SOUTHWARK’S new mayor took to the depths of the Seven Islands Leisure Centre in scuba gear on May 25 to mark Bermondsey Sub-Aqua Club’s 60th anniversary.
Kath Whittam was invited for a try dive by the club to see the new scuba diving kit they recently bought with a £8,225 grant from Sport England and to hear about their drive to get kids more active.
Kath, a first time diver but seasoned swimmer, dived straight into the occasion on the evening with a look at the club’s ten brand new sets before getting in the water for an hour.
She said: “It was wonderful, I had such a good time. They are such a nice group and they want to get people more active.
“They have enough equipment for 60 try dives this year which are free. It’s one on one too, it could be dangerous if you do it by yourself.”
The volunteer-led club was founded in 1956 at Grange Road Municipal Baths in Southwark and is now looking to get more people over the age of twelve involved.
Victor Grayson, Bermondsey SAC’s secretary, said: “We’re offering try dives to local people and are targeting young people who live in Southwark as we know we have one of the worst rates of obesity.
“We are trying our best to get children involved in it. We are offering the try dives on Wednesday nights and possibly other days.
“We have got a couple of new members who have come to us recently. We are expecting more interest soon as we have contacted local schools.”
Try dives take place on Wednesday evenings 8-10pm and you must be twelve years old or over.
For more information about the club, visit www.bermondsey-bsac.org.uk/