Simon Rogerson reports on BSAC ’ s 2024 Annual General Meeting
SCUBAHUB
70 years of excellence
Simon Rogerson reports on BSAC ’ s 2024 Annual General Meeting
BSAC ’ S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING FOR 2024 presented a dynamic club embracing change and adapting to the times . Membership numbers continue their gradual increase and sales of training courses are also on the rise . The club is working to its strategy and reaping the rewards , with positive news reported by Chair Edward Haynes and Vice Chair Yasmine Thorn . The AGM , held on the Microsoft Teams platform , also saw an ebullient farewell from outgoing National Diving Officer Dai Atkins .
Chair ’ s Report
Edward Haynes welcomed the delegates and delivered an upbeat presentation on BSAC activity over the past year . He led with an inspiring montage of photographs and film celebrating 70 years of BSAC diving , as October last year saw the club ’ s anniversary . There were reminders of congratulations received from the club ’ s President , the Prince of Wales , and of the special issue of SCUBA magazine featuring interviews with members representing each decade of the club ’ s history .
Edward also mentioned two key anniversary events held last year – the Thames Boat Run ( Vice President Tony Marshall was praised for his contribution ) and the day of celebration at Capernwray Dive Centre . Edward also drew attention to the activity of BSAC ’ s Council , who met
8 eight times last year to keep the club ’ s organisational wheels in motion .
As always , thanks to volunteers were central to the Chair ’ s address , with Edward extending his gratitude to the many volunteers who make BSAC a unique organisation . He mentioned the National Diving Committee ( NDC ), the Regional Coaches and the HQ Team . “ We wouldn ’ t be here without you ,” he added .
Edward thanked outgoing Council members Geoff Duggan , Davs Brander and Paul Tarn , in addition to Honorary Treasurer Janos Suto and National Diving Officer ( NDO ) Dai Atkins , who was also making an instant comeback , having just been voted in as an ordinary Council member .
Vice Chair ’ s Report
Yasmine Thorn explained BSAC ’ s 2022-2024 Strategy and its progress . The vision appears straightforward – for everyone to enjoy and respect the underwater world – but Yasmine expanded on the principle , setting out our mission to be the go-to community for anyone wanting to learn about , enjoy and protect the underwater world .
Key to this mission is a set of values that should underpin everything we do , chiefly integrity , excellence , inclusivity and conservation . These values are judged by key organisational goals aimed at growing the membership and giving our members a satisfying experience . In the case of the former , membership grew by 2 %, from 22,890 at the close of 2022 to 24,134 by the end of 2023 .
Other indicators followed the upward curve , with 9 % growth reported in the 19-35-year-old membership group and a target-beating 54 % improvement in oneyear renewals . BSAC ’ s strategy identifies retention of divers in their first two years as an important goal and reaching out to this demographic delivered results beyond expectation .
There was good news also in the growth of training courses , with ITS and SDC sales up 14 %. However , Yasmine reported a low key performance in entry-level training course sales , down 10 % on the previous year .
Yasmine explained how the strategy has been implemented over the past year , showing how the club can prosper when it sticks to a carefully formulated plan . “ Strategy is something that we ’ d love to hear feedback from in terms of the membership ,” she concluded . “ Anybody who wishes to learn a little bit more about how we go about our strategy , please do get in touch with us . We ’ re potentially looking at running a webinar on this subject later in the year .”
Independent Director
Honorary Secretary Andy Shenstone announced BSAC ’ s first Independent Director , Alistair Dickson , who joins BSAC ’ s board for a period of three years . His appointment was made possible by a change in the Articles of Association last year , the idea being to broaden the board ’ s overall perspective . Previously Director of Sports Development at the RYA , he is currently CEO of Canoe Wales . Andy said : “ Council found [ Alistair ’ s ] insights into the challenges facing membership organisations particularly stimulating , alongside his knowledge of relevant applied research and the dynamics of volunteerbased organisations .”