BSAC CEO Mary Tetley shares her New Year reflections and the outlook for the BSAC community in 2023.
January is always a time to look back and reflect on the previous year and plan for the year ahead.
Although still a challenging time for so many, it was wonderful to see how much diving took place in 2022, with so many club trips both in the UK and overseas.
As travel became easier as the restrictions eased, BSAC divers did what they do best - went diving and then told their stories either down at the club, or in the pub! Or of course in SCUBA magazine. Simon our editor loves reading and receiving your stories, do keep them coming!
It’s been a good year. Thank you
None of the diving and training we all enjoy would happen without our thousands of volunteers. So, a big thank you to you!
2022 was our first year of working in our new strategy and it has certainly been a welcome programme to implement. One of the key goals for BSAC was to ensure membership growth, including new member growth and improved retention.
I’m pleased to report 2022 was a fantastic year for new member recruitment for us and we have seen BSAC recruit more new members in the last year than we have done in many years.
Challenging times remain
Although the pandemic is largely behind us, challenges in the outside world remain with the cost of living increasing for us all. BSAC is aware some members will be facing a challenging year. We are and will continue to do our very best to keep diving with BSAC the best value possible, while retaining the benefits you want and need.
Clubs may also be facing challenges as some pools close or increase costs, or other costs increase. Please do reach out to us if you need support. We can help facilitate pool sharing, advise on grants and help in other ways.
For support (members or clubs) please email info@bsac.com and your message will be forwarded to the most suitable contact at head office, to help.
BSAC turns 70 this year!
I am really looking forward to 2023. We’ll be moving into year two of the strategy and BSAC will be celebrating its 70th Anniversary. Happy birthday BSAC! We have designed a new logo to celebrate our 70 years and some commemorative polo shirts will soon be in the online shop.
SCUBA magazine is going to celebrate BSAC’s 70 years with some wonderful photos and stories, with a special issue coming out later in the year. As we move through the months, we hope that our branches will celebrate with us too. We will be at the Go Diving show in March so do come and see us, we will be asking people to share their diving stories with BSAC over the last 70 years.
Plus, the London Boat Run is looking to make a comeback! After two years of being on hold, we plan to hold this event in October, as we celebrate BSAC’s actual birthday. So keep an eye out for the announcement.
Working for you in 2023
As we celebrate our 70 years we will also look ahead and focus on the work that needs to be done to ensure our bright future.
We hope you were able to complete the recent Member Survey as that will help us to prioritise and shape activity through this year, to ensure we’re delivering the best service and value for members. If not, you have until midnight on the 3rd January! Click here to take the survey.
A key area of focus this year (and ongoing) will be improving BSAC’s technology and processes. We’re looking to harness technology much more effectively to improve efficiency, deliver a better service (for members, clubs and centres) and manage data more effectively. Our aim will be to make processes easier for all of us! We will be getting in touch with members through that process to ensure it’s a two-way process and we cater for members’ needs. Interested in getting involved? Please let me know at maryt@bsac.com and I will pass your email on.
We will continue this year in our work to safeguard the UK's precious waters and marine life for divers, including working collaboratively with conservation organisations.
On diving and snorkelling, Dom Robinson, BSAC’s Head of Diving and Training will be working to deliver some key projects, including:
- the next release of the MyBSAC app which will be out by the end of January. This is an exciting extension of the first phase where we will see the launch of a digital Qualification Record Book.
- launch the updated Dive Leader course, following review. The updated course will include eLearning and include the revised Oxygen Administration course.
- reviewing BSAC’s snorkelling courses and programme
Through this year we will also be focussing on work to:
- attract (and keep) more young people into BSAC, specifically 18- to 35-year-olds
- improve the experience for members in their first year
- support increased participation in training
- improve gender diversity and inclusivity
Debbie Powell, along with our Community Team is looking at these areas. If you have any thoughts or ideas, please let Debbie know at debbiep@bsac.com
Upcoming elections
In May there will be an AGM and an election, so if you fancy giving us a hand and want to put something back into the sport we all love, please do get in touch. The deadline for standing for election is 31 January 2023. If you are interested let me know at maryt@bsac.com.
Keep in touch
I am looking forward to staying in touch with you all. Please do email me at maryt@bsac.com if you wish to give feedback on anything.
In the meantime, I wish you all a happy and healthy year ahead with plenty of fabulous diving and snorkelling. I hope to see you at the Dive Show in March, do come and find us !
Best wishes,
Mary Tetley
BSAC CEO
