Scuba challenge creates splash for cash!

WARRINGTON Disability Partnership’s ‘Going The Extra Mile Scuba Challenge’ at Woolston Leisure Centre provied a huge success raising thousands of pounds for the charity.
The annual event organised by WDP and principally sponsored by Your Housing Grou raised in excess of £3,500 thanks to the efforts of a combination of novice and qualified divers.
“These vital funds will help finance next year’s Disability Awareness Day – which will be held on Sunday, July 12 at Walton Hall Gardens – and ensure we can keep promoting mobility, independent living and services to disabled people, their families and carers,” said WDP founder and Chair Dave Thompson MBE DL (pictured) who first launched the Scuba Challenge four years ago.
“I’d like to thank Terry Wood and his team from Cheshire Scuba Academy for once again supporting the event and providing dive instructors and equipment; Your Housing Group for kindly supporting all travel costs; LiveWire (Leisure) for donating the use of the pool; Capernwray Dive Centre for free use of the site and facilities; Disability Trading Company for use of their vans and drivers and to all our WDP staff and volunteers who worked so hard to ensure the day ran smoothly.”
In 1989 Dave sustained a spinal cord injury whilst playing American football. He has since been a full-time wheelchair user with limited use in his left arm and none in his right arm or legs. Despite this he completed his PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water qualifications six years ago and has since recorded 115 dives in the UK and abroad.
Dave said one of the highlights of the challenge was seeing grandchildren Jamie, aged 12 and Ellie, aged nine, joining in with the Try Dives.
Dave completed this year’s challenge in a gruelling two hours and 40 minutes. He was joined by a number of friends including dive buddy Dave Williams and WDP’s Disability Information Officer Tom Coleridge. Tom is a 22-year-old ex-serviceman and a full-time wheelchair user since sustaining a spinal cord injury after being shot in Afghanistan in 2010. Tom’s injury left him paralysed from the waist.
This year marked Tom’s debut and he completed the challenge in an impressive two hours and 15 minutes.
He said: “I smashed it in only my fifth time in the water! This is the furthest diving distance I’ve ever completed and I’d really like to thank the instructors for getting me through it. This has been a massive personal achievement and while my arms are really tired, it’s given me the confidence to go for my open water qualification. Bring on the Scuba Challenge 2015!”
Other members of Dave’s team included John Munslow, Dave Molyneux, Simon Barber (CEO of 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) and his son Thomas, Dave, Jack and Amy Sloan, Tony Land, Mike Cleave, John Turner, Derek Howden and Jamie Denmand (who travelled from Lincoln to join in the day).
Attending the challenge was one of the first official engagements for ‘Miss Warrington Lion’ Abi Fitzpatrick, aged 21, from Whittle Hall. Together with the Lions’ Harry and Sue Crank, Abi raised £500 for WDP and attempted a Try Dive.
“Sue and I are novices and the challenge was a good opportunity to try something new while raising much-needed funds for WDP,” said Abi, who is also the UK’s number one Under-23s 400m hurdler. “We’re really proud of PADI-badge holder and MBE recipient Harry, who completed the full 64 lengths.”
Peter Carey – former Mayor of Warrington – was also in attendance to count lengths and offer words of encouragement to all those taking part. They were awarded with commemorative T-shirts and certificates of achievement from Kathy Cowell OBE DL, Chair of Your Housing Group.
The presentation marked a satisfying end to a day that began with 10 qualified divers making two early-morning 18m dives at Capernwray Quarry in Lancashire. On their arrival back in Warrington they were then joined by a mix of first-timers under full supervision and qualified divers to round the day off with a 64-length swimming pool dive at Woolston. Friends, family members and colleagues of the divers were poolside to cheer them on as they pushed their endurance levels to the limit.

Top picture shows Your Housing’s Kathy Cowell with Dave and Tom.