News
Scuba charity Deptherapy honours Members and Supporters with Awards at DIVE 2017
Scuba Diving rehabilitation charity Deptherapy honoured its Programme Members, Supporters and Corporate Sponsors in an Awards Ceremony on Saturday 21st October during the DIVE 2017 show weekend.
The Deptherapy Awards Ceremony, the first of its kind for the charity, took place in conjunction with the Pharoah Dive Club 10th Anniversary Bash at the Village Hotel, Solihull. The evening event, which was attended by over 200 ticket holders and organised by Steve and Clare Rattle, was a celebration of ten successful years of Pharoah Dive Club and Roots Red Sea. The Anniversary Bash was also recognition of the special partnership that exists between Deptherapy and the Egyptian dive resort, which hosts the majority of the charity’s overseas training programmes.
Deptherapy Ambassador, Board Member, PADI AmbassaDiver and Scubaverse Contributor Gary Green hosted the Awards. Gary started the proceedings with a moving presentation about his time in the British Army, his medical discharge and subsequent battle with PTSD, and how his discovery of scuba diving through Deptherapy had literally saved his life. Eloquently describing both his personal journey and the transformative power of scuba diving, Gary was given a standing ovation at the end of his presentation.
Air Vice Marshall Paul Colley and Deptherapy Ambassador Gary Green with Supporter of the Year Sam Egan. Photo: Sarah Waddington
Fourteen Awards, each individually sponsored and beautifully etched onto Welsh slate, were presented during the evening. The winner of each Award had been selected from a nominated shortlist by a Judging Panel that comprised Deptherapy’s President Air Vice-Marshall Jon Lamonte, Chair Richard Cullen and Vice Chair Daimon Haywood, Alice Farrow from Cobseo (The Confederation of British Service Charities) and Stuart Croxford, Consultant to the Royal Foundation’s Endeavour Fund.
As the Awards were presented, the winner’s inspirational stories were shared. One of the most emotional presentations was The Endeavour Award, which was given to the individual Programme Member who in the Judges’ opinion “best encapsulated the Royal Foundation’s Endeavour Fund criteria of Ambition, Adventure and Achievement and who has best utilised their endeavours to promote and catalyse their recovery.”
The Endeavour Award was given to former Infantryman in the Mercian Regiment, Steve Atkin, who has conquered both serious physical and mental injuries, including acute PTSD that rendered him unable to leave his home for several years.
Steve Atkin encapsulates the spirit of Deptherapy. Steve credits the charity with “giving me back my direction in life, rebuilding my shattered confidence and broken soul, as well as returning a Father and Husband to my family.”
Now a Deptherapy Ambassador and PADI AOW, Deep and Wreck Diver, Steve actively supports other Programme Members in their recovery.
Major General Paul Nanson CBE, Air Vice Marshall Paul Colley and Perry Booth of Sarah Waddington Solicitors Ltd with Endeavour Award winner Steve Atkin and wife Stephanie. Photo: Sarah Waddington
Steve’s Atkin’s Award, as with all the Awards of the evening, were presented by special guests Major General Paul Nanson CBE, Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, who was accompanied by his ADC Major Tony Bryant, and Air Vice Marshall and renowned Underwater Photographer Paul Colley.
The full list of Deptherapy Award Winners is as follows:
- Overcoming Adversity – Winner: Ben Lee
Sponsored by: Matt and Charlotte Davey - Outstanding Fundraiser – Winner: Danny Martin
Sponsored by: Bookings Made Easy SL - Achiever of the Year – Winner: Andy Searle
Sponsored by: Sam and Rowan Egan - Outstanding Ambassador – Winner: Gary Green
Sponsored by: Dive Worldwide - Outstanding Contribution – Winner: Chris Middleton
Sponsored by: Here 4 Life.co.uk - Best Corporate Sponsor – Winners: Divecrew, Roots Red Sea and PADI EMEA
- Supporter of the Year – Winner: Sam Egan
Sponsored by: Denise Himsworth - Special Award for Personal Commitment – Winner: Aquatic Element’s Ride to Remember Cycling Team
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Winner: Dorothy ‘Dot’ Eaton
Sponsored by: JPN Ltd - Peoples’ Choice Award (as voted on social media) – Winner: Ben Lee
Sponsored by: Swiss Watch Exchange Ltd - The Endeavour Award – Winner: Steve Atkin
Sponsored by: Sarah Waddington Solicitors Ltd - The Judges’ Award and Contribution to the Development of Deptherapy presented to Richard Cullen
Sponsored by: Decotta Law
Deptherapy Chair and Founder Richard Cullen with Clare and Steve Rattle, organisers of the event and winners of one of the three Corporate Sponsor Awards. Photo: Sarah Waddington
The Pharoah Dive Club 10th Anniversary Bash and Deptherapy Awards raised over £6,000 for the charity. Additional donations over the course of the DIVE 2017 weekend raised an extra £2,000 in much-needed funds.
Deptherapy would like to thank all their Supporters, Corporate Sponsors, Programme Members, Nominees and Winners, including all those individuals on the Deptherapy Board and in the wider Deptherapy Family for a tremendously successful event and their continued support.
For more information about the work of Deptherapy and Deptherapy Education visit their new website at www.deptherapy.co.uk.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
-
News3 months agoHone your underwater photography skills with Alphamarine Photography at Red Sea Diving Safari in March
-
News3 months agoCapturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop 2024: Event Roundup
-
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs2 months agoCreature Feature: Swell Sharks
-
Blogs2 months agoMurex Resorts: Passport to Paradise!
-
Blogs2 months agoDiver Discovering Whale Skeletons Beneath Ice Judged World’s Best Underwater Photograph
-
Marine Life & Conservation2 months agoSave the Manatee Club launches brand new webcams at Silver Springs State Park, Florida
-
Gear Reviews3 months agoGear Review: Oceanic+ Dive Housing for iPhone
-
Gear Reviews2 weeks agoGEAR REVIEW – Revolutionising Diving Comfort: The Sharkskin T2 Chillproof Suit