A 17-year-old from Budehaven SAC has scooped a top BSAC award for the commitment she shows to her sport and club.

Lucy Fanet, of Bude in Cornwall, has already been a qualified snorkel instructor for a year with the Budehaven Sub Aqua Club and leads regular mentoring sessions for its younger members.

She has also spearheaded a major snorkelling programme teaching scores of children the basics of safe underwater activity.

It is this dedication which has landed her the coveted title of BSAC Young Branch Volunteer of the Year in the Suunto Branch Volunteer of the Year 2013 Awards.

Designed to reward BSAC branch members for their significant contribution to their club, to diving and to BSAC generally, the Branch Volunteer of the Year 2013 awards have extra significance as the club is this year celebrating its diamond jubilee.

Lucy is one of the final six, who each received a fantastic Suunto DX computer, presented to the winners at the recent BSAC Diving Conference at Birmingham’s NEC.

Budehaven SAC vice-chairman Andy Squirrell, who nominated Lucy for the award, said Lucy started her diving with the club at the age of 12.

“She undertook the complete Ocean Diver course in her first summer of diving, reaching an impressive 100 per cent in the theory exam. Two years and lots of scuba diving later the Sports Diver qualification followed along with attendance at a snorkel instructor event.

“Over the last four years Lucy has mentored a number of younger members who have joined the branch, showing them at first hand the advantages of scuba diving whilst helping the branch’s older members understand the needs of the younger member.

“After taking the snorkel instructor assessment Lucy returned to the branch keen to promote snorkelling in the area.

“Working with the local swimming club and school Lucy ran a snorkelling programme for 100 children in 2012 with a further 56 in 2013.”

Andy added: “Lucy attends the monthly club meetings championing the snorkel options within the area and reminds the branch of the younger members’ needs.

“Her recent work experience at the Diving Diseases Research Centre in Plymouth allowed her to understand the wide range of work carried out at the centre, and not just fixing divers with the bends.

“The branch will find out about this work in December when Lucy is planning to give a full presentation on the work to the members.

“Her dedication to snorkelling and the willingness to help others is why I nominated Lucy for the award and I am delighted that she was chosen as the winner.”

Lucy is currently studying for her A Levels at Bude Community School and has ambitions to eventually become a nurse.

She said: “I didn’t even know I had been nominated for the award and it was a very nice surprise to win it.

“I particularly enjoy working with the younger members of the club and I think it is important they have the basic experience of snorkelling before going on to more advanced diving.Next year, I’m hopefully going to do my Dive Leader course.”

For more details on BSAC’s Branch Volunteer of the Year 2013 winners, click here.