News
Tyneside scoop coveted BSAC Wreck Award 2015
The 2015 BSAC Wreck Award winners have just been announced – with Tyneside Branch 114 and their impressive report on the Gun Rocks project scooping first place.
The BSAC Wreck Award was launched in 2014 and aims to celebrate Britain’s underwater heritage by using BSAC members and clubs’ first-hand experiences to bring their favourite wreck sites to life.
Tied for second place in the 2015 Award are Southsea Branch – Mulberry 70 and Pilgrims SAC – A7 Survey project.
Also receiving a special commendation are iDive (Ipswich SAC) – the Live Bait Squadron; Ilfracombe and North Devon branch – the South Australia and Trafford SAC – Scapa Flow.
Wreck Award adjudicator and BSAC Underwater Heritage Advisor Jane Maddocks said that while the standard of entries for the 2015 award was extremely high, the Tyneside entry stood out.
Tyneside have spent decades researching an area known as the Gun Rocks Cannon Site close to the Farne Islands. Led by Diving Officer Nic Faulkes (pictured with other club members), the club’s comprehensive Wreck Award 2015 entry outlined the work members have put into researching the cannons that lay on the bed of the North Sea.
Jane said: “I would like to thank all the BSAC clubs who submitted an entry for the 2015 Award, it was a pleasure to read all of them and I found the whole initiative really inspiring.
“It was a very close run thing as some other entries were also excellent. But Tyneside’s was just special and showed how they had worked with experts and got the whole club involved over many years. The report that was produced was remarkable and it shows what can happen when a BSAC club invests a great deal of time and effort into a project.”
Tyneside Branch 114 will be presented with their Wreck Award 2015 trophy by Jane Maddocks in the near future.
But in the meantime, you can read Tyneside Branch 114’s winning entry, the Gun Rocks project – along with the other 2015 entries – here.
Wreck Award 2016 – could your club be BSAC’s next winner?
BSAC’s Wreck Award will shortly be returning for 2016 and full details on the initiative and how your club can enter will be released soon.
But in the meantime, if you think you or your club could compile an engaging, inspiring and innovative report on your favourite wreck site, then you can start preparing now. You can use the coming dive season to take photos and video of your chosen site or start researching its history.
Ahead of the 2016 Wreck Award Launch, Jane Maddocks has also revealed a few creative report tips.
“While some previous entries have had an academic feel about them they don’t have to be academic. The Mulberry 70 project, as well as the South Australia entry, show how different ways of telling us about the project are lively and good to read and the 2014 winner added seafood recipes and even sea shanties to their entry!”
Blogs
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News
Santa Divers take the Plunge for Charity
Ho Ho Ho! Vobster Quay’s recording-breaking charity Santa diving event returns on Sunday 15th December 2024 for another round of festive fundraising frivolities. Run in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes, this ever-popular annual fundraising event aims to raise sack-loads of cash for these two very deserving charities.
Divers of all levels are invited to grab their Santa outfits – and as much festive cheer as they can muster – and head down to Vobster Quay near Mells, Somerset for a mass sponsored Santa dive in aid of charity. In previous years, the event has attracted divers from the far corners of the UK to join in the festive merriment for a final festive dive before the Christmas and New Year break. Back in 2015, the event smashed the world record for the most Santa divers with 188 divers taking to the waters donning their festive finery – a record that remains unbeaten to this day!
Vobster Santas isn’t just about setting records – it’s also about raising some serious cash for charity. Vobster Quay encourages all divers to get into the spirit of the season to raise much-needed funds for two very deserving charities – the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes.
Through individual sponsorship and online donations, divers can invite their friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor them to plunge into the balmy waters of Vobster Quay dressed in full festive finery. Since the very first Santa dive in 2007, the event has raised over £52,000 for charity. “It’s been over 17 years since the very first charity Santa dive took place at Vobster Quay and every year the event just keeps getting bigger and better” enthused Vobster Quay owner, Amy Stanton.
“Vobster Santas is a great way for divers to say a massive thank you to the both the RNLI and Help For Heroes – two very deserving charities close to our hearts. We’re immensely proud of all that Vobster Santas has achieved and hope that even more divers will join this year’s event on Sunday 15th December. I’m confident that we can make Vobster Santas 2024 the biggest yet!”.
Divers wishing to participate can get involved by simply registering their attendance at
www.vobster.com/event-vobstersantas.php.
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