MADAM, I'm backing a campaign to prioritise the sport that saves lives after shocking new statistics show a third of children cannot swim the required 25 metres by the time they leave primary school.

The report by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and Kellogg's, shows of those children unable to swim, 39% have never been offered school swimming lessons despite it being a statutory element of the National Curriculum.

This means around 200,000 children will leave primary school this summer unable to swim with 75,000 of them never having the opportunity to learn the life-saving, life-enhancing skill.

With drowning the third most common cause of accidental death of children in England and the number of deaths increasing year on year by 35%, it's vital that the government and schools prioritise swimming lessons as a matter of urgency.

Children love swimming and it's a great way to start them on the road to a healthy and active lifestyle. Swimming is also the only subject on the national curriculum that can save your life so it's essential that government, schools and parents join us in taking action and break the cycle before we create a generation of non-swimmers unable to pass on this life-saving skill to their children in the future.

Kellogg's is announcing a funding package of £100,000, which can be used for school swimming projects that will help to increase the number of children learning to swim in the areas that need it most.

If you're interested in applying for funding, please visit http://www.swimming.org/learntoswim">www.swimming.org/learntoswim

Steve Parry