New Equipment Fundraiser

Aim

Help Alsager Sub Aqua Club buy new diving gear so more local people can train safely. Sport England will contribute if we hit our goal!

Our Sport England Funding – Making a Real Difference

Alsager Sub Aqua Club

From fundraising to real community impact

When we set out to raise funds for new diving and training equipment, we knew that the investment would make a difference to our club. What we perhaps didn't appreciate at the time was just how much of an impact it would have.

Thanks to the generous support of Sport England, together with the money raised by Alsager Sub Aqua Club and our local community, we have been able to make a significant investment in the quality, safety and capacity of our training.

The funding has enabled us to replace and expand important equipment and, most importantly, give our volunteer instructors the resources they need to introduce new people to scuba diving and provide high-quality training to our existing members.

What the funding has provided

• 10 complete sets of pool scuba equipment
• 10 masks
• 10 pairs of fins
• Hose retaining clips to keep regulators safely secured during training
• 5 complete sets of demand valves for our BCDs, allowing previously serviced equipment to be returned to full operational use
• 2 Resusci Anne CPR manikins
• A training AED, together with the associated training accessories

This investment has given us a much greater pool of reliable equipment, allowing us to run larger training sessions and Try Dives safely and efficiently.

Our investment in training equipment: new pool equipment organised and ready for use.

Equipment ready for our divers: additional masks, fins and other training equipment.

Putting the equipment into action

The difference can be seen every time we get into the pool.

Our new equipment has enabled us to deliver a large number of Try Dives, giving people who may never have considered scuba diving the opportunity to experience it for themselves.

One particularly memorable evening saw us introduce 14 Army Cadets to scuba diving. Being able to provide equipment for an event of this scale would have been extremely difficult without the investment we received. The new equipment allowed our instructors and volunteers to concentrate on giving the cadets a safe, enjoyable and memorable introduction to scuba diving.

For some of those taking part, this was their very first experience of breathing underwater. That is exactly the sort of opportunity we hoped this funding would help us create.

Introducing people to scuba diving: a busy pool session with new and developing divers.

Putting the investment into practice: instructors and divers using the equipment.

Improving our regular training

The benefits don't stop with Try Dives. Our regular pool training sessions have also benefited enormously.

Having reliable, modern equipment available means our volunteer instructors can concentrate on what matters most – teaching, supporting and developing our divers – rather than worrying about whether there is enough suitable equipment available or whether ageing equipment will perform as expected.

It also means that new members can learn using equipment that is appropriate, reliable and representative of the standards we strive to achieve as a club.

A Try Dive experience: giving new participants the opportunity to discover scuba diving.

Developing lifesaving skills

The investment in CPR and AED training equipment has also opened up new opportunities for our club.

Our two Resusci Anne manikins and training AED mean that we can now run regular CPR and AED workshops whenever they are needed, without having to rely on borrowing equipment from other organisations.

For a diving club, first aid and rescue skills are an essential part of our training. Having our own equipment means that these skills can be practised regularly, helping our members and instructors develop the confidence and competence to respond appropriately in an emergency.

More than just equipment

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits has been the confidence and pride the investment has given our members. We now have equipment that reflects the standards we want to provide.

Our members, instructors and new participants can train with confidence, knowing that they have access to reliable, modern and well-maintained equipment.

For a volunteer-run club, this is incredibly important. Our instructors give their time freely to help others learn to dive, and having the right equipment makes it easier for them to deliver safe, effective and enjoyable training.

Looking ahead

We are not finished yet. We still have some funding remaining and hope to use it to further strengthen our training and diving capability.

• 6 additional diving cylinders, increasing the amount of equipment available for training and club diving.
• A full-size in-water rescue manikin, allowing us to practise realistic rescue scenarios in the water and develop the skills needed to respond to a casualty.
• A portable generator, allowing us to support shore-based weekend diving at locations where suitable air-filling facilities are not readily available.

These purchases will build on the investment already made and help us continue developing our divers and instructors, while making our activities possible at a wider range of locations.

A lasting investment in our community

The funding from Sport England has achieved far more than simply allowing us to purchase new equipment.

• Introduce new people to scuba diving.
• Provide larger and better-supported training sessions.
• Develop the skills and confidence of our volunteer instructors.
• Strengthen our CPR, AED and rescue training.
• Give young people, including local Army Cadets, an opportunity to experience scuba diving.
• Improve the safety, quality and accessibility of our club activities.

And the equipment will continue to be used for years to come.

Every new diver who walks through our doors, every trainee who learns a new skill and every member who takes part in rescue or first aid training will benefit from the investment that Sport England and our local community have helped us make.

The club community: members and participants coming together around our Learn to Scuba Dive programme.

Thank you

We would like to say a huge thank you to Sport England, everyone who supported our fundraising and everyone in our local community who helped us reach our target.

Your support has made a genuine and lasting difference to Alsager Sub Aqua Club.

What started as a fundraising campaign has become an investment in people – helping us introduce new divers to the sport, develop our members, support our volunteers and provide safe, enjoyable and inclusive opportunities for our community.

Thank you for helping us take our club forward. 🌊🤿

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made