Dartford & Crayford Sea Cadets need help towards its 70 year old buildings refurbishments programme Save Our Ship!
Just over 70 years ago during the dark days of WW2 the need was felt to set up a Sea Cadet Unit within the town of Dartford to train local youngsters and to give them a grounding in to life in the Royal Navy. Many cadets went on to join the Royal Navy and help do their bit for the nations war effort. Since then and still today cadets have left our unit and gone on to join either the Royal or Merchant Navies. Many have taken the life changing skills they have learned in their time as Sea Cadets at Dartford and gone in to all walks of civilian working careers and jobs. All would say that it was being a sea cadet at Dartford that helped changed their lives and propelled them in to the future with a sense of civic duty, team building and leadership skills that they picked up along the way.
Over 70 years ago our prefabricated buildings were put up for us by the goodwill of local companies and local people such as JE Hall of Dartford. The name TS Anson TS meaning Training Ship and Anson after several HMS warships by that name was used and we are known by by this name as well as Dartford & Crayford Sea Cadets.
Sadly 70 years on some of our main buildings are in urgent need of major refurbishment in order to keep our unit alive and ongoing for future generations of local youngsters to become sea cadets and learn the traditions of the Royal Navy and learn many skills such as seamanship, first aid, marine and mechanical engineering, catering and cooking to name but a few and take up many sporting opportunities such as rowing, kayaking, canoeing, shooting, swimming, football, archery, sailing, offshore sailing in square-riggers, camping, mountain climbing etc etc and educational courses such as BTEC courses and even undertake Duke Of Edinburgh bronze, silver and gold achievement awards.
Our buildings need refurbishing badly to keep them insulated and warm and dry as well as new electrical wiring, windows and plumbing work that’s required.
We are seeking the help of business locally to be able to assist us with sourcing the materials needed and the skilled labour to help us in our dream of bringing our unit up to a better standard and environment in which our dozen or so volunteers and with the help of our cadets parents to help continue to train our present contingent of some 36 local boys and girls enjoying the Sea Cadet Experience of a once in a lifetime opportunity. Our cadets both boys and girls can join us as young as aged 10 years and remain with us as many do until they are 18 years of age.
In recent years we have had the help from Dartford Science and Technology College to help us paint the outside of our units various 8 buildings as well as Hitachi Power Tools Lt. but more needs to be done inside and outside making our buildings water and airtight!
Dartford & Crayford Sea Cadets is a registered charity charity number 302726.