Over the last several months, staff have been working hard behind the scenes to raise money for the club to update and replace aging and broken equipment. No small task when you consider we are a small separate entity, with no large-scale support network or part of popular sporting groups.
Most grant providers require complex grant applications with specific projects in mind, where we required something more low key but just as effective. In a random chance encounter, we were referred to the clubs local Surrey County Councillor, Mrs Rachel Lake.
Councillor Lake is an avid supporter of youth initiatives and jumped at the chance to try and help us. She thought big, and was instantly keen to help us build a club house for training and storage, but while this was an admirable target, and still one we would love to achieve. We had to bring things down in scope, when budget, complexity and time became a significant factor.
Councillor Lake had access to a dedicated fund through the councils Small Community Projects Fund, You Fund Surrey. Being keen to help, she worked with us in identifying our key needs in terms of equipment which tied in to both safety, education and diversity.
It was eventually agreed that she would recommend us for a grant award, and after submission of a short application we were successful in being donated £11,290! This amount is greater than we could have ever hoped for and was totally life changing for the club.
The grant would be to replace our stock of lifejackets which were over 30 years old, acquire some new wetsuits to replace many of the old and torn suits in stock which had seen better days. Plus the addition of some new sea scooters to help those members with mobility issues (and to add a bit of fun on games nights).
For lifejackets we instantly turned to our previous suppliers Baltic Lifejackets, who were impressed at how well we had looked after our old ones, when we sent them a picture of what we wanted. They were kind enough to support us with a trade account, meaning we were able to secure more jackets than originally planned, helping us to provide more support for more divers. The new lifejackets are so much more versatile than our old ones, with modern advances in technology making them easier to use, more comfortable to wear and more robust in the water. They will last us many years to come, we are sure.
Our next supplier hunt was for wetsuits. In recent years with a lower budget, we had been made aware of O’Neil wetsuits through a shop we had previously used. These suits were super comfortable, extra stretchy, and ideal for our stock suits as they were able to fit many shapes and sizes. So we went direct to source and again were met with wonderful service another trade account, and the ability to kit out our entire upcoming open water trip! Staff and all!
Our final hunt was for sea scooters. Not an easy task. Our previous ones had been cheap and effective, but due to their size were found to be heavy, hard to carry, and inconsistent with speed and capability. Amazingly at the time we were looking, Facebooks algorithms were spying well, and we were shown the Waydoo Subnados in the adverts! These amazing scooters, are super small and powerful, and able to be adapted to meet the needs of the user. They can be used singly, as a pair, or even strapped to your legs like some jet propelled underwater Ironman. Because of their size they are far easier to carry, simpler to use, and capable of supporting disabled divers in far more versatile ways. It was a no brainer for us. So again, with the help of a local liaison we were able to work with Flying Fish eFoils in the Netherlands to secure an order for these amazing bits of kit with all the accessories we could want.
We ordered and received everything just in time for our first open water dives at Wraysbury, and by the time we were going to Swanage, everything was set.
We were lucky enough to be visited at Wraysbury Dive Centre on the 29th June 2025 by Councillor Lake, to see what the money had purchased and how we were using it. She was really interested in what we did, staying with us almost all day on one of the hottest days of the year. It was wonderful to be supported by her and to see her take so much interest in what we were doing, and how much the new kit was making a difference to us.
There are still a few things left in the project to complete, such as ensuring better storage for all these new items. Building new racks to hang suits, obtaining new hangers and storage boxes etc, but this will be worked on over the coming months. None of which would be possible without the support from Mrs Lake and the YFS Small Community Projects team!
Hopefully soon, this will all be stored in a new location as well, as we have recently been donated space in two garages near to the club by the local housing company, PA Housing. This was thanks to one of the club parents working for the company and making approaches to his CEO. These garages will ensure we can keep both this new kit and our boat under lock and key and in the dry to ensure its longevity for future students we hope for many years to come.
We would like to thank all our supporter in this project, without whom, our club would be struggling to make ends meet and keeping all the amazing things we do for our students going.
Thank you so much from all of us.
