Manx Lottery Trust has given the Isle of Man Sub-Aqua Club (IoMSAC) a grant of £2,500 to support the training of the next generation of Manx scuba divers.

The funding will be used to purchase essential equipment and to cover the costs of hiring a swimming pool for training sessions.

As the oldest scuba diving club in the Isle of Man, founded in 1959, IoMSAC boasts an active membership who engage in weekly diving activities throughout the year.

Despite having qualified and experienced instructors, the club has faced challenges because of a lack of standardised training equipment in various sizes, which limits their ability to expand their training offerings.

With the support from Manx Lottery Trust, the club plans to run pool sessions during the winter months and complete the training in the sea at Port Erin in the spring. This approach will create a repeatable annual cycle for training new divers.

A key component of this initiative is to attract more young people into scuba diving.

The funding will enable IoMSAC to offer free pool training to eight young people each winter for the next two years, providing an invaluable opportunity to experience and engage in the sport.

Leigh Morris from IoMSAC said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to Manx Lottery Trust for this grant.

‘The new equipment will allow us to significantly expand our training and provide more opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in scuba diving. By offering subsidised training to young people, we hope to inspire the next generation of divers and foster a love for the sport.’

Stephen Turner, chairman of Manx Lottery Trust, added: ‘We are delighted to support the club with this grant. Their dedication to training new divers and promoting scuba diving in the Isle of Man is admirable.

‘We look forward to seeing the positive impact this funding will have on the club and the broader community, especially in encouraging young people to explore and enjoy scuba diving.’