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National Water Safety Conference 2026

Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Birmingham, UK 

From Strategy to Prevention: Shaping the Future of Drowning Prevention in the UK. 

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Book your place today to connect with fellow professionals, gain practical insights, access valuable resources, and build powerful partnerships that will strengthen your water safety and drowning prevention impact nationwide.

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You're invited to join us

RoSPA is proud to host the National Water Safety Conference on Wednesday, October 07, 2026 in Birmingham. Every year, around 400 people drown in the UK, with a further 200 taking their own lives in our waters. Our conference provides a vital platform for water safety leaders, practitioners, educators, and academics to come together, share knowledge, and shape the future of drowning prevention.

This one-day event will explore the theme:
“The UK Drowning Prevention Strategy: From strategy to prevention”.

Join us to connect with a collective voice dedicated to promoting water safety, influencing policy, and implementing evidence-driven approaches to education and communication. Together we can champion the principles of the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026 onwards and work towards a safer future for everyone.

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Reasons to attend

The National Water Safety Conference is brought to you in association with the National Water Safety Forum, a collaborative and integrated network of the UK’s leading experts in drowning prevention. Hosted by RoSPA, it brings together diverse stakeholders – including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Royal Life Saving Society UK – to advance drowning prevention through education, communication and data-driven research.  

At RoSPA’s National Water Safety Conference, you’ll:

  • Gain actionable insights from leading experts and practitioners across the UK
  • Collaborate and network with fellow professionals who share your commitment to water safety
  • Develop skills and discover practical tools and strategies to implement in your work
  • Influence policy and practice, contributing to a consistent, evidence-based approach to drowning prevention
  • Learn from best practice through keynote talks, oral and poster presentations, and interactive breakout sessions covering education, communication, policy, and data.

Whether you’re looking to advance your professional knowledge, strengthen partnerships, or explore innovative approaches to water safety, this conference offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of drowning prevention in the UK.

Location

Birmingham Repertory Theatre, 6 Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EP

Date: Wednesday, October 07, 2026

RoSPA is proud to host the National Water Safety Conference on Wednesday, October 07, 2026 in Birmingham. Join us in the heart of Birmingham for a one-day conference featuring three breakout rooms, keynote talks, networking opportunities, and oral and poster presentations. Discover new ideas, share experiences, and connect with water safety leaders from across the country.

Why experts and attendees recommend the Water Safety Conference

“The Water Safety Conference was incredibly valuable in bringing together the drowning prevention and water safety community, from researchers and practitioners to key stakeholders. The research presentations created an excellent platform for meaningful discussion, enabling collaboration and the sharing of knowledge across the sector. It’s a vibrant and energising event that tackles the challenging issue of drowning, supported by a highly motivated network of people and organisations dedicated to informing and improving prevention. I would highly recommend attending.” 

Martin Barwood, Professor of Applied Environmental Physiology, Leeds Trinity University 

“I really enjoyed speaking at the Water Safety Conference; it was a fantastic opportunity to share insights into some of the work that I, along with others, have undertaken.Teams and Zoom calls certainly have their place, but I personally believe we gain much more when we meet in person and learn from others in the community. The event provided valuable networking and collaboration opportunities, and I would highly recommend attending or presenting to anyone passionate about improving water safety.” 

Tommy Richardson, Firefighter/Water Safety Lead, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service


Event programme

 

Session Speaker/Panellists 

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Registration and networking

  

10:30 am - 10:35 am

Welcome

Becky Hickman, Chief Executive Officer (RoSPA)

10:35 am - 10:45 am 

Anyone can drown, no-one should, but tragically my son Joe did

 

 

Vanessa Abbess 

10:45 am - 11:00 am

Water safety: Theory to practice

 

 

Professional Mike Tipton, (National Water Safety Forum)

11:00 am - 11:15 am

Water safety: Leadership in practice

 Alison Lowe OBE, Deputy Mayor for Police and Crime, (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)

11:15 am - 11:30 am 

Questions and answers session 

  

11:30 am - 11:45 am

Network and refreshments 

  

Tailor your event experience: Choose one of four expert-led sessions

 

Session

11:45am - 12:50pm

 Speaker/Panellists

 

Data, evidence and insight  

 

Moderator: 
Professor Mike Tipton

Presentation: 
Data and insights on child drownings in England Pete Kennedy (RLSS UK) and Tom Williams (National Child Mortality Database) 

The Drowning and Incident Review - New directions and opportunities Carlene McAvoy (RoSPA) 

Mapping the evolution of high-frequency locations for unintentional and intentional drowning in the United Kingdom: Findings from stakeholder engagement meetings and their impacts on prevention Professor Martin Barwood (Leeds Trinity University) 

Determinants of floating in people of African, Caribbean and Asian Heritage Heather Massey (University of Portsmouth) and Seren Jones (University of Portsmouth) 

 

Education

 

Moderator: 
Peter Gallagher, RoSPA

Presentation: 
Developing a national, evidence-informed model for water safety education in England David Bullen (Durham County Council) 

