SCUBAHUB
Buxton springs to life with £ 20K grant
A DERBYSHIRE CLUB IS SET TO BOOST its diving and training with a new RIB , thanks to a successful grant application .
Buxton SAC has been awarded £ 20,000 from Derbyshire County Council ( DCC ). The club ’ s grant application fitted with DCC ’ s aim of supporting community projects , which include promoting positive lifestyle choices and behaviours among young people .
Along with £ 5k match-funding from the club , the £ 20,000 grant will now be used to upgrade Buxton SAC ’ s existing out-of-
service RIB to a larger vessel . Buxton ’ s Development Officer , Dawn Richardson , said the decision to apply for funding for a new boat was partly driven by the young people in the club ’ s youth forum .
The group canvassed other members , who also felt that a working RIB would make diving more accessible and affordable for existing and new members , including younger people and families . Previously , the club had relied on hardboat charters , which added to the cost of its diving plans .
Dawn explains : “ We needed to upgrade our existing boat as it was not fit for purpose – having so many members and such a small boat meant that we were using charters , which wasn ’ t economically viable . It means we can be more self-sustainable too .”
The new RIB will now not only help Buxton SAC to offer more diving and training opportunities but also bring on a new generation of boat handlers .
While the grant application took an estimated 80 hours to research and compile , Dawn said the time was more than worth it . “ Our boat will enable more varied opportunities for club members , their wider family connections and the community at large ,” she added .
Dawn is now encouraging other clubs not to be daunted by applying for grant funding , as the effort made a real difference for Buxton SAC .
“ I ’ d advise clubs looking for funding to seek help from their area sports development department , their school sport partnership and their county sports partnership ( active partnerships ). They can all help by looking at the right funding pots and offering support in writing the bid too .”
“ Having so many members and such a small boat meant that we were using charters ”
Warning on cylinder procedures
BSAC IS URGING MEMBERS AND CLUBS to be vigilant when filling cylinders , following an incident in which a club member was seriously injured .
The member was hurt while filling a 3-litre cylinder with 100 % oxygen . This is a procedure that had been conducted many times before by the impacted member using the same equipment configuration with no previous problems . On the day in question , the filling procedure led to an explosion and resulting fire .
BSAC is working closely with the member and club in question to identify what can be learned from the incident and to share the findings within BSAC and the wider diving community to help minimise the risk of a reoccurrence . More details will be released when this work is completed .
The member injured in the accident is now making good progress towards recovery .
In the meantime , BSAC is urging all clubs and members involved in the high-pressure transfer of gas - either by compressor or booster - no matter what the gas , but especially in the case of oxygen , to review their procedures and risk assessments to ensure the adoption of best practice and adherence to manufacturer recommendations for equipment usage , servicing , testing , and cleaning . If there is any doubt as to identifying current best practice , please contact jimw @ bsac . com for guidance .
Please note that the above does not imply or infer any departure from best practice by the club member or branch involved in the accident ; it is intended only to raise awareness of the risk inherent in high-pressure gas transfer . Such risks are even possible in well-designed system configurations , and when conducted in accordance with previously proven procedures .
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