LIVERPOOL SHIPWRECK & HUMANE SOCIETY

Instituted 1839 Incorporated 1888 Registered Charity No. 222098 Limited Company No. 27726

SWIMMING & LIFE-SAVING PROFICIENCY AWARDS

Another facet of the Society’s awards is the encouragement of school children in the practise of swimming with the object of saving life.

In 1885 the Swimming & Life-Saving Medal was introduced for award to school children in the Liverpool area. Originally a silver medal was awarded to the best boy and best girl at each school that entered a minimum of eight swimmers competing against each other. In the next few years the number of competitors increased each year reaching as many as nineteen in the sixth year but, due to the high cost of manufacturing silver medals they were later downgraded to bronze. The silver medal was then only awarded as a special end of year championship prize. More recently the Society was obliged to withdraw the silver medal altogether from its awards. Today the best boy and best girl of each participating school is awarded a Swimming Proficiency Certificate and costume badge and a Bronze Medal is awarded to the best boy or girl of the year if the Society’s Swimming Judge considers numbers and standards merit a final championship competition being held.

The Swimming Medal is possibly the Society’s most attractive medal and must have been highly prized by its winners. Having a blue and white striped ribbon, it has an ornamental back-plate with a laurel (left) and oak (right) leaf surround with superimposed two oars and a trident, and again superimposed a roped lifebelt and within it a shield bearing the Liver Bird crest. The swivel suspender consists of two open mouthed dolphins with twisted tails. The reverse of the medal is plain for inscription.  

From 1885 to 2007 the Society has awarded 1,238 Silver and 963 Bronze Swimming Proficiency Medals. Since the Silver Medal was withdrawn, the Society has also awarded many framed Swimming Proficiency Certificates and also Costume Badges to winners and runners-up at each school.

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