World champion swimmer supports campaign to keep pools open

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1723" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2015&sol;08&sol;SND18-WK4-Lauren&lowbar;Boyle1&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND18-WK4-Lauren Boyle1" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"226" &sol;>World champion silver medallist and two-time Olympian Lauren Boyle is lending her support to a campaign to keep New Zealand school pools open&period; <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Ms Boyle&comma; who recently became the only New Zealand swimmer to have won five world championship medals&comma; has joined Water Safety New Zealand as an ambassador&comma; in a bid to help stop the flood of school pool closures&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Around 156 school pools have closed in the past six years and a further 130 nationwide are at risk of being shut down permanently&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Water Safety New Zealand CEO Matt Claridge says having Lauren&&num;8217&semi;s support is an exciting opportunity to raise further awareness of the issue and inspire young New Zealanders about the importance of learning water safety and swim skills&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;School pools are a hugely valuable resource for providing children – and the wider community – with convenient access to the water to learn essential survival skills&period; We are thrilled to have Lauren on board as a water safety ambassador focusing on this issue&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Ms Boyle says she is excited about the opportunity to be involved in a project that she is passionate about&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;A pool at school should be seen as a &&num;8216&semi;classroom&&num;8217&semi; in terms of what it can contribute to a child&&num;8217&semi;s future – the essential life skills of learning to swim&comma; keep safe in the water and also physical dexterity&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>As a water safety ambassador Ms Boyle will visit at-risk school pools and write and speak about the important role school pools play in New Zealand&&num;8217&semi;s education system&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>For further information about the Save Our School Pools campaign visit it<a href&equals;"&percnt;20http&colon;&sol;www&period;watersafety&period;org&period;nz&sol;media&sol;our-campaigns&sol;save-our-school-pools&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank"> http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;watersafety&period;org&period;nz&sol;media&sol;our-campaigns&sol;save-our-school-pools&sol;<&sol;a>&period;<&sol;p><&sol;p>&NewLine;