Former Peterborough Sea Cadets raise over £1500 for organisation's future with reunion

A host of former Sea Cadets in Peterborough have come together for a special reunion to help give the organisation a bright future.

Organised by charity trustee, John Gulson, over 50 former Sea Cadets gathered at the Customs House on the banks of the River Nene, in the city centre, to remember old times.

All of the attendees were once members of the Sea Cadets, which is still active in the city today, and with their entry fees, raffle tickets purchases and other donations, managed to raise over £1500 for the Sea Cadets.

The money will prove invaluable to the future of the charity, which relies on the support of donations. One of the driving forces behind the reunion was the desire to unburden the instructors from the responsibility of also worrying about raising money to allow the Sea Cadets to continue.

The TS Gildenburgh Peterborough Unit of the Sea Cadets has a long history in the city having begun recruiting its first members in the 1940s.

The Sea Cadets nationally were formed over 160 years ago and offers children a wide variety of activities loosely based on the traditions of the Royal Navy. These include canoeing, football competitions, sailing, paddleboarding and sea trips where members get the chance to crew a sailing ship.

John, who was in the Sea Cadets himself around 40 years ago, before joining the Royal Navy, said: “The evening went really well and we had a strong turnout considering how quickly the event was thrown together. We has people travelling from across the country from places such as Cornwall and Shrewsbury and many other who would have loved to have made it.

"We raised a fantastic amount thanks to everyone. Events like these are so important as this is a charity and we are always in need of volunteers and more funds.

"It was such a great feeling to reconnect with some people who I had not seen for over 30 years.”

Former members of the Sea Cadets can link up via the Peterborough Sea Cadets Alumni Facebook group.