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, catering 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 18th July 2026 at 0900hrs, 11 cadets from TS TIGER joined 13 other cadets on their D of E qualifying rowing expedition. Out of those 11 from TS TIGER, 3 cadets were on their silver qualifier and 8 on gold. The participants prepared their boats and loaded their kit, had a briefing and set off on their journey in two ASCs and three Trinity 500 rowing boats along the River Soar and Grand Union Canal. The weather was dry and sunny which added to the teams’ high spirits. They had been looking forward to seeing each other again after their practice expedition in May and had been communicating with their meal plans, getting everything ready for this day. The teams had decided on their expedition aims and set off with those in mind, ready to collect information and take photographs of their findings along the way. They put their training into practice, helping each other through the six locks north of Leicester until reaching their campsite on Broome Island at 1800hrs. It was a tough day rowing in the heat and they took longer than planned to reach their destination. They set up camp and cooked their evening meals as a team.
On day 2 the teams woke up at 0700hrs, packed up their kit after cooking a good breakfast and continued north along the River Soar through two more locks and into Loughborough town centre. The team who were studying fishermen and the impact of fishing on the environment were able to collect a lot of data on this day. It was another hot day, and river levels were low. There was a lot of river weed to navigate, which was frustrating at times. They continued to work together, remaining self-sufficient and ensuring they met the requirements of the award scheme with their activities and attitude. The teams followed their maps and route cards which they had completed during their practise expeditions earlier in the year. They answered lots of questions from curious members of the public about their expeditions and about being sea cadets. They also had a good conversation with the canal and river trust volunteers at Barrow Deep Lock, who were interested in the cadet activity and pleased to see the river network being used so responsibly. On return to Broome Island, they pitched their tents again and cooked their ration pack style meals before working on their aim and enjoying some social time with cards they had brought along and drama games.
Day 3 required the crews to retrace their day 1 rowing route back to the unit. They were rowing against the current, so it was more challenging than before, but they kept up morale and continued to work as a team. They continued to take turns in coxswaining the boats, rowing and operating the locks, topping up on water and ensuring they were keeping safe in the hot weather. They made good time and arrived back at the unit at 1600hrs on Monday 28th July. They derigged and cleaned their boats, then the silver teams gave presentations on their expedition aims. They were very interesting and involved some great drama performances. They had clearly enjoyed their expedition and were sad to be leaving each other. The gold team put their tents up and settled down for the night after their final evening meal. They played some games, worked on their aim and had an early night in preparation for their final day.
On day 4, the final day of the gold expedition, the team rowed south from the unit in Belgrave, further into the city. The river was less busy than usual, and they had now swapped their ASC for three trinity 500 boats so they were much faster. The teams were quieter on this day and were looking forward to a hot shower and their own beds. The team made it to their lunch spot at Freeman’s Meadow Lock at 1200hs and then returned to the unit, making their way through five locks in both directions. After three days in the Leicestershire countryside, it was strange for them to be back in the city with all the buildings, litter and graffiti. They mentioned this a few times during the day. They arrived back at 1530hrs and cleaned the boats down, unpacking all the team kit bags which contained items such as first aid kits, emergency shelters and lock keys. They then gave some exciting presentations to their assessors which they had enjoyed working on during the expedition.
Throughout the expedition the cadets demonstrated some amazing teamwork and communication skills. They worked well together to keep each other safe in the hot weather and to maintain good levels of morale throughout. They really enjoyed making new friends, working on their expedition aim and being independent with such an adventure. The expedition always provides the cadets with an invaluable experience and a chance for them to develop their communication, teamwork and leadership skills. Some of the cadets have now completed their awards and are looking at the next step, whilst others have achieved units from their BTEC Level 2 from the recognised prior learning section with thanks to this expedition.
Volunteers from TS TIGER supported the expedition as supervisors, duty drivers and medics, alongside a volunteer from Burton on Trent Sea Cadets. One volunteer from Tamworth Sea Cadets also took on the role of the assessor. The volunteers really enjoy seeing the cadets complete the expeditions 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.
Quote from LC NF:
“Thank you to the Ulysses Trust who kept the team fully fed and motivated throughout our expedition. We are truly blessed and grateful for your contribution towards our expedition, we really appreciate it.”
Quote from POC SP:
“Thank you so much to the Ulysses Trust for your support! The funding provided for food throughout our DofE journey made such a difference and helped make the experience even more enjoyable. We were incredibly proud to be waving your flag at our checkpoints during our expeditions as a token of appreciation for the support that made our journey possible. We are truly grateful for your support and everything you do to help young people take on opportunities such as DofE.”
