CLUBFOCUS
Colin Knight , Piers Milligan and James Ziemann
How does the club raise funds ?
Our full membership fees are £ 10 per year ; sufficient to cover admin costs . Members pay commercial boat fees on the regular weekly hard boat dives . On club trips we try to have a very small surplus each time , so members can contribute to any additional requirement such as emergency medical kit maintenance .
Boarding ‘ Kitten ’ through the bow door
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What has the club achieved since joining BSAC in 2019 ?
Things have really progressed ; in both the activity of members and the club ’ s organisation . We began with a regular programme of local diving plus annual club trips to Porthkerris in Cornwall . Then in 2020 we had an excellent trip to Scapa ( special thanks to
A short stroll down the beach at Porthkerris
Emily Wade and the Huskyan team ) and in 2021 to the Farnes and to Plymouth . We ’ ve also undertaken two Red Sea trips and are planning a further Red Sea trip in 2023 .
What are your priorities ?
We are very clear that safety is the biggest priority . To safely extend the number of members organising club dives , we formalised our trip risk assessment and the procedures that arise out of that . An official club trip organising group has been set up and its members have swung into action . We have a programme of three trips for 2022 , four for 2023 and possibly a return to Scapa in 2024 . All our advertised trips for 2022 , 2023 and 2024 are essentially full and those not yet advertised are already half full .
Who got involved in the trip planning group ?
There are five members of the group . Its chairman Colin Knight says he values the diversity of characters needed to organise a fantastic trip that makes everyone feel welcome and included in all its aspects . Group member Di Galpin explains why she got involved : “ I wanted to explore more of the gems of UK diving beyond our local patch . I really enjoyed our trips in 2021 , there was great camaraderie and I felt that one way to influence future direction was to get involved . Despite not yet being a Dive Leader , I am developing the skills through buddying .”
How does the group operate ?
There are regular monthly video call meets , which enable sharing practice and ideas , and make sure members coordinate rather than compete . Joint work has pulled together planning documentation using a due diligence approach . From spread sheets for bookings and divers , to a risk register and checklists for briefings , the group has really debated the issues and members learned a lot in the process .
So , tell us about a 2022 trip …
This year ’ s Porthkerris trip was one of the best ever . Twenty divers and five others descended on Porthkerris Divers in Cornwall at approximately the right time and with pretty much all the right gear , so we counted that as a major win .