Witham SCUBA Diving Club is a volunteer-run scuba diving club, operating as a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) and managed by a committee. The club has been helping people discover and enjoy the underwater world since 1980. We provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn new skills, improve their physical and mental wellbeing, and become part of a supportive local community.
Our youngest member is 17 and our oldest is 79 (and still actively diving). In addition, we have a number of social members who are all former divers but still wish to be part of the club and take part in non-diving activities.
Over the last few years, we’ve grown from around 30 members (post Covid) to more than 60 active members now, demonstrating the increasing demand for accessible, affordable diving opportunities in our area. A number of our new joiners learned to dive with other agencies but liked the vibe and community feel of our club.
Unfortunately, our club’s air compressor – the essential piece of equipment used to fill diving cylinders safely and in-house – has reached the end of its life after nearly 30 years of service. Replacement parts are no longer available, making repair and servicing impossible.
Without a compressor, our ability to deliver training, diving activities, and community projects is severely affected. Members will be forced to travel long distances to fill air cylinders, increasing costs and creating barriers to participation. Having a compressor helps us attract new members who already dive and retain members who have learned to dive with us.
The cost of a new compressor is greater than our reserves and it would take a number of years to save and fundraise the amount needed through club membership. We recently had our air mixing panel serviced and a number of parts replaced as part of our ongoing project to ensure we have clean and safe air.
The good news is that Sport England has recognised the value of our club and has awarded us a grant through the Sport England Movement fund towards the replacement compressor. However, as part of the funding requirements, we must raise an equal or greater amount through community support.
The money raised, along with the matching Sport England funding, will be used to purchase and install a new Coltri Mark III Silent compressor, a long-term investment that will support our club and community for at least the next 20 years.
What we are aiming to purchase.
The new compressor will cost £8272 with a further £1500 estimated for delivery, installation, commissioning and training costs. In an effort to raise funding to meet Sport England requirements, we are going through the Crowdfunding route. The giving page – which does go back over what is included in this news article can be accessed using the following link: –
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/witham-bsac-project-clean-and-safe-air
On a technical note, the new compressor will need to be connected to a 3-phase electricity supply and the pipework will need to be amended to connect it our existing air mixing panel and air banks as the new compressor is smaller. It will then need to be checked and an air test performed to make sure the air is safe to breathe.
Finally, our qualified compressor operators will need to be trained in how to use the new compressor.
