Our inaugural 'Empower' Social Impact Report translates our health, wellness, and community outcomes into tangible economic value, detailing the footprint we leave on the communities we serve. Revealing over $337.4 million generated in community, economic, and social value this year, the report explores how we are empowering our communities to get moving.
Inside, you will discover how we are teaming up with local experts, championing water safety and local employment, and actively removing the physical, cultural, and financial barriers that stand in the way of participation.
As we approach our 20th year of operation in 2027, this report serves as both a celebration of our current impact and a baseline for the decades to come.
We don't just talk the talk, we track it. Here is a look at the economic and social footprint we generated for our communities this year:
The total economic and social value generated for our local communities.
Generated by keeping our communities physically active and reducing total healthcare burdens.
Created by improving the mental health, confidence, and social connection of our attendees.
The tangible economic value of equipping children with life-saving aquatic skills.
Visits across 63 facilities
Swimming students
Australian children aged 0–14 enrolled
11.8+ Million Visits: Welcomed across our 63 nationwide facilities.
87,000+ Swimming Students: Mastering new aquatic skills and actively building a water safe generation.
1.18% of all Australian children aged between 0-14yrs are enrolled in our swimming lessons
Government vouchers
Community access
DragonFly classes delivered
$690,550 in Government Vouchers: Eased cost-of-living pressures by successfully redeeming vouchers to keep local children active in sport and swimming.
$546,050+ in Community Access: Generated through the distribution of subsidized access vouchers and free facility passes.
3,099 DragonFly Classes Delivered: Providing a sensory-safe, highly supportive learning environment for students with specialised needs to build critical water confidence.
Unique community partnerships
Get Fit, Give Back donations
Co-designed, locally funded programs
751 Unique Community Partnerships: Transforming our facilities into central hubs by partnering with educational institutions and grassroots sporting clubs.
$331,200 donated directly to local community organisations and the BlueFit Foundation via the Get Fit, Give Back campaign.
$47,695 in co-designed, locally funded programs, leveraging partner expertise to provide highly targeted health and wellness interventions.
‘Black Balloons’ avoided
AI incident response
Free off-site water safety talks
1.01 Billion 'Black Balloons' Avoided: Carbon pollution avoided through our aggressive national waste management and diversion efforts.
12-Second AI Incident Response: Advanced AI Drowning Prevention technology slashed incident response times from an average of 86 seconds down to just 12 seconds.
231 Free off site Water Sarety Talks to over 4000 community members, proactively taking dry land aquatic water safety education directly to vulnerable groups who may not otherwise access traditional swimming lessons.
Workforce aged 18–20
Southern Education students qualified
Local economy reinvestment
Championing Youth Employment: 43.3% of our total workforce are young people aged 18-20, providing critical early career opportunities.
Building the future workforce: 1,988 Southern Education Students successfully obtained their qualifications and employment. To ensure financial hardship does not become a barrier to obtaining employment within the industry we provided over $50,000 in fully funded (free) courses and $231,000 in subsidised training. to remove financial barriers to employment
Local Economy Reinvestment: Reinvested over $25 million directly into local economies through localised procurement.
Dive deeper into the report for more data and the community stories behind the numbers.
While the report is filled with numbers, percentages, and data points, what it really represents is people. Every attendance logged, every child progressing to a new swimming level, and every teenager finding connection on our sports courts is a life positively impacted.
Bringing our strategy to life requires the relentless passion of our frontline teams and the invaluable expertise of our local partners. We are incredibly proud of the impact we have generated, but as we look to the future, our work does not stop here; we remain committed to rolling up our sleeves, removing barriers, and ensuring that when you walk through our doors, you feel 100% safe, welcome, and valued.
Leonie Shaw
General Manager of Community Engagement, Events & Programs
We know that we are Smarter Together. If you are a local school, health and wellness provider, or a community support organisation who shares our vision of inspiring community activity, we want to hear from you.
Let’s collaborate to build targeted programs, explore shared ways to support these initiatives, and create inclusive spaces where everyone belongs, moves, and grows together
