The award-winning Chiswick Sea Cadets unit TS Stork launches its action-packed autumn programme

Senior sea cadet Annabel in her No 1 uniform: photograph Juliet McDonald

The national youth charity supported by the Royal Navy offers adults and children life skills through nautical adventure activities

After a major reorganisation, TS Stork, based at Chiswick Pier has ambitious plans for its juniors and seniors and they’ve also got places for adults as uniformed staff as well as casual non-uniformed volunteers.

Joining the Sea Cadets opens up a whole new world to its participants. It’s not just the call of the waves – though for many the idea of handling a boat is exciting – the experience is also about grasping new challenges and being your best self.

Activities can be in the water – rowing, sailing, paddleboarding, canoeing, powerboating and windsurfing – or on land including rock-climbing, mountain biking and shooting, but often it’s more about camaraderie.

For youngsters wanting to hoist the sail of a yacht or navigate a power vessel, the Chiswick unit won’t disappoint. In the last year TS Stork has exceeded 30 boating hours per cadet per year and enjoyed a 45% increase in boating qualifications across all levels.

“Boating hours can be anything that involves a boat,” says training officer Rebecca Skeete. “How to secure a vessel to a pontoon, for example, or check that the engine of a powerboat is running properly.

“A lot of the cadets we take in have seen other children out on the water and it’s led them to our door. Otherwise, it’s parents nudging their kids to get involved because they’re looking for non-screen-based activities and, if they’ve an inclination towards the water, the Sea Cadets is the obvious choice.”

Commanding Officer Graham Peach looks after the education of sea cadets, staff and volunteers

Leadership and teamwork

“In the summer, we work closely with the Wandsworth unit, and every other Sunday get the kids rowing, sailing and canoeing,” says Commanding Officer of the unit, CPO Graham Peach, whose job it is to make sure cadets get the right training.

“We also sail at the Welsh Harp reservoir in Brent, which is sheltered so offers slightly different opportunities to the tidal Thames.

“We operate right through the year, though the winter programme tends to be classroom-based where the cadets learn maritime skills such as ropework, drill commands and first aid.

Every Wednesday from 7pm to 9.15pm, around 30 cadets aged from nine to 18 assemble in the hall under the RNLI lifeboat station at The Pier House at Chiswick Pier. After doing Colours, a ceremonial tradition of raising the flag bearing the unit’s badge, the juniors and seniors are divided into groups to pursue their programmes.

Many of the youngsters are working towards badges including Commodore’s pennants, Crest awards, red and yellow module badges and a host of water safety, swimming, rowing and sailing qualifications.

In addition, several cadets are completing their Duke of Edinburgh Awards jointly through school, with the unit supporting and signing off relevant sections.

TS Royalist, the sea cadet flagship, is a tall ship owned by the Marine Society & Sea Cadets and used for training courses from March to November

Time on the water

Many of the courses are external to the Chiswick base, accessed through the Sea Cadets portal, and can even include a one-week course to learn how to race the tall ship TS Royalist. Participants can then enter the crew selection for the Tall Ships Race which happens every summer.

The unit’s calendar offers plenty of opportunity to parade proudly in uniform for TS Stork including Trafalgar Day where over 400 cadets will march from Horse Guards Parade to Trafalgar Square and Remembrance Day where they’ll attend a service and wreath laying at Turnham Green’s cenotaph.

On 29 October, the Chiswick Sea Cadets will be forming a carpet guard for the Worshipful Company of World Traders at their annual Installation Court and Banquet.

Rosi Prescott, Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London and Hounslow, presenting an award to James Meyer at The Pier House

Outstanding training standards

For TS Stork it has already been a highly successful year with Able Cadet Meyer receiving the Deputy Lieutenant’s Award and his brother, Sebastian, 13, a Jack Petchey Achievement Award, recognising his skill as a dinghy sailor and windsurfer. At the same Royal Naval Parade inspection, the unit was awarded the Burgee for its outstanding training standards, putting it in the top 20 to 25% of units nationwide.

The Chiswick Sea Cadets wouldn’t be what it is without the commitment of CPO Peach, who has been a Uniformed Cadet Forces Adult Volunteer for over 38 years, as well as his Unit Chair, Douglas Lambourne.

Although Graham is a mechanical engineer by day, his commitment to the Sea Cadets is almost like a full-time role, whilst Douglas, who is retired from the City, has been involved with the unit for seven years as a trustee, health and safety officer and recently Unit Chair.

Training officers Rebecca Skeete and Jaycee Bond-Vaughan: photograph Juliet McDonald

A lifelong connection to the sea

Several of their adult team have continued to participate after successful cadet careers. The CPO relies on training officers such as Rebecca, who has “always been involved in the cadets” – and hails from Liverpool – and Jaycee Bond-Vaughan who at 18 came up from Chiswick Sea Cadets.

“I’ve been here since I was 12 and initially I was very shy, but as you rank up you learn to lead your peers. I’m still involved because I really want to get children into youth organisations,” says Jaycee.

It’s not just the adult leaders who are impressive: cadet retention in this small unit – at 70% – is nearly three times the national average and the children are clearly having fun and thriving.

Sea cadet Annabel practises for her Power of Command assessment: photograph Juliet McDonald

Ceremonial opportunities

Annabel, aged 15, came to her first session when she was just 10 years old.

“The big pull for me was water sports but I got so much more out of it than just nautical activities.

“I’ve enjoyed making my way to the top of something so prestigious. I got the highest possible badge and rank when in the juniors. I’m also the first person in our unit to get the Commodore’s pennant.”

At that point, Annabel joined her peers outside The Pier House and we watched in admiration as she took charge of a group of seniors and practised all the basic drill manoeuvres as they marched off along the river path.

Parent of three, Jesse Nickerson, had brought his children to The Pier House for the first time. Twins Tal and Owen, aged 10, were keen to join after seeing the Putney Sea Cadets out on the river.

“My boys have been excited about it since we first heard it was happening. Our daughter came along just to keep us all company, but thought it looked fun and decided to join, too.”

The gunboat HMS Stork was used for hydrographic surveys before it was moored on the Thames in 1913 as a training ship

A proud tradition

By training on this stretch of river, today’s cadets are continuing a long tradition that began with the HMS Stork, a gunboat launched in 1882, that later became an important training ship and finally gave its name to this thriving modern sea cadet unit.

Long may the spirit of HMS Stork live on for future generations.

READ MORE: Get involved in the sea cadets.