Try something new: Sea Cadets
Since becoming a volunteer with the Sea Cadets, Allison Ward has found new skills, fun and friendships to last a lifetime
From being a Girl Guide to later volunteering to lead her local pack, Allison Ward has always loved helping out in her community. So when her youngest son begged her to join the Sea Cadets at aged ten, it was almost inevitable that Allison would get involved herself. But at that time, 16 years ago, she never imagined what a huge part the Sea Cadets would come to play in her life. “That first day I took my son to see what Sea Cadets was like, he came away as a fully signed up cadet and I came away as a member of the unit management team. This meant helping make sure the facilities and equipment were in place for the instructors. “From there I got more involved and eventually became an instructor where I was more hands on and helped the cadets follow their training programme, which is aimed at giving them life skills both on and off water. They’re taught about being a good citizen, leading a team and nautical things such as tying knots and working with boats. “Cadets can also take qualifications. My speciality is first aid, so I help with the training for that. “As for me, I’ve also been able to learn new things, too. For example, I’m now qualified to drive a powerboat which is something I’d never expected to do!” Today, Allison has a new role within the Sea Cadets – still entirely voluntary – as deputy area training officer for the South West area. This involves co-ordinating the training of instructors and cadets – something she squeezes in around her fulltime job in a busy secondary school. “I can spend ten hours a week on Cadets and am often away at weekends, but I’ve chosen to do that as I love it so much. I know how much my children enjoyed being part of cadets and want to give other young people that brilliant opportunity, too. “I also like meeting new people and through this I’ve made so many friends, including my best friend who I now spend Christmas with. She was a fellow mum who volunteered back when I started.” Allison has also had some incredible experiences with the Cadets, one of the most memorable being meeting Barack Obama at the G9 summit in Cardiff Castle where one of her cadets was selected to join the line along the castle pathway. But what means even more than those once-in-alifetime moments is when the cadets say thank you. “It’s amazing when the Sea Cadets turn around to me and say that we’ve had a huge impact on their life. “I recently had a letter from one young man who had a difficult time at school and we tried to nurture him through Sea Cadets. While he didn’t finish school he said it’s thanks to the Cadets that he’s now starting university. We don’t volunteer for the thanks but it makes us see that our work really does make a difference.”
‘I know how much my children enjoyed being part of cadets and I want to give other young people that brilliant opportunity, too’
If you’d like to find out more about volunteering at one of the UK’s 400 Sea Cadets units, call 0207 654 7000 or visit www.seacadets.org