Thirty four cadets and adult volunteers were at Tesco, in Rugby, today helping customers to pack their shopping into bags and trollies to raise money for equipment and running costs. As part of their community awareness and fundraising efforts the Sea Cadets raised a massive £1,059.61 in donations from the generous public for their efforts today. The Officer in Charge of Rugby Sea Cadets, Sub Lieutenant Stuart Glover RNR, said “I’d like to thank Tesco for allowing us to raise much needed funds and the shoppers for their kind donations. The money we have raised will enable the Sea Cadet Unit here in Rugby to push forward and offer purchase new equipment and develop existing resources for the young people of Rugby.”

Clubs on to a Winner

Cash4Clubs Logo

SPORTING clubs from Coventry, Nuneaton and Rugby netted £1,000 each thanks to Betfair’s £5,000 Big Cash Giveaway. In partnership with the Coventry Telegraph, Betfair’s Cash 4 Clubs promotion provides a vital boost to sports clubs. The five that have been rewarded for their commitment to supporting grassroots sports and encouraging the local community to take up sport are: Rugby Sea Cadets, Old Coventrians RFC, Wune Tang Martial Arts Academy, Whitnash Tennis Club and Griff and Coton Netball Club. The competition ran during November and December when Telegraph readers were asked to collect tokens from the newspaper and complete an application form stating why their club deserved the money.

Betfair’s corporate social responsibility executive, Georgie Corbett, said: “I offer the winning clubs my congratulations – they thoroughly deserve the money and I’m looking forward to seeing how they will be using the funds to help develop their club and local community.” She added: “Two entries that just missed out on winning the £1,000 award but deserve special recognition were Roger Casement’s GAA Club and Coventry Godiva Athletics Club.

Both had a very real need and we wish them every success in finding the money they need to make their plans happen.” So far 30 clubs have benefited from the Cash 4 Clubs scheme and £30,000 has been given away.

The five local winners will use their money as follows: Rugby Sea Cadets to cover sailing fees this year and allow them to redirect funds to replacing protective equipment and increasing boat maintenance; Old Coventrians RFC to provide their coaches with new kit; Rugby’s Wune Tang Academy to buy new training mats; Whitnash Tennis Club to buy new tennis nets and balls; Griff and Coton Netball Club in Nuneaton to send coaches on national level 1 and 2 coaching qualification courses.

Liz Hancock, of Griff & Coton Netball Club, said: “We are thrilled to be awarded £1,000 through the Coventry Telegraph/Betfair Clubs for Cash competition. We are a Nuneaton-based group that is keen to develop further our coaching for both the junior and senior squads. “This money will really make a difference by enabling us to pay for club members to attend UKCC Coaching Courses and for us to buy some specialised netball coaching equipment. Griff is a friendly club and is always on the look-out for more adult and junior players.” Meanwhile Zak Woon, head of the Wune Tang Academy, said: “In the current financial climate it is tremendous to get £1,000 to spend on equipment. We have bought a new competition jigsaw mat because our members trained previously on the hard floor. “In October we go to the Tang Soo Do World Championships in Poland and hopefully our competitors will benefit from practising on the mat and bring back some medals.” Clubs who were unsuccessful or did not enter can raise funds they need through Betfair’s Refer and Earn scheme, details of which can be found at www.cash-4-clubs.com.

Cash4Clubs Presentation

IN THE MONEY… From left, John Over (Old Coventrians RFC), Zac Woon (Wune Tang Academy), John Lapworth (Old Coventrians RFC), Claire Woon (Wune Tang Academy), Georgie Corbett (Betfair), Liz Hancock (Griff and Coton Netball Club), Alison Scholes (Rugby Sea Cadets), Jamie Turner (Coventry Telegraph), Graham Goodman (Whitnash Tennis Club)

Wording by Derek Brown, Coventry Evening Telegraph

First for Rugby Junior Sea Cadet

LJSC Michael Suddens with CPO (SCC) Dean Marshall

Leading Junior Sea Cadet Michael Suddens has become the first Junior Sea Cadet at Rugby Unit to be awarded the Commodores Broad Pennant, an award that he has been working to for just over a year.  The Junior Sea Cadet Training Syllabus was re-vamped back in 2007 and now consists of four coloured modules; Red, Blue, Green and Yellow.

Cadets must complete a number of modules in each of the coloured modules which include unit based activities, waterborne training, outdoor & recreation and community based projects. Having completed all of the required modules, Michael completed another 15 modules to gain the Commodores Broad Pennant.

Michael will shortly turn 12 and move from the Junior Sea Cadets into the Sea Cadets. He is pictured here collecting his award from Chief Petty Officer (SCC) Dean Marshall, the Unit Training Officer.

Rugby Sea Cadet Pair Celebrate Highest Marks

For the first time, not one but two cadets from Rugby Sea Cadets, have been awarded the Reg Day Memorial Trophies for attaining the highest overall marks on a District Leading Cadet and Petty Officer Cadet Advancement Board. The District Advancement Boards test the cadets ability in a number of disciplines to include, drill and ceremonial, leadership, instructional methods, fire safety and self discipline.  The two trophies, one for the highest mark attained on a District Leading Cadet Board and the other for the highest mark attained on a District Petty Officer Cadet Board were first awarded in 1996 by the widow of Reg Day, a former Chief Petty Officer in the Sea Cadets and Warwickshire District.

It is a great honour to have won both trophies in the same year, which were presented by the District Officer, Lieutenant Commander (SCC) G. Truelove RNR at the Warwickshire District Drill Competition, held on Sunday 8th February 2009.

