Recently we warmly welcomed the leader of BCP Council, Councillor Vikki Slade, to TS Drax and Poole Sea Cadets for a familiarisation visit.
We were impressed that as the leader of a Council that represents more than 400,000 residents, she was happy to take the time and trouble to find out more about our charity activities with the area’s young people.
On reflection after the visit Councillor Slade said that “It was a delight to visit TS Drax with my colleagues and to hear about the activities that take place within Poole Sea Cadets and how they prepare so many young people from the area with a wide range of skills.”
“It was great to see that the Cadets could provide a great stepping-stone to a maritime or engineering career but just as important was the evidence of improved confidence, resilience and of course the joy of water sports.”
“I was also impressed to listen to the staff officers who themselves had come through the Sea Cadets and to spend time with a current cadet and hear her experiences.”
The Leader was accompanied by the Deputy Leader, Cllr Millie Earl; BCP Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Paul Slade; and our old friend Cllr Andy Hadley, our local Poole Town Ward representative.
A presentation given by the Chair of the Trustees, Lee Hardy, OBE, focused on the future where Poole Sea Cadets is looking to accommodate another sixty potential cadets presently on the waiting list (in addition to the existing sixty) by constructing a new Headquarters Building. Parts of our existing premises date back to 1939!
The Chair of the Trustees, Lee Hardy, OBE concluded that, “It was a great pleasure to introduce the Leader and Deputy Leader of BCP Council and their colleagues to our charity and to our inspirational young people, whilst also showcasing our engagement with the local community across the entire BCP area.”