Royal Life Saving SA receives generous donation from Hon Russell Wortley MLC

Royal Life Saving Society – South Australia was delighted to receive a $30,000 donation from former MLC the Hon Russell Wortley which will fund additional, much needed water safety classes for migrant communities and Indigenous South Australians.

The generous donation was the fulfilment of a pre-election promise by Mr Wortley to personally donate equivalent of 12 weeks salary to help reduce drowning deaths in South Australia.

Royal Life Saving Society – South Australia Executive Director Jayne Minear thanked Mr Wortley and his wife Dana for the generous donation.

“We are so grateful to Russell and Dana for their long-term support for Royal Life Saving and all our activities in South Australia,” Ms Minear said.

“Both Indigenous and migrant communities are over-represented in the drowning rates.

“When we lose someone to drowning, it is a tragedy not only for those communities, but for all South Australians. We lose too many people to drowning in inland waterways particularly our rivers.

“Royal Life Saving wants everyone to enjoy their time in, on and around the water and get home safely at the end of the day.

“The Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 is working towards a 50 per cent reduction in drowning and we would love to see South Australia leading the way to achieve that goal.”

The money will go towards Swim and Survive classes which would not have been able to be offered without this funding.

Mr Wortley presented the cheque to Royal Life Saving at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre.