Greater Manchester Water Safety Strategic Partnership
In 2021 and 2022 Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) attended more fatal water incidents than fatal fire incidents.
In response to this, GMFRS hosted a Water Safety Summit attended by key local and national stakeholders. At this Summit it was proposed that a Greater Manchester (GM) partnership should be established.
The inaugural meeting of the Greater Manchester Water Safety Strategic Partnership (GMWSSP) was held in June 2023. The partnership involves stakeholders from all Greater Manchester boroughs and includes local authorities, Greater Manchester Police, North West Ambulance Service, local landowners, GMFRS as well as representatives from key national organisations such as Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Canal and River Trust and Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK).
Water Safety Partnership logo
The partnership’s aim is to reduce the number of drowning incidents in Greater Manchester, and the partnership has set out a strategic plan to establish a consistent approach and structure across all 10 boroughs. The objective is to share best practice and expertise to ensure that a consistent message is delivered across our city region.
The strategic aims of the GMWSSP are to:
Reduce the number of drownings in Greater Manchester.
Ensure residents and visitors are safe around water when they are in Greater Manchester.
Ensure Greater Manchester residents are safe around water wherever they are.
Increase awareness of the risks of open water.
Help people enjoy water related activity in a safe manner.
The group is made up of representatives from GMFRS, Canal and River Trust, CityCo, Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police, Bridgewater Canal Company, Salford City Council and the Royal Life Saving Society UK - working together to help make Manchester’s waterways safer, with a key focus on the city centre.
The Wigan Water Safety Partnership (WWSP) is a multi-agency collaboration established to promote the safe use of water across Wigan Borough. Formed in 2020 and developed into its current structure in 2025, the partnership brings together key stakeholders including Wigan Council, GMFRS, Greater Manchester Police, Canal and River Trust and other local organisations. Its core mission is to reduce water-related incidents and fatalities by raising public awareness, delivering targeted education and coordinating safety campaigns. The WWSP operates under the strategic guidance of the Wigan Community Safety Partnership and contributes to the Greater Manchester Water Safety Strategic Partnership, ensuring a consistent and proactive approach to water safety across the region.
Date of set up
Initial Formation: 2020 (informal collaboration)
Formal Establishment of WWSP: 2021
Current Structure Developed: 2025
Key partners and attendees
Wigan Council
Canal & River Trust
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS)
Greater Manchester Police (GMP)
Lancashire Wildlife Trust
Northwest Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group
Probation Services
Youth engagement teams (e.g. Reach service)
Risk review progress
Risk reviews have been completed for all water bodies across the borough, with focus on high-risk locations as a priority with additional support from GMFRS. These risk reviews will form the basis of a comprehensive action plan to address key water risk locations across Wigan borough.
Significant campaigns or events
A 12-month calendar is regularly updated to align with national campaigns.
Upcoming campaigns for 2025:
Summer Water Safety August 2025
Don’t Drink and Drown September and December 2025
Frozen Water Safety December 2025 – January 2026
Meet the Lifeguard Initiative to roll out across local schools
Respect the Water – ongoing campaign
Pop-up stalls across the borough during summer to promote water safety messages
Equipment or signage provision
Appropriate signage and safety aids have been ordered and are being installed across the high-risk locations. Quantities are proportionate to each location based on geographical size and level of risk.
Continued use of social media and education activities to promote water safety, as no amount of signage or rescue aids can guarantee safety or eliminate all risk.
Future plans
Community Engagement Plan: In development to coordinate prevention work and volunteer engagement.
Educational Outreach: Continue the positive work to involve school-based educational sessions to deliver water safety awareness through fun and engaging activities.
Claremont Project: Collaboration with Wigan Youth Zone and Leigh Youth Hub for youth-focused water safety education.
Out-of-Hours PR/Communication Plan: Being developed to ensure urgent messaging can be shared promptly across partners to reach our communities.
