Ayr Diving Club

📢 Annual General Meeting Reminder

A reminder that our AGM will take place on Wednesday from 6:00pm – 8:00pm in Room 9, Prestwick Community Centre, Caerlaverock Road, Prestwick.

📍 Finding the room:
As you face the front of the building, please use the door on the left-hand side.

All members, parents, volunteers, and anyone interested in supporting the club are welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you there and discussing the future of the club.

🗣️ "We almost gave up right there and then. We couldn't believe the councillors didn't even want to hear it."

The front page of this week's Ayr Advertiser! 👇

Available in shops today!📰

A huge thank you to every councillor who voted in favour of hearing the motion on Thursday. The final vote was split 13 FOR and 13 AGAINST, with a two thirds majority required for the motion to proceed.

While we are deeply disappointed that the motion was not heard, we are incredibly grateful to the councillors who supported transparency and for the opportunity for the community to be listened to. Your support showed that there are elected members willing to stand up for sport, young people and the future of diving in the west of Scotland.
Thank you to the following:
Duncan Townson
Cameron Ramsay
Julie Dettbarn
Wullie Hogg
Ian Cavana
Laura Brennan-Whitefield
Bob Shields
Philip Saxton
Brian McGinley
Craig Mackay
George Weir
Stephen Ferry
Ian Cochrane

To everyone who signed petitions, shared posts, attended meetings, contacted councillors and supported the club throughout this campaign, thank you. This is not the end of the fight for diving in Ayrshire.

“The reality facing the council is that the Citadel is an ageing 60-70 year old tank-style pool which was never designed as a modern permanent diving facility."

Council 'not anti-diving' despite Citadel vote bid being thrown out

Commenting on the closing down of a Council debate on diving provision at the Citadel before even a single speech had been made, SNP South Ayrshire Council Group Leader Cllr Julie Dettbarn said:
“It’s a bad look for the Administration to have shied away from debating such an important matter for those who use the diving pool at the Citadel. It should not have been beyond them to let the debate proceed, hear arguments from both sides, and allow elected councillors to do our job of determining policy.
“We are under no illusions about the challenges of retaining diving in a pool that can’t meet modern safety standards - and in a building we were advised in 2017 was structurally nearing the end of its lifespan.
“However the lack of proper engagement with the diving community means that the opportunity to find more creative solutions or funding has been missed.
“Significant numbers of diving club members and supporters made the effort to attend this morning’s Council meeting in good faith, expecting to hear a proper debate on the future of this facility, but were turned away after an unceremonious vote to prevent the motion even being tabled.
“The people in the public gallery this morning deserved better from their elected members. This
came across as a cowardly move from a weak administration who are now counting the months they have left in office.”

Councillors reject motion to reinstate diving at Ayr’s Citadel, leaving athletes disappointed.