A cadet forces group which was struggling to find new recruits has boosted its ranks from four to nearly 40 in just two years

Monday 24th July, 2023

A cadet forces group which was struggling to find new recruits has boosted its ranks from four to nearly 40 in just two years.

Leaders at City of Truro Sea Cadets and Royal Marines Cadets, based in Heron Way, Newham, were worried about the future of the group after many of its members stayed away after lockdown.

Now, the unit is back on top form, with up to 35 youngsters (and counting) aged between 10 and 18 regularly taking part in a wide range of activities – everything from parades to assault courses, team building, boating, fundraising and volunteering.

“We have expanded massively which has been fantastic to see,” said Colour Sergeant (SCC) Freya Peachey, Commanding Officer at City of Truro Sea Cadets and Royal Marines Cadets. “The unit took a big hit during covid. We had to close and then when we restarted in 2021, there were only four cadets who came back.

“In two years, we’ve managed to get up to about 40, which is pretty good going.”

The rapid expansion means City of Truro Sea Cadets and Royal Marines Cadets are on the look-out for new volunteers to get involved during the regular Thursday night meetings and other activities.

The cadets recently took part in the national Armed Forces Day celebrations in Falmouth and have also been involved in events closer to home.

In March they joined other local volunteers to go on a litter pick around their unit’s base on Newham industrial estate.

There have also been special training days. In May, the cadets had the opportunity to stay at HMS Raleigh in Torpoint for the week. Here, they took part in a range of activities, including a damage control exercise involving a sinking ship simulator. They also went to ‘firefighting school’ and took on the HMS Raleigh assault course.

“We provide great opportunities, a great training programme and a good all-round experience for them,” said CSgt Peachey, describing the benefits of being a cadet. “It’s not a classroom environment – we’re doing different things all the time. There are lots of chances to go on a boat for a day. Then the other evening we were building volcanoes – it’s so varied. It pushes the cadets outside their comfort zone.

“It’s a real joy to watch the cadets grown and learn during their time with the unit.”

Freya says it’s a real joy to watch the cadets grow and learn during their time with the unit.

“A few of them have been with us for two years and it’s been great seeing them develop into really decent young adults,” she said. ‘We’re hoping to gain more cadets over the coming months to join our Ships Company, too.”

Dozens of award badges and promotions have been handed out during the past few weeks as the cadets climb up the ranks.

“It’s certainly been a busy few months,” said CSgt Peachey. “There’s an urgent need for more volunteers, so if anyone can come forward to help us out and learn some new skills, we’d be delighted. All the training is provided and there are lots of roles to choose from.”

To find out more, see facebook.com/TruroSCCandRmC/

Or email co@cityoftruroscc.onmicrosoft.com