BRADFORD Sub Aqua Club has netted a grant of almost £8,000 from the Big Lottery to help make the sport more accessible in the city.

The club will use the £7,820 to transform its ground floor areas of its clubhouse in Mountain Queensbury, providing new training rooms, an equipment store, improving accesses to toilets access and providing disabled facilities.

The club has seen a recent increase in junior membership, leaving the clubhouse no longer fit for purpose.

In addition the club has secured another grant of £1,200 from Sportivate to pay for pool fees and equipment hire for those in the 14 to 25-year-old age group who are not involved in sports to take up a six weeks scuba course.

The idea is aimed particularly at helping young women get involved in sports.

Club chairman, Mick Barraclough, said “We are delighted with these awards as we are now able to bring our clubhouse up to date with the current health, safety and welfare standards, allowing us to hold many more events especially for all the younger members of the Club."

The “Sportivate” grant will provide opportunities for young people to try scuba diving. We are hopeful that the funding will allow more socially and economically disadvantaged groups to become involved in the sport.