TS TIGER, Leicester Sea Cadets, is a unit which forms part of the Sea Cadet Corps, a youth organisation for young people aged 9 – 18 years, based on the traditions and customs of the Royal Navy. Cadets are trained in disciplines on and off the water such as first aid, navigation and water sports, whilst being supported by qualified volunteer instructors. They have the opportunity to learn new skills, gain recognised qualifications and develop their leadership and teamwork.
On Thursday 27th July, 9 cadets from TS TIGER arrived at their HQ in Belgrave to begin their qualifying rowing expedition alongside other cadets and volunteers from local units. The cadets had a briefing, kit check and rigged their boats before setting off North along the River Soar. The cadets had to be self-sufficient throughout the expedition and carry all their kit in their boats which made for some cramped rowing conditions. They rowed in their teams in a convoy of three Trinity 500 boats, following their map and route card, working their way through 6 locks to reach Broome Island Campsite just North of Mountsorrel at around 1700. When they arrived at camp, they pitched their tents, cooked dinner on their Trangia stoves and worked on their expedition aim, which was investigating the impact of humans on the canal and river networks.
The cadets set off on day 2 at 0945 after striking camp, continuing North into Loughborough, working their way through 2 locks including the impressive Barrow Deep Lock. They were battling the wind for some of the journey and there was a lot of traffic near the locks. The cadets assisted some other craft through the locks in efforts to speed up their journey and reached their lunch spot at the Basin in Loughborough at around 1300. Most cadets had a variety of ration packs to enjoy at lunch but some preferred crackers and cheese paste with tuna for a bit of extra protein. After lunch they retraced their route south back to Broome Island campsite, where they pitched their tents and cooked their day 2 dinner.
Day 3 looked to be a wet weather day but the rain held off for the most part. They navigated 6 locks from day 1 in reverse, back to their HQ in Belgrave. They spent some time taking photos of evidence towards their aim and there were a few tears over some disagreements. Day 3 seemed to be the hardest day as they were tired, getting wet and still had another day to go, but they pushed through it and supported each other very well. There were definitely some group hugs and moments of laughter. When they got back to the HQ, they cooked their dinners and played some ball games which seemed to cheer everyone up and bring the groups back together.
Day 4 saw a bunch of eager cadets on the home stretch. They packed up early, had breakfast and headed south into the city. There were a few issues with broken lock gates which hadn’t been fixed since their practise expedition back in May, but they worked together to get through them. Some cadets had started feeling the impact of the previous 3 days and had a few minor injuries to content with. They battled on and enjoyed taking more pictures ready for their presentation, especially of the artistic graffiti in the city section of the river. They returned to the unit at 1530 on Sunday 30th July, derigged their boats, had a debrief and headed home to rest.
The cadets had an enjoyable time and will be presenting on their expedition in a few weeks once they have put their evidence together. I hope that their achievement will inspire future cadets to take on the same challenge and make the most out of the opportunities available to them. The volunteers from TS TIGER who supported the expedition are very proud of these cadets and what they have achieved. They also enjoyed the 4 days supervising the cadets from a distance, seeing them grow into young, independent adults and watching them put their skills into practise as a team. We look forward to watching their presentations and in turn, seeing the photos of the cadets at Buckingham Palace celebrating their achievements.
For some of the cadets, this was an opportunity that they wouldn’t have been fortunate enough to have without the kind contribution from the Ulysses Trust to support their expedition. We would like to thank the Ulysses Trust for supporting our expedition and for giving our unit the opportunity to partake in this adventure.
“It’s amazing to see how different people use and have used the canal in the past, and to see the city from the perspective of different times. If it weren’t for the grant, I would never have had the experience so thank you to the Ulysses Trust for the opportunity.”
Leading Cadet Lucy Hadfield
“With the help of The Ulysses Trust I was able to go on my gold DofE expedition. I enjoyed learning about the different inmacts that people have on the river network, as well as having fun with friends.”
Leading Cadet Imogen Knowles
“I enjoyed working with my group on the expedition as this made me come out of my shell (I’m normally a very quiet person) as I had to communicate within the group for us to be successful. The expedition has made me independent and able to be more self-sufficient. It made me bring skills together, some skills I didn’t know that I had. I thank the Ulysses Trust for allowing me to gain and build on skills that will be with me throughout my lifetime.”
Marine Cadet Keyuri Adatia
