people to gather costumes and make props. So, you can get involved as an individual or as a group.”
The story of The Last Post will be about a postman who is too young to sign up but delivers telegrams and parcels to people in his Valley’s town. The play will use both real and fictitious letters to bring to life the joys and heartaches of this pivotal time in our history.
Regular rehearsals are taking place in Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil on Saturdays in June, July and September with additional workshops in locations throughout the Valleys. All ages and abilities are welcome (including families) but under 14s need to be accompanied by an adult.
The play will be performed in October 2017 at the following venues:
5 October: The Metropole Theatre, Abertillery
10 October: Congress Theatre, Cwmbran
24 October: Red House, Merthyr Tydfil
30 October: Blackwood Miners’ Institute
For more information about how you can get involved go to www.head4arts.org.uk, email info@head4arts.org.uk or phone 01495 357816
Come and GO WILD at South Wales biggest nature event! We'll have lots of free fun for all the family at Parc Bryn…...
about 9 hours agoCome and GO WILD at South Wales biggest nature event! We'll have lots of free fun for all the family at Parc Bryn Bach...
about 9 hours agoHave your say! We'd like to hear your feedback about your learning experience with Adult Community Learning, so please...
about 2 days agoApril is Stress Awareness Month, so why not join us for a special art therapy session that will help you to relax and...
about 3 days agoPlanning to take advantage of this glorious weather with a weekend picnic? We've got just the thing for you - our…...
about 4 days agoPlanning to take advantage of this glorious weather with a weekend picnic? We've got just the thing for you - our...
about 4 days agoWould you like to take the first steps toward improving your health and fitness, but are unsure where to start? Join...
about 4 days agoAre you a new parent looking for a fun way to get active? Join our new #BuggyFit session at #Tredegar Sports Centr…...
about 5 days agoWe're excited to be part of @WelshBizShows exhibition next week at Cardiff City Stadium! https://t.co/caJqZeb5aI
about 5 days agoGreat feature here on our range of #AdventureActivities available at @Parcbrynbach this May! https://t.co/VfNizWhNps
about 5 days ago