New Minibus for Hastings Sea Cadet Corps

The Rotary Club of Senlac Trust Fund joined with other local organisations in making donations to the Hastings Sea Cadet Corps to purchase a new minibus. The new minibus is now on the road. Officer in Charge Lt Chris Connor said, “Thank you so much to the club. This new bus means so much to the staff and cadets; more staff can drive the bus and now having reliability we can open up many more opportunities and spend more weekends away. It’s a fantastic benefit to us.”

Ordinary Cadet Wakeford who has been in both of the old and new buses said, “I’ve been in both. The old one was uncomfortable, bounced about and kept breaking down. We get a much smoother and quicker ride and now we are going to get where we should be going. It’s going to give us a lot more opportunities to do things.”

The Rotary Club were invited to see the minibus at TS Hastings on 15^th February and were given a talk by Lt Connor about the Hastings Corps, it’s history and objectives. That was followed by a tour of the Training Ship including the new Lance Tyler building which provides six classrooms and sleeping facilities for the corps. The club ended the evening at the Black Horse, Telham for a meal.

 TS Hastings Sea Cadets (“TS Hastings”), has been offering young people between the ages of 10 and 18 an environment where they can find confidence and inspiration through nautical adventure since 1939.  Part of the Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) with over 14,000 cadets across the UK, the Sea Cadets challenges young people, giving them the opportunity to learn new skills based on the customs and traditions of the Royal Navy. 

TS Hastings is run entirely by volunteers, mainly former sea cadets and parents, who spend evenings and weekends working with local youngsters, teaching them the basic principles of Navy life  - from drill to tying knots to sailing and power boating.   The range of activities has been designed to help young people experience adventure, develop personally and gain valuable qualifications along the way. In an increasingly digital age, TS Hastings offers young people the opportunity to put down their devices, interact with other children and adults while learning new skills that offer a good grounding to help provide the best possible head start in life .Although a part of a large national organisation, TS Hastings is a local registered charity that relies on donations, fund raising and subs to keep its doors open for local youngsters.  If you would like to know more, to volunteer, make a donation or would like to join like-minded young people contact tshastings@btconnect.com or visit their website at www.sea-cadets.org/hastings