The recipients of these trophies werpe ictured below are Leading Cadet Aaron Snowdon and Petty Officer Cadet,  (now Probationary Petty Officer) Alice Spiby receiving their trophies from the Commanding Officer, Captain (SCC) David Scholes RMR.

PPO (SCC) Alice Spiby with Captain (SCC) David Scholes RMR

LC Aaron Snowdon with Captain (SCC) David Scholes RMR

Rugby Sea Cadets Squeeze in One Last Training Weekend

As if 2008 hasn’t been busy enough, we decided to squeeze in one last training weekend at Rugby Sea Cadet Unit this weekend.  The aim of the weekend was to assess a number of cadets that have been trained over the past few weeks in a variety of specialisations.  3rd Class Seamanship, 3rd Class Chartwork, 3rd Class Marine Engineering and the Basic Piping Proficiency were all on offer.

A number of cadets passed their specialisation assessments this weekend and two cadets, Ordinary Cadet’s Danielle Parker and Richard Suddens, were both successful in passing their Able Cadet Assessments and will be promoted.

Sub Lieutenant (SCC) Stuart Glover RNR organised the weekend and a number of the adult instructors gave up their weekend to assist.

Cadets deliver presents to Birmingham Children’s Hospital

The cadets and staff of Rugby Sea Cadets this weekend presented Birmingham Children’s Hospital with over £100 of gifts for sick children. The cadets, aged from 12 to 18 live in tand around the Rugby area decided to donate the gifts as part of their community projects. The cadets wrote to local businesses asking for donations to purchase the gifts. The gifts were presented to Malcolm Faulkner the Community Fundraising Manager for Birmingham Children’s Hospital and he said that the presents will be given to the children who are too sick to go home over Christmas and will be given to Santa Clause when he visits the sick children on Christmas Day.

Birmingham Children’s Hospital provides specialist child and adolescent care for children within the UK and Ireland and is internationally recognised in specialist areas including liver transplantation, cardiac surgery and neonatal surgery. Special thanks must go to the local businesses who donated gifts, these were; Joto, Boots, The Range in Coventry and Deichmann shoes who donated all the gift boxes.

The project was Co-ordinated by Leading Cadet Amy Suddens and overseen by Sub Lieutenant (SCC) Stuart Glover RNR and Sergeant (SCC) Sian Scholes, two of the unit’s senior members of staff.

Tea and Biscuits at Rugby Care Centre for the Elderly

A number of the cadets and adult instructors from Rugby Sea Cadet Unit took time to talk with and play games with residents of the Rugby Care Centre on Clifton Road tonight. Sub Lieutenant (SCC) Stuart Glover RNR, the Unit’s First Lieutenant, tasked the Senior Cadets in delivering a local Community project to raise awareness of the Sea Cadet Unit in Rugby and the cadets chose the Care Centre.

Guided by Sub Lieutenant Glover, the cadets, planned and carried out the activity themselves and made contact with Manor Bakeries in Rugby, who were kind enough to donate some cakes and biscuits.

Sub Lieutenant Glover said ” It’s important for the cadets to get out into the community and give something back.  If we have helped the residents at the care home, have a better Christmas, then we have achieved everything that the cadets set out to do.”

Junior Sea Cadets visit the Mayor of Rugby

Borough of Rugby Crest

The Mayor of Rugby, Councillor Bill Sewell and his wife, the Lady Mayoress of Rugby, were kind enough to host our Junior Sea Cadets this evening at the Town Hall in Evreux Way, Rugby.  Having met the Mayor on several civic occasions this year, the Juniors got to take a tour of the council chambers and ask the Mayor and Mayoress about their roles within the community, over tea and biscuits.  The Junior Sea Cadets were escorted by Chief Petty Officer (SCC) Dean Marshall, the Unit Training Officer and Petty Officer (SCC) Linda Parsons, the Junior Sea Cadet Instructor at Rugby Unit.

The evening concluded with a photo session and the Mayor giving all of the Juniors a pack to take away with information about Rugby Borough Council and some some recyclable goodies.  The Juniors were  particularly impressed with the Rugby Council Wheelie Bin Pen Pots.

Junior Sea Cadets

Success for Able Cadet Aaron Snowdon

Having been with Rugby Sea Cadets since September 2008, Able Cadet Aaron Snowdon has been working hard in preparation for his Leading Cadet Advancement Board, which he attended this weekend – Saturday 29th November at Shirley Sea Cadets.  Aaron was previously a cadet at Kettering Sea Cadets but transferred over to the Rugby Unit when he came to live in Rugby.

Able Cadet Aaron Snowdon

The advancement board tests every cadet’s ability to lead, motivate, influence and manage younger cadets. All candidates have to complete a series of assessments to ensure that they are of a correct standard to be promoted to Leading Cadet. Able Cadet Snowdon scored highly on the board and will now be promoted to Leading Cadet.

Junior Boys take 1st at 5-a-Side Football tournament again

The Junior Boys team at Rugby Sea Cadets haven taken 1st place again at the Warwickshire District 5-a-Side Football Competition held in Coventry today.

The team, consisting of Ordinary Cadets Ian Payne (Captain), Richard Suddens, Matthew Moseley, Declan McKenna and Cadet Adam Clayton started the tournament with high spirits, having won this competition at the start of the year.

The team will go though to the South West Area 5-a-Side Football Competition in January to be held at HMS Raleigh. They will represent Warwickshire District Sea Cadets alongside the Junior Girls from Redditch Sea Cadets and Senior Girls’ and Senior Boys’ teams from Coventry Sea Cadets.

Junior Boys 5-a-Side Football Team