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Senior members of Poole Sea Cadets will be challenging themselves to climb the three highest mountain peaks in Wales, Scotland, and England within a self-imposed time limit of a mere 20 hours in early September.

Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike are their three imposing targets.

The team undertaking this fundraising challenge is headed by the two walkers,

SLt (SCC) Reece Oliver RNR, Commanding Officer, and Civilian Instructor Joel Nurser.

They will cover 23 miles in distance and ascend a total of 3064 meters. To achieve their aim, they are going to have to average a walking/climbing speed of 5 km per hour!

Their driver between those mountains will be Petty Officer (SCC) Jasmine Hughes.

On Saturday 4th September at noon, they will start the ascent of Ben Nevis, and the plan is then to complete Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon and the road journeys by 08.00 on Sunday 5th. 

Reece said, “Whilst I have done this before it was not against such a tight time frame. Throughout we will be using skills such as map reading, not to mention the application of resilience, with both being part of our Cadet’s curriculum. I will be displaying our GPS track data during the challenge so people can follow us as we go. This information will be displayed on the Unit’s Facebook Page: @pooleseacadets”.

Poole Sea Cadets is an independent charity and is constantly looking to raise funds to maintain a comprehensive list of activities for its 60 cadets. This is an expensive process.

The Unit is so popular that there is a waiting list for places, so it has embryonic plans to expand to be able to offer even more opportunities to 10–18-year-olds in Poole and the surrounding area in the future.

Should you wish to donate to Poole Sea Cadet’s Three Peaks Challenge the details can be found on GoFundMe.com:
gf.me/u/zfi2vz

The main photograph of Mount Snowdon is provided courtesy of Visit Wales (© Hawlfraint y Goron - © Crown Copyright (2021) Cymru Wales).

We were recently very pleased to welcome our three local BCP Councillors to TS Drax.

BCP Council was formed in April 2019 and is a merger of the previous Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Councils. Poole Council, as was, has always had strong connections with the Unit with TS Drax being physically located in the Poole Town Ward.

That local connection has recently been enhanced as the three Poole Town Councillors, Mark Howell, Andy Hadley and L-J Evans, came on board for a tour followed by a briefing from SLt (SCC) Reece Oliver , RNR, Commanding Officer, and Trustee Lee Hardy.

They said, "It was amazing to see and hear about the wonderful work the Sea Cadets do with up to 60 local 10 - 18-year olds. Whilst they provide training in numerous life skills, encourage physical and mental health wellbeing, and offer nationally recognised qualifications, there is also an awful lot of fun".

"After the stresses and strains of the past year, it is more important than ever that our children and young people have safe, inclusive, environments like this to grow and develop...and enjoy themselves".

The Councillors saw a variety of practical training sessions and were made aware of the Unit's 82-year history. They were told about the constant need as an independent charity for funding to maintain what is one of the largest Sea Cadet Units in the country. They were also briefed on a "wish list" for the future.

Cllr Mark Howell finally reflected positively on his visit by saying, "I was pleased to see the Sea Cadets are thriving and helping young people from a wide range of backgrounds to gain valuable life skills", and Cllr Andy Hadley added, "I was impressed by the work that Poole Sea Cadets do, ensuring that everyone can participate, and as an RYA centre, supporting Sea Cadet units across a wide geography.”

Armed Forces Day is a chance to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families, veterans and cadets. There are many ways for people, communities and organisations across the country to show their support.

Armed Forces Day takes place on the last Saturday each June.  In 2021, it will take place on Saturday 26 June.

Armed Forces Day celebrations began on Monday 21 June when the Armed Forces Day flag was raised on buildings and famous landmarks around the country.

Showing support for the Armed Forces provides a much valued morale boost for the troops and their families. You can find out more about what they are doing at home and around the world by visiting the official sites of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.

It is fitting on the 77th anniversary on June 6th of the momentous events of D-Day and Operation Overlord in 1944 that younger generations take time to remember those who went before them.

As he is still fresh in our minds shall we affectionately refer to the World War 2 Normandy Veterans as the “Captain Tom Generation”.

Poole is particularly important in this piece of history having been the 3rd largest embarkation point for the largest amphibious invasion ever.

Thousands of US troops embarked on hundreds of landing craft to leave the sanctuary of Poole Harbour and head mainly for the deadly Omaha Beach on the Normandy Coast.

The coxswains of the landing craft were mostly Royal Navy personnel.

SLt (SCC) Reece Oliver RNR, Commanding Officer of Poole Sea Cadets, said, “It is hard to imagine what today’s genteel waters of Poole Harbour, on which we regularly train our cadets, would have looked like back then.

One thing is sure is that on the water it would have been eerily quiet once they had left although another armada of aircraft would have been flying overhead from Tarrant Rushton, Hurn, Christchurch and many other airfields”.

“It shouldn’t be forgotten that many of the soldiers, sailors and aircrew involved would have been about the age of our older cadets”.

Bruce Grant-Braham, former Mayor of Poole and now a Trustee of Poole Sea Cadets, said, “Today the cadets, both girls and boys, are safely trained in the high quality skills and traditions of the Royal Navy, just like their predecessors. Having personally been a Sea Cadet in my youth I applaud the organisation which continues to be proud that it is steeped in maritime history”.

Poole Sea Cadets recently welcomed Rear Admiral Nicholas Lambert to help them celebrate their successes in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme - Prince Phillip’s greatest legacy.

To attain a Duke of Edinburgh Award is a great personal achievement and Rear Admiral Lambert emphasised this to the cadets as he personally presented them with their awards. He revealed to them that he had benefitted from the scheme himself, so he knew what is was like.

Poignantly he was to find out that the cadets had first heard that Prince Philip had died during their qualifying expedition in the New Forest. On the day that sad news had brought them to a temporary sorrowful standstill.

Fittingly His Royal Highness Prince Phillip had served as Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps from 1952 to 1992. This was in addition to his own distinguished wartime Royal Navy career after which he became Lord High Admiral of the Fleet and Captain General Royal Marines.

Rear Admiral Lambert himself had spent much of his time at sea aboard HM ships Birmingham, Ark Royal and Cardiff before commanding HMS Brazen and HMS Newcastle. He went on to become captain of the ice patrol ship Endurance before being appointed the UK National Hydrographer.

As a master mariner Rear Admiral Lambert possesses a particular interest in training and education in the maritime sector hence his personal enthusiasm for his visit to Poole Sea Cadets for the award ceremony.

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards can be at Bronze, Silver or Gold levels. All levels involve Poole Sea Cadets amongst others in helping the community and environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity.

Achieving a Duke of Edinburgh Award isn’t a competition or about being first. It’s all about setting personal challenges and pushing personal boundaries. These are the exact same aims as those of the Sea Cadet Corps, so the two organisations work in perfect harmony.