The effectiveness of water safety education: comparing the impact of three UK teaching approaches Jenny Smith (University of Chichester) 

Increasing school engagement with a formalised water safety programme ahead of the RSHE Curriculum change in September 2026 Ashley Jones (RLSS UK) 

Education as a force to end drowning Robin Jenkins (Atlantic Pacific)

Campaigns and communications 

 

Moderator:
tbc

Presentation: 
Empowering bystanders to act in water emergencies Tim Parry (Claremont Communications)  

Understanding water safety communication preferences among men aged 50 and over: findings from a focus group Emma Dudley (RoSPA)  

Find Your Float: Evaluating two years of the National Water Safety Forum's World Drowning Prevention Day campaign Georgie Beardmore (RoSPA) 

From lab to lifesaving: The evolution of Float to Live, a UK public health campaign by the RNLI to reduce drownings Ross Macleod (RNLI) 

Education (Swim specifc)  

Moderator: 
tbc

Presentation: 
Breaking down barriers to school swimming and water safety through temporary pop-up pools Andrew Stanton (Aspire Active Education Group)

Strengthening water safety in Scotland: Evaluating the RLSS UK–Scottish Swimming AquaMark partnership Graham McCallum (RLSS UK) and Paul Donald (Scottish Swimming)  

North Wales Fire and Rescue, Swim Wales and Conwy Local Authority water safety pilot scheme Kim Jones (North Wales Fire and Rescue Service) and Hanna Guise (Swim Wales)  

Improving water safety education for every child in Scotland: A national framework approach Erin Cummins (Scottish Swimming) and Gordon Hunter (Scottish Swimming)

 

Session Speaker/Panellists 

12:50 pm - 1:40 pm

Lunch and networking

  

1:40 pm - 2:00 pm 

Men's Health and Water Safety 

Amy O'Connor, Movember 

Tailor your event experience: Choose one of four expert-led sessions

 

Session

Speaker/Panellists

Data, evidence and insights

Moderator: 
Peter Gallagher, RoSPA 

Presentation: 
Water Incident Database Enhancement Project: Approach and learning Rachael Brogan (RoSPA) 

 

Unlocking the value of narrative-rich incident reporting to strengthen water safety research and prevention Jim Watson (British Sub Aqua Club) 

Understanding the true burden of drowning: Years of life lost and economic impact in the UK Professor Mike Tipton (University of Portsmouth) 

 

Why a somatic trauma-informed approach is required in understanding and dealing with grief relating to both families and service personnel Debbie Turnball (River and Sea Sense) 
 

Policy and practice

Moderator: 
tbc

Presentation: 
The Partnership Approach to Water Safety (PAWS): Successes and future direction Grant Cotter (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service) 

 

Strengthening coastal water safety: Local Authority evidence on governance, consistency and collaboration Bethany Handson (Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group) 

 

From local to national: A model for England’s Water Safety Partnerships Carlene McAvoy (RoSPA) 

 

The contribution of Search and Rescue (SAR) partner collaboration to water safety in Scotland Michael Avril (RNLI) 

Innovative approaches and new areas of focus

 Moderator: 
Georgie Beardmore, RoSPA 

Presentation: 
Doing it for Dylan and Beneath the Surface Rebecca Ramsay (Doing it for Dylan)

Water Rescue Assist Robert Adshead (Water Rescue Assist) 

Loch Ken Family Water Safety Day: An Innovative Community Education Model Supporting UK Drowning Prevention Priorities Leanner Pumpr and Lindsay Stewart (Loch Ken Trust) 

Water-related suicide: Can traditional drowning prevention strategies be effective, or is a different approach needed? Reflections from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and UK National Water Safety Forum Ross Macleod (RNLI) and Professor Martin Barwood (Leeds Trinity University)  

Education and Swim

Moderator: 
tbc

Presentation: 
Swim Safe with Onboard: A collaborative partnership with the Royal Yachting Association  Adam Goymer (Swim England) 

Governing unequal protection: School swimming, water safety and inequality in Scotland Orla Suttie (University of Aberdeen) 

Rethinking swimming infrastructure: Rapidly deployable mobile pools as an innovative policy instrument for drowning prevention Christophe Lecoque (Swimwise) 

Measuring drowning prevention with the wrong ruler: A critical analysis of age guidance and the evidentiary framework excluding the highest-risk children Ashley Jones (RLSS UK) 

 

Session Speaker/Panellists 

3:05 pm - 3:20 pm

Refreshments and networking

  

3:20 pm - 4:25 pm 

Strategy across the nations: Insights and open audience Q&A

 This interactive session will begin with a short video showcasing the breadth and impact of drowning prevention activity delivered across the UK throughout the spring and summer, highlighting the strength of collaboration between organisations and communities. Representatives from the four national water safety groups, Water Safety England, Water Safety Scotland, Water Safety Wales and Water Safety Northern Ireland, will then take part in a facilitated audience discussion. 

4:25 pm - 4:30 pm 

Review and close 

 

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Drinks reception