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 Saturday 29th April, 9 cadets from TS TIGER arrived at their unit HQ in Belgrave to begin their practise rowing expedition alongside other cadets and volunteers from around the District. They rigged the boats, prepared their kit and after a briefing, set off on their journey along the River Soar at 0930. The cadets rowed three Trinity 500 rowing boats in convoy, working together to get through the locks safely and meet the supervisors at checkpoints. Night 1 was spent at Broome Island Campsite near Barrow-upon-Soar, where the cadets pitched their tents and cooked their evening meal on Trangia stoves. Most of the cadets had ration meals and lots of snacks!
On day 2, the teams set off at 0900 and rowed back to the unit in Leicester, a 15Km journey which was made more difficult with the windy conditions and the current against them. They persevered through the more challenging parts of the route and kept up morale in their boats with some songs. As part of the expedition conditions, cadets had to be self-sufficient and carry their own kit throughout the duration. When they arrived back at the unit on day 2, the cadets worked on their expedition aim and used maps to plan their routes for the qualifying expedition in July. This involved measuring distance, calculating time for each leg, finding the grid references for checkpoints and identifying good places for meals and breaks.
Day 3 saw the teams row South from the unit in Belgrave, further into the city. This gave them a different view of the river/canal network and the way in which it is treated. They struggled with broken lock paddles and a more built-up environment. The expedition provided a valuable experience for the young people to develop their teamwork and communication skills, become more independent and learn more about leadership. The cadets faced various challenges along the way which they had to work together to overcome such as disagreements within the boat, different rowing abilities and keeping up motivation when things were taking longer than expected. They returned to the unit in Belgrave at 1530hrs on 1st May and cleaned their boats, packing their kit away and having a debrief.
The cadets had an enjoyable time and are excited to complete their qualifying expedition in July, having successfully achieved their practise expedition and developed their skills enough to be effective team members. They have started planning their meals and group kit with their new friends in anticipation of a great experience.
The cadets will be presenting on their expedition once they have completed in July, inspiring other to take on similar challenges and inspiring them to aim for the top. Some of the cadets have completed previous expeditions at the bronze and silver award levels, but for some, this was their first expedition experience, and they did a grand job.
Volunteers from TS TIGER supported the expedition as supervisors and assessors, building on their own experience and skills whilst forming strong bonds and having fun along the way. The volunteers really enjoy seeing the cadets achieve these things and watching them achieve their final awards after such a lot of hard work. 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.
“Completing the D of E Gold practise has helped me massively. It taught me more about perseverance and teamwork. I enjoyed this experience because mainly because it let me connect with others who I wouldn’t normally connect with on a typical cadet event or parade night. I also enjoyed the scenery of the different areas of Leicester, parts I haven’t yet been to before.
“As well as being an enjoyable weekend, doing things like this has also helped me mentally. As its coming to the end of my secondary school life and the big exams are only a week away, doing this practise expedition has helped as it’s taken my mind off the stress and panic of those exams, because I’ve learnt that it’s still very important to still be doing things you enjoy that is not school or revision based. Finally, I would like to thank the Ulysses Trust for the support and sponsorship of this expedition.”
Petty Officer Cadet Zoe Elliott
“One thing I enjoyed about my expedition was working as a team to reach the aim. I also learnt about the impact the public have on the waterways and the environment, especially with littering and graffiti. Thank you to the Ulysses Trust for helping make this expedition possible for us.”
Able Cadet Lily Jacques
