Hi, I would like to nominate DUSA, Durham University Speleological Association.
The club is fairly small; their funding is very limited. They could really do with 200m of rope, let me explain why I feel they deserve it.
Although the club is run by students and primarily for students, they do allow non students to become members. I was fortunate to discover this fact and so joined around 2 months ago.
As a 48yr old newbie to caving and the only non-student member this year, the club invited me with open arms. They allowed me to come on not just one, but two, Fresher?s trips. They even went out of their way to pick me up from my home in Darlington, rather than have me travel North to Durham, then South again to make our way into Yorkshire. My first trip came at no charge as it was included in the membership fee, the second for a very small fee to help with travel and kit costs. This introduced me to the cave environment and provided me with an experience of two very different cave systems.
Since the fresher trips, they have allowed me to attend 3 SRT training sessions, which have been held on a weekly basis and takes place on a local metal bridge in the woods. This has given me and introductory SRT experience and an opportunity to face fears and gain confidence. All of this has been provided at no cost to their members or myself, with future sessions allowing members to further practice and develop rope skills. Further to these sessions, they have allowed me to come with them on a residential weekend at the Yorkshire Subterranean Society's bunk house, with bespoke training wall, giving attendees and myself a full day of 1:1 training, then took us the next day on a trip down to the bottom of Sell Gill Hole (Dry route) and back up again, all for a small token fee to contribute to food, fuel and accommodation at the YSS.
The students that run the club are both dedicated and passionate, they have given me what I consider to be an experience of a lifetime, something I always wanted to try, but never had the funds, opportunity or belief that it would or could be something I would ever get the chance to do. I have been most impressed by their professional attitude, inclusive approach and resourcefulness to create the maximum opportunity with a minimal budget. They have encouraged and inspired me, shown great patience whilst helping me to face a great fear of heights and given me an opportunity to continue with a lifelong interest which probably would have gone no further than attending a couple of fresher trips.
I really feel that they deserve this opportunity for new rope as a reward for what they have done for me and others, as well as generally promoting caving in a safe, responsible and inclusive manner. It would allow them to continue to offer more bridge training sessions and take larger groups on underground trips, whilst the use what available funds they have to replace and purchase other much needed equipment. I do hope you will give them serious consideration; it would be well deserved.