In July, IMCA staff came together in Portsmouth for a two-day team-building 'away day' filled with learning, collaboration, and environmental action.
Day 1: A Step Back in Time – The Mary Rose Experience
Our first day took place at the Mary Rose Museum, located in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. This world-class museum offered a captivating journey into Tudor history through the story of Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose, which tragically sank in 1545.
This visit was made even more special by a personal connection: IMCA’s Kester Keighley (Technical Adviser - Diving) was part of the team involved in the salvage of the Mary Rose alongside Darren Brunton (Asia Pacific Regional Chair, Diving Committee member).
The day began with team engagement and interaction, with workshops on how to optimise performance at IMCA led by external facilitator Owen Smith, before a brief tour of the museum, which houses the largest collection of Tudor artefacts ever recovered from a single site. Here, IMCA staff explored the preserved remains of the ship and gained insights into life on board a Tudor warship through expertly guided presentations. These talks delved into the ship’s recovery, archaeological discoveries, and ongoing conservation efforts.
Participants also enjoyed the ‘Dive the Mary Rose 4D’ interactive experience – a multi-sensory simulation of the underwater excavation and salvage of the Mary Rose, providing a fascinating insight into the dangerous and technical work undertaken by professional divers.
Day 2: Taking Action for the Environment – Beach Clean
The following day, the focus shifted from history to hands-on sustainability. IMCA staff joined a beach clean-up led by the Marine Conservation Society, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.
The event combined action and education, with colleagues collecting and categorising marine debris while learning about decomposition timelines through interactive games and quizzes.
We collected an incredible amount of rubbish in our morning session – removing 1,395 items of litter weighing 2kg from a stretch of beach just 100 metres long. This included:
- 760 pieces of plastic or polystyrene, such as cigarette stubs, plastic forks, and fishing nets,
- 74 pieces of metal including caps, lids, foil wrappers, and wire mesh, and
- 73 sanitary or medical items.
During the afternoon, we cleared a further 2.5kg of rubbish. The clean-up not only made a small contribution to improving the local coastal environment but also fostered teamwork and awareness about the long-term impacts of marine litter.
If you or your team would like to learn about simple ways in which you can take positive steps for ocean-friendly living at work and at home, please visit: https://www.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/ocean-friendly-living/
