Mental health awareness training
New BSAC club for Sri Lanka
BSAC has welcomed its latest branch , Sri Lanka-based S . Thomas ’ College Sub Aqua Club , to the club network .
S . Thomas ’ College Sub Aqua Club officially became a BSAC club in January , after running as a multi-agency diving club since 1993 . Making the move to BSAC now means the college club can provide an improved training programme as well as BSAC certification .
Call for incident reports
BSAC IS CALLING FOR DIVERS TO SUBMIT details of any diving or snorkelling incident that occurred during 2020 for inclusion in the Annual Incident Report .
Compiled each year by BSAC , the report analyses UK diving incidents involving divers from all agencies and backgrounds , plus incidents worldwide that involve BSAC members . The data then feeds into ongoing analysis and research to help keep diving safe and hopefully help other divers – in the UK and worldwide – to avoid a similar experience .
With 2020 severely impacted by Covid-19 , BSAC recognises that the number of dives conducted during the year were significantly reduced , but nevertheless wants divers to report any incident they experienced .
Jim Watson , BSAC ’ s Safety & Development
A club snorkel training trip to Big Rock
The club , which is based in Mount Lavinia , on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka , currently has over 150 members and is now planning its 2021 diving and training season , as the lockdown restrictions ease .
Diving Officer Yohan Abeyesekera welcomed the opportunity to become a BSAC club .
“ We had planned to set up as a BSAC club in 2019 but were not able to due to the global pandemic . BSAC was very helpful and enabled us to make the change in less than a month . We are now planning for our first dives post-Covid and are also evaluating some marine conservation projects to take on in the future .”
Manager said that despite the lockdown restrictions , data from 2020 still has a vital role to play in supporting and informing safer diving .
“ Reporting an incident can help to make diving safer for all . So , if you have been involved in or witnessed an incident – whether it was minor or more serious - please report it , in confidence , and help us to continue to shape a safe future for diving .”
All reports submitted are treated in the strictest confidence and no personal identifying details are included in the final Annual Report , which will be published October / November 2021 .
A NEWLY UPDATED COURSE IS NOW online enabling sports volunteers and club members to gain the confidence to support people experiencing mental health problems .
With the pressures of Covid and the associated restrictions , taking care of your mental as well as physical health is essential . And now more than ever , volunteers working in sport also need an awareness of mental health problems and how to offer support .
In collaboration with partners Mind and Sport England , UK Coaching has released an updated version of the popular eLearning course Mental Health Awareness in Sport and Physical Activity . The course offers four modules that will increase your knowledge and understanding of mental health , providing you with the practical skills and strategies to be able to :
■ Build people ’ s resilience , self-esteem and confidence
■ Adapt your sessions to make them more inclusive
■ Enable and support mental health recovery
■ Tackle stigma and discrimination
This course is available at £ 12 ( instead of the initial RRP of £ 18 ). After completing the course , you will be able to download a certificate of completion .
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