70thANNIVERSARY
Embracing the future
BSAC in 2023
BSAC CEO Mary Tetley outlines the club ’ s present-day identity and strategy as it enters its 70th year
The heart and soul of BSAC has always been its members – around 25,000 of us , spread across a network of locally-based clubs . We are a community of like-minded divers , all part of a broader BSAC community .
Even as we enter our 70th year and look back at decades of change , I feel we are proudly rooted in the traditions established by the founding members . We are still very much the community that Peter Small and Oscar Gugen sought to create , and which successive generations have supported . It ’ s what makes BSAC different from the other training agencies .
Is club culture fading , as some have suggested ? I believe that is far from the case . We felt our sense of community even more acutely at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic , when branches continued to socialise and support their members . Meanwhile , we at HQ responded by revolutionising BSAC ’ s digital and e-learning capabilities . Our membership stayed loyal , something for which we will always be grateful .
Today , we enter a new world with new insecurities , but with the strength of established certainties . BSAC is now in year two of our new Strategy , to ensure we remain relevant . Our Strategy has this main objective :
“ To be the go-to community for anyone wanting to learn about , enjoy and protect the underwater world .”
Many of the original principles that BSAC was built around all those years ago are still at its core . However , as an organisation we identified that we need to change and become more agile in our decision making . We want to see more people diving with BSAC ; to be a more diverse , equitable organisation , accessing the type of diving and snorkelling that people want , in the way that best suits them .
Ahead of the curve
This access will be via a thriving mix of branches , commercial centres , schools and direct access . It ’ s great to see how the universities work with us and have such thriving BSAC clubs . In the Uni clubs , we see such fun at the Freshers weeks , where students are deciding what they want to do in their first year . We are seeing increasing numbers of Uni students going on the Instructor Training Scheme courses , which is a win-win for the student and the Uni .
In terms of managing the wider BSAC , we at HQ will continue to embrace technology to meet our members ’ expectations . We want the member journey to be faster , with easier access to records and courses . Members want their information to be available at their fingertips anytime , anywhere . This year will see BSAC using technology much more effectively to improve efficiency , deliver a better service for members , clubs and centres and manage data more effectively . As such , we are looking to thoroughly review our systems and processes and procure a new Association Management System ( AMS ). This will be a key priority for BSAC this year and beyond .
The MyBSAC App is in the process of being updated to provide a digital Qualification Record Book ( QRB ) that we ’ re sure will be popular with instructors and students . It ’ s also an important step along a journey to modernise our approach to training while maintaining the same high standards that have always been BSAC ’ s hallmark .
These are just a few of the methods we are employing to keep BSAC on top of its game . As our 70th anniversary year unfolds , we will remember our past and celebrate our present . We look to the future with optimism and gratitude to generations of BSAC divers who have helped us maintain our reputation for excellence . �
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