Penarth Fire Station partner with prestigious theatre group to raise awareness of water safety

Penarth Fire Station is pleased to announce an extension of its partnership with local group Theatr na nÓg following the success of a recent community event held at Cardiff Bay.   

A series of workshops and performances from the award-winning live action piece, ‘Just Jump’ will be repeated between 3rd – 7th June at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay, to highlight the dangers associated with open water and anti-social behaviour, such as swimming in unsupervised waters and ‘tombstoning’ – the act of jumping from very high rocks or structures into water while keeping the body straight.

Commissioned by Cardiff Harbour Authority and Arts & Business Cymru, ‘Just Jump’ is a sombre story with a sad ending, ensuring young people have the information they need to make safe decisions as we approach the warmer summer months.   

As well as over 500 members of the public, the collaborative effort between Penarth Fire Station and the Theatr na nÓg group saw around 600 pupils and teachers from 10 schools across South Wales take part in vital water safety education, during the first community event which took place between 20th-24th May.

 All watches from Penarth Fire Station attended the event, where school children aged between eight and ten years old took part in competitions and learnt lifesaving techniques such as ‘float to live’ and other water rescue procedures.   

Station Manager Nathan Rees-Taylor described the event as a “dynamic and engaging platform to educate and inform”.   

“We are extremely proud of the success of this event. The collaboration with the Theatr na nÓg group and the dedication of the community has been outstanding. It is vital that our young people understand the dangers of open water and make informed decisions, especially as the weather warms up,” he added.   

The extended event will be attended by students from Welsh schools from across South Wales.