A charity has partnered with a fire and rescue service to provide crucial lifesaving advice.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), which is based in Worcester, has teamed up with Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWRFS) with the aim of raising awareness about the dangers of drowning.

On Thursday (June 20) the two organisations will conduct rescue demonstrations along the River Severn in Worcester.

Read more: Worcester City Football Club owner says 'vote Labour'

The public will be educated about key water-related risks and will be given safety advice.

This comes after a recent National Drowning Report revealed an alarming 46 per cent increase in the number of children accidentally drowning in the UK in 2022, compared to the five-year average.

The sessions, taking place at 11am and 1pm, are part of RLSS UK's national annual Drowning Prevention Week.

A group of school children will attend, and RLSS UK volunteers will highlight the importance of water safety education with interactive demonstration, including doing the float on dry land.

The HWRFS team will simulate emergency rescue responses which will include live demonstrations of how to effectively use throwing lines and rope bags, and how to approach an emergency situation.

Matt Croxall, charity director at RLSS UK, said: "Through this striking visual demonstration event, we hope to capture the public’s attention and motivate parents and families to take water safety seriously by bring this important issue to life.

"We want to ensure that everyone can enjoy their summer break and enjoy being in or around water but be safe in the knowledge that they, and their children, have the skills and understanding about water safety, which could potentially save a life.

"Every life is worth saving."

John Elsworth, station commander at HWFRS, said: "We are proud to be supporting the RLSS UK’s 2024 Drowning Prevention Week campaign by helping to raise awareness about the risks of accidental drowning.

"Tragic lives are lost each year to accidental drownings and unfortunately, our Fire and Rescue team have lots of experience when it comes to responding to water-related emergency situations, and so through our live rescue demonstrations, we hope to highlight the importance of staying safe around water to the people of Worcester, and beyond."

For the week, RLSS UK is offering free educational resources available on its website for children, including lesson plans for schools and downloadable resources for parents.

It also encourages everyone to follow the Water Safety Code: Stop and think, Stay together, If in danger call 999 or 111, and FLOAT.

For more information, visit www.rlss.org.uk/dpw or call 0300 323 0096.