HQ Report
The club ’ s CEO , Mary Tetley , began her section by expanding on the recent announcement that the BSAC Diving Conference will return on Saturday 19th October at its previous venue , the Vox , at Birmingham ’ s NEC . The event will consist of a main stage complemented by a small exhibition and four breakout rooms .
The conference has traditionally featured blue chip speakers from within and without BSAC , and a major figure has already been booked – Dan Orr , a former president of the Divers Alert Network ( DAN ) and a renowned expert on diving safety . More speakers will be announced in the run-up . Early bird conference tickets are now on sale , priced £ 32.50 against a standard ticket price of £ 40 .
Mary also touched on a few recent organisational developments , such as the implementation of the new AMS ( Association Management System ) with the supplier Sport80 , a deal signed in March .
She also addressed concerns that the club ’ s insurance does not include cover for branch equipment . Boats , premises and equipment have not been included in the policy since its inception , but HQ has spoken to underwriters and there is a policy available to branches via David Roberts and Partners ( DR & P ) to ensure cover is available if required . In the meantime , a short-term insurance review group has been established by Council to review the existing cover .
Mary concluded with examples of BSAC ’ s invigorated presence on social media and support of university clubs . She reported growth of 10 per cent in uni clubs , though BSAC still needs to solve the perennial issue of undergrad members lapsing when they graduate .
Honorary Treasurer ’ s report
Janos Suto delivered his final report before completing a long stint of service on Council . He announced an increase in operating income of £ 113,000 or 7 %, from £ 1.689m to £ 1.802m , due largely to increases in subscriptions and training courses . Meanwhile , expenditure increased by 11 %, from £ 1.75m to £ 1.912m , partly due to increased pack and course costs , and also from increased staffing costs . Overall , there was an operating loss of £ 104,000 in
2023 , mitigated by a revaluation of the HQ building to an overall loss of £ 67,000 .
“ Like all organisations , BSAC has seen costs increase due to inflation ,” Janos said . “ Staffing costs have increased due to a small cost of living increase , and also a new staff member . Direct costs have also increased , as they are linked to membership numbers .”
National Diving Officer ’ s report
Dai Atkins delivered his final report as NDO , setting out the activities of the National Diving Committee and thanking his many volunteers .
Dai commended Clidive ’ s award-winning Expedition Donegal alongside efforts in maritime licensing and the protection of shipwrecks . His conservation theme touched on BSAC ’ s collaboration with Seawilding and establishing ISO standards for scientific diving .
The Instructor Training Group oversaw the qualification of 240 new Open Water Instructors , 14 Advanced Instructors and two new National Instructors . Meanwhile , successful training events were held in the UK and overseas in Australia , Brunei and Cyprus . The ITS Review will continue to focus on the generation and development of OWIs , viewed as a critical pathway . Dai also covered the activities of the Safety Group , notably the annual Automated External Defibrillator ( AED ) Instructor recertification , the Incident Report for 2022 and the Safety Awards .
He concluded with some highlights of his six years in the NDO hotseat , which yielded 13,857 diving qualifications , 3,011 instructing qualifications and a raft of new course products .
Ordinary and Special Resolutions
Members voted to authorise BSAC Council to appoint and set remuneration of the auditors . In addition , a Special Resolution was passed to update the club ’ s Articles of Association , including the introduction of an independent member to Council who will not or have been a member of BSAC . The aim is to ensure that appointments contribute to creating a board that is balanced , inclusive and skilled . The updates to Articles of Association can be found online at bsac . com / proposedarticles
BSAC welcomes new NDO , Council members , Treasurer
FOLLOWING THE ELECTION 2024 , BSAC has welcomed the newly elected National Diving Officer , Sophie Rennie , alongside two Council Members , Catherine Haworth and Dai Atkins .
This year ’ s election also saw one post unopposed , with Richard Pettifer elected as Honorary Treasurer . Congratulating the newly elected candidates , BSAC also thanked Dai Atkins for his time as National Diving Officer , retiring Council members Janos Suto ( retiring Treasurer ), David Brander , Paul Tarn and Geoff Duggan as well as all the candidates who stood in this year ’ s election .
Voter turnout for this year ’ s election was 7.4 %. The full BSAC Election 2024 results are as follows :
Elected unopposed :
■ Honorary Treasurer – Richard Pettifer
Member-elected candidates :
■ National Diving Officer - Sophie Rennie
■ Council ( two positions were available ) - Catherine Haworth and Dai Atkins
Following the recent BSAC AGM , the newly elected members have now officially taken up their roles on BSAC Council .
Catherine Haworth Sophie Rennie
Dai Atkins
Richard Pettifer
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