Simon Rogerson reports on BSAC’s 71st Annual General Meeting, which was held online on Wednesday 25th June 2025.
BSAC’s Annual General Meeting for 2025 saw the club moving into a new phase, implementing a fresh strategy and embracing innovation. It was the final AGM chaired by Edward Haynes, while his successor Andrew Shenstone served as outgoing Honorary Secretary. The AGM, held on the Microsoft Teams platform, touched on many aspects of club life. While training and member engagement is on the up, the Honorary Treasurer’s Report struck a note of caution, urging the club to shore up its balances.
Chair’s Report
Having opened with a video montage of BSAC snorkelling and diving, outgoing Chair Edward Haynes highlighted some of the club’s recent activities.
We are now in the first year of the 2025-2029 Strategy, in which the club’s standpoint on environmental issues is coming to the fore, alongside an increasingly modular approach to training and courses. These are set by BSAC’s Council, who met six times last year and incorporated the new Independent Non-Executive Directors, Alistair Dickson and Caroline Royale.
Edward mentioned the successful return of the Dive Conference, which took place at the Birmingham NEC and saw the first public outing of the Two Sophies – National Diving Offer Sophie Rennie and Head of Diving and Training Sophie Heptonstall. This partnership has seen the training gurus participating in live feeds and a regular page in SCUBA magazine.
BSAC activity extended into the Go Diving show in March, where the club’s traditional Awards were made on the UK stage.
Edward summarised the activities of BSAC International. A new licensing agreement has been agreed with BSAC Korea, but the club has withdrawn from the liveaboard aspect of BSAC Egypt, due to recent safety concerns in that sector.
With regard to its environmental activity, the club has joined the Clean Water Sports Alliance, also taking part in a high profile march to Westminster in November last year. BSAC is also promoting Motion for the Ocean, a model declaration to help local governments recognise the ocean’s role in climate regulation.
MyBSAC – Sport 80
Edward’s presentation included detail on the newly appointed supplier for the MyBSAC portal, through which members manage their own membership. Sport 80 is the leading technology supplier in this area, supporting more than 80 governing bodies.
The hope is that this move will upgrade the MyBSAC experience, with improvements to digital membership and qualification cards, direct medical records and records of ‘other agency’ qualifications. Members will be able to manage recurring payments via the app, as well as having access to a more streamlined record of their own membership.
For clubs, the management of their members will also become easier, thanks to a raft of new features. These include registering new divers and managing club levy schemes, as well as options for speedier direct debit collection. Another new feature for clubs will be ‘smart lists’, where Branch Officers can arrange lists of members based on diver grade and membership status.
Strategy Update
Vice Chair Yasmine Thorn spearheads the club’s Strategy, aimed at stabilising, growing and evolving BSAC and its activities. The focus this year is on growing the club’s capacity to train, at the same time increasing member value and engagement. Looking to future generations, BSAC wants to improve access to snorkelling and diving, attracting new people and helping to protect our waters. Key projects addressing these aims have been the growth in Regional and Instructor Training Scheme events, with the advantages of pre-learning.
Yasmine said the upgrades to MyBSAC would bring technology up to date, freeing up time for projects that will bring further value to members.
Echoing Edward’s thoughts on BSAC’s environmental role, she highlighted the importance of joint ventures like the Clean Water Sports Alliance, working with partners to lobby for protection.
BSAC is only halfway through the first year of the strategy, but membership remains the priority. “We are still laying the foundations to enable the growth we need to see in the coming years,” Yasmine concluded.
Honorary Treasurer’s Report
Richard Pettifer delivered an account of BSAC’s operating performance, which was also summarised in the July/August issue of SCUBA magazine. While income and expenses were finely balanced, there was an ‘exceptional stock write-off’, a necessary measure accounting for £39,100 and contributing to a net deficit transferred to the reserves of £38,500.
While noting that BSAC’s income has increased, subscription income is essentially flat and the Balance Sheet has reduced from £446,963 to £333,900.
Overall, 2024 was a significant improvement on recent years, Richard said, but cash and reserves are close to 10-year lows. BSAC must deliver on the initiatives set out in the other reports to achieve a better financial return from its assets.
National Diving Officer’s Report
Sophie Rennie delivered her first National Diving Officer’s report, setting out the purpose and structure of the National Diving Committee. Her first year in the role has seen a raft of new ideas, including the Two Sophies concept and a rise in regular communications with members.
It’s been a strong year for diving activity, with expeditions, training events and activity on marine heritage. A review of Advanced Diver is underway, looking at course and exam papers, plus a potential change of the grade’s title.
Sophie said that Instructor Training is critical to the delivery and success of the Diver Training Programme; the past year saw the qualification of 192 new Instructors, 18 Advanced Instructors and three National Instructors.
Upholding BSAC’s safety standards remains a priority, with a new Project Data Team established to inform the Incidents Report and help the club promote safe diving advice in its role as National Governing body. BSAC has also been busy lobbying for England’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Centres, following the controversial announcement that only three of six existing hyperbaric contracts are being renewed.
Snorkelling is an area close to Sophie’s heart. BSAC training has been used to facilitate seagrass rewilding and other environmental projects, while the Snorkel Guide Skill Development Course now has an instructor manual. “Overall, it’s a holistic approach aimed at recreational, expeditionary and research-based snorkelling,” she said.
Sophie concluded with an extensive thanks list mentioning HQ staff, NDC and project members.
Election results and motions
- Andrew Shenstone was elected Chair with 850 votes
- Michelle Haywood was elected to the vacant Council Member seat, with 709 votes
- An ordinary resolution was passed to appoint and set remuneration of the auditors, Johnstone Howell & Co.
Final words
Edward Haynes concluded the meeting – and his tenure as Chair – by thanking delegates for their attendance. A BSAC volunteer par excellence, his final message was a hope that they will all keep in touch as the club continues to move forward.
