Lloyds Pharmacy teams up with fire service to spread water safety messages

A Gateshead pharmacy is helping to spread the message about keeping safe near water in a unique partnership with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

Lloyds Pharmacy in Teams is using their Healthy Living Table to showcase key water safety messages including the dangers of drinking and drowning, being careful when going out for a run or walking near open water and how to keep children safe in swimming pools and the sea.

Diane Carr Lloyds Pharmacy branch manager said: “I was at the Quayside and saw the fire service in the water doing the rescue demonstrations and went over to watch. I hadn’t heard about Cold Water shock before and hearing first-hand the devastating consequences from family of those who have lost someone really brought it home to me.

“I approached firefighter Tommy Richardson and got the ball rolling to help spread these important water safety messages to hopefully save even just one life.”

Each Lloyds Pharmacy has a Healthy Living Table which promotes healthy lifestyle messages and materials such as tips to help stop smoking, reducing alcohol intake and healthy eating. Throughout the summer Diane has set up the table in the Teams branch showcasing key water safety messages.

Diane added: “All my staff have now been trained and are confident to talk to customers about the dangers of Cold Water Shock and how to stay safe near water.”

Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children; in the UK and  more than 700 people drown in the UK and Ireland every year – equivalent to one person drowning every 20 hours.

David Linsley Byker Station Manager at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue said: “We applaud Diane and her team at Lloyd’s Pharmacy in Teams for being so proactive and working with us to share these very important messages from the RLSS and ourselves about Cold Water Shock and how to be water aware.”

“It’s a busy pharmacy with such a close proximity to the River Tyne and so the more people we can all reach to raise awareness of the dangers of open water the better.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfiA-BHNjrY