Dig Deep for Darlo Diving

Aim

We hope to purchase a 'replay system' to help our divers make a speedy recovery, help with social distancing and shorten our waiting list.

Before you read on - check out our rewards, you may miss out on claiming a reward for your donation

A little bit about us

Darlington Amateur Swimming Club (DASC) Diving is a self-funded diving team ran by a small group of qualified ASA/Swim England Level 2 diving coaches and volunteers based at the Dolphin Centre, Darlington. Led by head coach Steve Jackson (a retired world class international diver), Darlington Diving has developed over ten national age group champions (some of which have passed onto larger clubs to follow international careers with achievements as high as World Junior bronze and European Gold on the high board in the 75-79 year age group).  

What do we offer?

We offer structured, dynamic and fun training for poolside, platform and springboard divers of all ages and abilities (including those with mental and physical disabilities).  We cover Darlington and its surrounding areas (and further if you're willing to travel). Age groups have ranged from as young as four to 85 years old - proving you're never too young or old to dive! Not only does our diving offer great body strength and technique, it also builds confidence, courage, endurance and promotes positive mental well being for all.

Effects of the Pandemic

Many of our divers had been training very hard for months, perfecting their skills and overcoming mental blocks in order to compete at their very best or to move onto the next level of diving (therefore creating space for new divers to join our club). With all training and competitions abruptly cancelled from March 2020 this has been devastating news to us all. Unfortunately because of pool closures, we have not been able to reduce the waiting time for new divers to try this fantastic sport and all of the benefits it brings both mentally and physically.

During the pandemic our divers have missed out on essential training, and with the diving pools yet to re-open, and new competitions being planned, there will only be a short time for our teams to recover. Returning to diving after such a long absence can be very daunting for many divers creating worry and anxiety, especially amid the ongoing pandemic. We want to support our divers as best as we can and offer reassurance that they can spring back into action as quickly and as safely as possible, by putting certain measures in place upon their return.

Being a smaller club than most with only two official evenings a week available to train,our club needs all the help it can get to recover from the effects of Covid-19. We have limited resources and rely on fundraising to survive, which is something we have not been able to do throughout the lock down period, especially with all sports lottery applications coming to a halt.

Our Wish

We are very excited at the prospect of purchasing  a 'replay system' which offers instant visual feedback. Training through the use of visuals is proven to be one of the fastest and most efficient ways to learn and progress (many of the larger diving clubs have this resource already). We currently have a long waiting list for new divers, which prior to the pandemic was over twelve months.  A replay system would not only benefit our current divers to recover quickly, but also enable them to progress through our diving levels much faster, therefore freeing up availability for new divers to join our club.  We are always looking out to find Britain's next World Champion!

Social Distancing and Staying Safe

Purchasing a replay system would also assist with social distancing measures upon returning to the pool. Divers would be able to assess their own performances using the large portable screen in a safe space with coaches demonstrating via software through a mobile phone. The timing device would also keep a smooth flow of movement between dives, helping to keep social distancing measures in place.

Why Dig Deep for Darlo?

We hope to raise £4500 which could help Darlington Divers make a massive leap forward and help relieve 'return to the pool' anxieties, building excitement and enthusiasm at a time when it is most needed.  This resource would also help to reduce the waiting time for new divers to join our club.  Bearing in mind, there are only 44 Swim England registered diving clubs across England (in 1977 there were 296 diving pools), some which are now at risk of closure, divers could become an endangered species! 

Any donation you make, no matter how small, will enable us to gain this extra money and will help our divers to stay safe, bounce back as quickly as possible, as well as freeing up spaces for new divers to join our club.

What can we offer you in return?

We have all sorts of rewards on offer for your pledges, but all are equally appreciated which is why we will be sending a certificate of appreciation to anyone who donates to our cause.

Check out what we have to offer, if there is something that you would like, just ask, we may be able to make your wishes come true too.  We'll be adding rewards throughout our campaign, many rewards being kindly donated from Darlington's local community, so keep checking back for regular updates.

We would also like to give back to our local hospitals, so any money we make in addition to our target will be donated to Darlington's Memorial hospital in response to the Covid-19 crisis.

So come on, dig as deep as you can and make our wish come true... make a pledge today and support Darlington Diving.

Check out our testimonials

This project successfully funded on 28th September 2020