Matthew Roberts, Head Diving Coach at BH Live Active, The Quays in Southampton, has been awarded the Children/Age Group Coach of the Year at Swim England’s South East Regional Awards.

The annual awards bring the aquatics community together to celebrate individuals, groups and organisations for their outstanding contributions throughout the past 12 months.

Matt, along with other regional award winners, will advance to Swim England’s National Awards ceremony, where he will be in contention for the National Children/Age Group of the Year award on Saturday, 29 November 2025, in Birmingham.

Nominated by Southampton Diving Academy, Matt was selected as a nominee from hundreds of submissions for his commitment to coaching and the excellent support he has provided to The Quays’ divers.

Matt began his journey at The Quays as a Diving Coach in 2016. His career quickly progressed to a Diving Development Coach, sourcing, retaining and developing divers in alignment with Swim England’s national pathway.

As a Head Coach, he now oversees the diving programme at The Quays, mentoring coaches, and cultivating a fun, safe and inspiring environment for divers of all ages. Matt has nurtured divers across several competitive categories through the years, including National skills divers, National age group divers and Junior elite divers, developing national champions across all levels. Thanks to their national success, several athletes have gone on to compete internationally for England and Great Britain.

Matt said;

“I’m thrilled not only to have won one of Swim England’s regional awards, but also to have progressed to the national nominations. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the dedication and hard work of myself, fellow divers, coaches, and Southampton Diving Academy recognised and celebrated. With the support of BH Live, I’m excited to see what the future holds and what The Quays’ diving programme can achieve next.”

Close to Southampton’s bustling marina, The Quays is one of five diving talent development centres in the UK. Complete with a 10m diving pool, the centre and its coaching team have supported hundreds of divers over the years, including athletes representing Great Britain at GB World Aquatics Junior Diving Championships, European Aquatics Junior Diving, and the Olympics.

The Quays is also home to regular swimming galas, diving competitions, and swimming lessons delivered by its Swimming Academy. The Quays is operated by registered charity and social enterprise BH Live in partnership with Southampton City Council.

On behalf of BH Live, Claire Le Feaux, Head of Leisure, shared;

“It’s fantastic to see Matt recognised for his outstanding dedication and positive impact on divers at The Quays. His passion for developing talent, alongside his commitment to creating a supportive and inspiring environment, has helped countless athletes grow in both skill and confidence. Being shortlisted for this award is testament to the energy, care and professionalism he brings to our diving programme every day. We wish him the very best of luck at the regional awards.”

More information about BH Live’s Learn to Dive programme can be found online. Contact divingacademy@bhlive.org.uk for more information.

More information about BH Live Active, The Quays is available online at bhliveactive.org.uk/the-quays.