Children encouraged to join scheme and learn about lifeguards ...

The Sea Safe scheme for Island schoolchildren returns this summer. (Image: Contributed)

The Ryde Beach Lifeguards scheme, to help school children on the Isle of Wight learn how to be safe by the sea, will return this summer.

It teaches the importance of beach flags, dangers at the beach, cold water shock and how to get help.

Supported by Southern Water, it is free to schools and forms part of their pre-season drowning prevention education.

Beach manager, Todd Miller, said: "As we are surrounded by water on the Isle of Wight, with just two lifeguarded beaches, our pre-season education is so important.

"The programme is immersive, with children being taken into the sea.

"It is much more effective than our traditional school talks."

Schools in Ryde, Sandown, Ventnor and East Cowes have been approached to take part in the programme, with the aim of getting a thousand children attending it.

Isle of Wight County Press: From left: Sandown Mayor Paddy Lightfoot, Todd Miller, Cllrs Sue Betts, Frank Baldry, Heather Humby MBE, Toby Wilcock, Jenny Hicks, Ian Fletcher and Deputy Mayor Alex Lightfoot.

From left: Sandown Mayor Paddy Lightfoot, Todd Miller, Cllrs Sue Betts, Frank Baldry, Heather Humby MBE, Toby Wilcock, Jenny Hicks, Ian Fletcher and Deputy Mayor Alex Lightfoot. (Image: Sandown Town Council.)

Meanwhile, members of Sandown Town Council have celebrated the development of a longer term beach safety strategy, working with Todd Miller.

Safety buoys in the Bay area, a lifeguard station, provision of accessible beach wheelchairs and the sea safe sessions are all being acknowledged as successful ways to make being at the beach a better experience.