Stuck for story ideas which could make the headlines for your club in your local media?
We’ve trawled the BSAC news archive to come up with a list of the types of stories that have already proved consistently newsworthy and may give your club some inspiration…
1. Fundraising events
These stories are a great way to show your club’s community spirit at the same time demonstrating the sociable aspect of belonging to your club. Press coverage examples include:
- St Andrew University's 24-hour underwater-thon to raise money for Cancer Research UK
- Scarborough SAC and South Bay Scuba’s rowing challenge for the RNLI
- St Alban SAC’s 24-hour ‘diveathon’
2. Underwater clean ups/environmental
Many clubs get involved in their local marine environment, and so with a bit of planning your clean up activity can also become a newsworthy story. Press coverage examples include:
- Kingston University SAC scored a Press goal with their fabulous images from their river Thames clean up
- Ammanford SAC had their Underwater Litterpick featured on BBC’s Countryfile
3. Significant anniversaries
Is your club marking a significant milestone this year? Then use your anniversary as a springboard into your local Press. Add a twist to your celebrations – as these clubs have done – and your news release will get noticed! Press coverage examples include:
- Worsley SAC completed 40 dives in 40 days to mark their big 4-0
- London No 1 organised a classic car drive to Swanage where they dived in 1960s dive gear
- Oxford SAC marked its 60th year with a photo archive from its early days
4. Grant successes
If you’ve secured funding to develop your club and training, this can be a great community story and an open invite for new members, as these clubs found: Press coverage examples include:
- Street Divers named their new boat bought after raising money serving breakfasts at Glastonbury
- Basildon SAC’s Sport England grant to get the next generation of divers into their club
5. Try dive sessions/nights
Sometimes a simple and straight to the point but well-timed release hits the spot, as many BSAC clubs have had column inches promoting their forthcoming try dive nights. Press coverage examples include:
Don't forget to include a great club pic – either as a group out diving or with your club promo banner – and ideally a short video clip of your club as well as a clear call to action as to who interested try divers need to call.
6. Human interest
The below clubs are just a few of our clubs that have seen the potential in the quirky human interest stories they have within their branch. Press coverage examples include:
- East Midlands SAC had three generations learning to dive, with dad and granddad inspired by their 14-year-old grandson
- Chiltern Divers’ member Eamon Coffey becoming a marine mammal medic
- Del-Mar Divers becoming Guinness World Record holders for underwater dominoes
- Bristol SAC’s Pat Fung trained to be a BSAC Instructor at the age of 76
7. Wreck projects and expeditions
BSAC has had significant media coverage of some of its clubs’ expeditions, often bringing follow up coverage as relatives and more stories come to the surface for moving tributes:
- A team of BSAC divers led by one of BSAC’s regional coaches, Mark Paisey, raised the World War Two highball bouncing bombs from the bottom of a Scottish loch.
- A group of club members, led by NDC’s Dave Lock, conducted a centenary dive on HMS Pathfinder, 100 years to the day she sank off St Abbs
- After locating its engine, Keighley SAC’s efforts to find out more about the reasons why a WW2 plane crashed into Wastwater brought the story of bravery behind the crash to light
- Rhosneigr SAC discovered a rare slate trolley (pictured) while diving in a Snowdonia lake - and it is now a key exhibit in a Welsh Industrial Heritage museum.
Good Luck! And don’t forget, if you think you have a potential story idea but are not sure where to start do get in touch. Contact us on 0151 350 6201 or by email.
