Another thread mentioned the decline in University Caving Clubs numbers.  It got me thinking - how many were there and how many are there now?

Listed on the Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs (CHECC) web site are a total of 21 clubs. 19 in the UK and two in Ireland.  But how many were there at the peak of University Caving and when was the peak?.  I am sure there are many and varied reasons that Uni clubs have folded and once they get into difficulty and fold there seems little chance of them coming back. 

As reported on here last year both Reading and Nottingham Uni clubs have struggled and only hard work and a bit of luck has saved them.  Even the mighty SUSS struggled a few years ago and others are probably vulnerable.

Which Uni clubs are no longer with us.  Lancaster of course, Birmingham, Kingston, Salford, Bradford, Huddersfield, Uni of London?

Not all university clubs choose to be a part of CHECC for some bizarre reason.  :-\ :thumbsdown:

There's currently 5 in Ireland

• Dublin Institute of Technology
• University College Dublin
• Dublin City University
• Queens University Belfast
• University of Limerick Outdoor Pursuits Club

There used to be one in Trinity College, called the Dublin University Caving club, but that went defunct in about 2006

I believe Bangor Uni Caving Club is defunct.

Chris.

I do not think anyone in Queens is aware that theyre a "member club" of Checc.

Hull USS folded about 15 years ago.

Sheffield Hallam University Caving Club folded about 18 years ago.

Rumour has it Royal Holloway / RHBNC is pining for the fjords.

Swansea Uni folded/was shut down about 20 years ago.  Once the experience is lost in a Uni club it is very hard to
restart.

Scud said:

Sheffield Hallam University Caving Club folded about 18 years ago.

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Us Hallamites join SUSS these days.

shortscotsman said:

Once the experience is lost in a Uni club it is very hard to
restart.

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Hard but not impossible.

Nottingham got a bump start 2 years or so ago when they were struggling.
They managed to get a good group upto the YSS and on the Saturday were put through their paces with the BCA Training officer and an assistant on the SRT Walls.
On the second day, a good group of SUSS and ULSA rallied around and got a number of trips ran for them.
I think a few from this group became part of the social scene at Nottingham and I have seen a few attending some more recent away trips.

Once this bed of enthusiasm is laid. It is hard to stop it rolling.

It would be interesting to know how some of the clubs were originally set up. I think Roo had something to do with York being set up.

Yes, he did. Along with one of David Rose's OUCC contemporaries.

alastairgott said:

It would be interesting to know how some of the clubs were originally set up. I think Roo had something to do with York being set up.

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Lancaster University Caving and Potholing Club  was established in October 1966 by Ron Edwards and Bob Thomas, with Mel Gascoyne being one of the founder member. Ron had previously done some caving in South Wales, and he and Bob had done some caving together in the Dales. Dick Glover soon became involved as a mentor, and Jim Eyre and the Red Rose also provided support during that first year. I joined in October 1967, when it changed its name to LUSS in the hope that it might get a bigger grant from the Student Union. Ron being more inclined towards horizontal rather than vertical caving, bowed out as the members became more ambitious.

alastairgott said:

shortscotsman said:

Once the experience is lost in a Uni club it is very hard to
restart.

Click to expand...

Nottingham got a bump start 2 years or so ago when they were struggling.
They managed to get a good group upto the YSS and on the Saturday were put through their paces with the BCA Training officer and an assistant on the SRT Walls.
On the second day, a good group of SUSS and ULSA rallied around and got a number of trips ran for them.
I think a few from this group became part of the social scene at Nottingham and I have seen a few attending some more recent away trips.

Once this bed of enthusiasm is laid. It is hard to stop it rolling.

It would be interesting to know how some of the clubs were originally set up. I think Roo had something to do with York being set up.

Click to expand...

Here is a link https://www.flickr.com/photos/11409438@N06/36183691704/in/album-72157620557572135/ to a document circulated by Nottingham University caving Club in 1969 when it was struggling for recognition as a sporting club by the university.

.

Liverpool University Potholing Club is not listed on the CHECC website but is still alive (I think!)

Mark R said:

Liverpool University Potholing Club is not listed on the CHECC website but is still alive (I think!)

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Hmm. I think they had some issues a while ago with the guild of students trustees who decided that the cavers must have a CIC person present on all training and trips and similarly any climbing/mountaineering needed someone in attendance with the right certificates. I and another of our club were asked to help, but the trustees were adamant. I don't know what happened, but they were recommended to join CHECC to see if that could offer some leverage.

Their website died quite a while ago, but I guess they would use farcebook now - which I don't 

Dave

Pretty sure LUPC still exists to some degree. There is a lad called Jack Overhill who seems pretty keen from them and I have seen pictures of some of their training sessions in a climbing wall. Not sure how often they actually get underground or how many of them there are.

LUPC is a current member of the British Caving Association.

Liverpool (LUPC) was one of the earliest sporting university clubs founded in 1953, Manchester (MUSS) 1958, Leeds (ULSA) 1959, Lancaster (LUSS) 1966. Bristol (UBSS) was earlier but possibly more scientific rather than sporting.

(Judson-Champion "Caving and Potholing 1981" pages 70-72 which is specifically on university clubs)

It's hard to know exactly. You can go off the CHECC member club's but some clubs like York and Newcastle avoid CHECC, some don't/can't attend very often for various reasons (Glasgow is normally very far away from CHECC, so are the Irish cavers who may or may not know they're even members...). Some other clubs have been "absorbed" into others, e.g Derby which I think does caving as part of its "Outdoor Club" (does Plymouth have a similar arrangement?)

Anyways the still active student club's include Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Plymouth, Kent, Exeter, Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton, York, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Durham, Newcastle and Glasgow off the top of my head.

Think it's a case of student club's being uniquely sensitive to collapse - they are pressured, often, by a H&S culture of unions/guilds whom often have no idea what caving is, by a transient population of members, by a low retention rate (is our sport more or less niche than Korfball...?) and importantly by money issues. It's a bit of a knife edge - all it takes is a mismanaged year where recruitment is low to result in a dearth of members, then leaders, then experienced alumni, or for a sudden exodus of experienced older members to close a club down.