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Cadets, staff and volunteers at TS Gurkha are delighted that their Officer in Charge, Roger Edmunds has been promoted to Lieutenant.  This is no easy achievement, requiring a huge amount of work, time and commitment.    

Roger joined Sea Cadets Corps over 20 years ago as an adult civilian instructor when he began dating Nicola (now his wife) who was, and still is, a Sea Cadet instructor. He realised that the skills that he had from working on boats for 5 years as a teenager would also be very useful in teaching cadets on the water.

In order to develop these skills further he went away on many different training courses and was promoted to Petty Officer after completing a week long course at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth. Over the next 10 years Roger continued to teach cadets on a weekly basis and in 2010 decided to work on becoming an Officer within the Corps.   This involves much extra work and additional weekends away from home in order to be trained and assessed by Sea Cadet and Naval Officers. These weekends are both challenging and exhausting as potential officers are pushed hard to see if they can cope with pressure.   In November 2010 Roger successfully passed the officers board and was promoted to a Sub Lieutenant. 

Lt Edmunds said ‘It is good for the cadets to see staff going away and working towards promotion so that they recognise that training isn’t just for cadet but adults too.’

To attain this most recent promotion, Roger was required to serve a further 6 years as a Sub Lieutenant and attend a week-long  Junior Officers Training Course at SCTC Weymouth.   Cadet First Class Molly Edmunds, Roger’s 13 year old daughter knows more than others how hard he has worked.

‘It's strange when Dad is on a course as he's not there to wake me up in the morning or to eat with us. But if he didn't go on these courses he wouldn't have been able to get to where he is now and it makes me proud to know that my dad has achieved so much!’  She said. ‘He dedicates a lot of time to cadets and he makes sure everyone gets the best out of it. When he goes away he isn't just achieving things that will help the cadets to learn new things but he achieves a skill for himself that he can use forever.’

 All of the cadets at the Stratford unit were keen to explain why he is very deserving of his new rank.

Able Cadet Barnaby Edwards, 17 years, began by saying. ‘Sir is very caring and trustworthy but you can still have a laugh with him.’   

Whilst 12 year old Cadet Daniel Payne said ‘He just gets cadets and the things we say.  He makes cadets fun.’ 

Cadet First Class Love, who has been a cadet for 3 years, said ‘If you have any problems, Sir will sort them out.  He listens to everything you say.  There are just too many good things to say about him!’

TS Gurkha has many exciting plans for the future with Lt Edmunds in charge but he continues to focus on the cadets themselves, saying   ‘I will carry on commanding the unit and give the cadets the best instruction I can with all the knowledge and experience I have gained from my own Sea Cadet development.’ 

Stratford Sea Cadets are delighted to announce that PO Scott Brazier has been appointed as second-in-command at the unit.  He replaces Lt Neil Hanson as First Lieutenant, who has stepped down due to ongoing work commitments.

Commanding Officer, Lt Roger Edmunds says ‘We are obviously sad that Lt Hanson is no longer able to fulfil this role and we would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his hard work and commitment over the years. We are however very fortunate to have someone such as PO Brazier to step up into this role.’

Scott has been involved with the Sea Cadet Corp since childhood.  ‘I joined the Corps in Kettering when I was 12 with the view to joining the Royal Navy when I left school. Cadets gripped me in a way that school never could -  I loved every second of it!’  He says. 

He proved to be a very successful cadet achieving Cadet PO rank and also became the Lord Lieutenants Cadet. Sadly, the Royal Navy were not recruiting due to cutbacks but he remained as an adult volunteer with Sea Cadets until he was 23, when he left thinking he'd done all that he wanted to.  However 10 years later he heard that Leamington unit desperately need staff to remain open. 

‘I went to see what was happening and before I knew it I was back in,’ he says. ‘I love giving back what someone gave to me. Seeing a cadet stand just a little bit taller after a parade, walk with purpose into a competition or take pride in themselves, gives me a real buzz.’

PO Brazier has been at Stratford Sea Cadets for two years as a member of staff.  ‘Being an adult volunteer in the Corps opens up a new world to people - new skills, people, places and experiences - things you just can't do anywhere else, and all while making a difference to someone’s life.’ He says.

PO Brazier was asked what he would like to achieve in his new role.  He hopes to help the unit run better and smoother. ‘I will be at the sharp end and will really getting to know how the whole unit works.  Hopefully I will be able to have some influence with my own ideas.  I would love Stratford Unit to be a force within the district not just the poor relative. That's enough of a challenge for now! Ask me that again in 12 months. 

But most importantly, when I was a cadet, all innocent and wet behind the ears, my CO was an awesome, inspirational guy. He was our world and we'd follow him everywhere - not because he ordered us to, but because he showed us how to do it well. If I can make a handful of cadets feel the same in my career, I will be well chuffed!’

Local Cadets from TS Gurkha were given the perfect opportunity to understand naval life when they visited HMS Richmond last weekend.  14 senior cadets and 5 members of staff were welcomed on board the warship by S/Lt Holt and S/Lt MacFarlane whilst the ship was docked in Cardiff in order to support the Poppy Appeal.

The cadets toured the ship and viewed areas such as the ops rooms, galley, wardroom and senior rates mess. They were also privileged to see some areas not normally viewed by the general public.  The cadets were surprised by the size of the sleeping areas and overwhelmed by the size and scale of the whole ship.

First Class Cadet Charlotte Drinkwater, aged 16 said ‘When we visited the Ops room it was so interesting.  We were shown how submarines are identified and tracked just by the sound their propellers.  Sometimes it’s hard to imagine what it would be like when a ship is on high alert but today it was made real.’   

 HMS Richmond, a Type 23 Frigate, is older than any of the cadets that visited, as she was launched on 6^th April 1993.  She operates as an anti-submarine warship and recently escorted the Admiral Kuznetsov, a huge Russian aircraft carrier, through British waters.

‘Not all cadets get to see a working warship up close and personal’ explained PO Scott Brazier, First Lieutenant at Stratford Sea Cadets.  ‘Everyone really enjoyed the experience and the officers and ratings who were our guides were very welcoming, knowledgeable and fun. A brilliantday!’

TS Gurkha take part in Act of Remembrance in the Garden of Remembrance, Stratford Upon Avon.