News

There has been a lot going on at the Unit over the last couple of months.

Our Commanding Officer, Lt(SCC) B Silver RNR, stepped down after 25 years at the Unit to become Central District's Training Officer. S/Lt(SCC) N Gilks RNR has taken Command. The rest of the adult volunteers have remained the same.

Another Burgee was achieved this year which is amazing! Our second one ever, two in two years!! BZ to our cadets and adult volunteers who work tirelessly to make our Unit a great one.

Our affiliation with HMS Hurworth continues to grow. We have good contact with them and they are planning to spend time with us on Chichester Canal in the summer months and to join us for our sports evenings.

Our community involvement remains good with the Tri Service Band performing at events such as the Remembrance Parade and in June, the Help4Heroes Charity Walk along the South Coast from Southampton to Brighton. We are also providing the walkers with food and accommodation for when they pass through Chichester. We will also be involved in the Selsey D Day Parade on Sunday 1 June.

The boating season has started so we are back on Chichester Canal paddling which the cadets and adult volunteers very much enjoy! We always have good fun, look out for us and say hello!

The Cadets and Staff of Chichester Harbour and Selsey Sea Cadets are celebrating acheiving an efficiency Burgee for the first time in our history.

Every year the Unit's performance is judged against a wide variety of criteria including cadet qualfications and progression; community activities; dress and bearing; health and safety; the buildings and the grounds alongside many others.

Ever since the Unit opened in 1960 its performance has been assessed and we have had a number of years successfully acheiving a pennant demonstrating our level of efficiency in line with expectations.

Our first Burgee represents an increase in our efficiency and quality of the cadet experience putting us in the top 20% of the 400 units in the Country.

We are now looking forward to our new challenge of continuing to maintain these high standards for the benefit of the cadets currently at the unit and hopefully our ever growing numbers.

On Sunday 3rd March 2013 a combined team from Chichester and Bognor Sea Cadet Units took part in the District Drill and Piping Competition at HMS EXCELLENT, Portsmouth.

The hard work they had put in over the nights and weekends paid off as they walked away with not only the Unarmed Drill trophy for the best squad but AC Cole of Bognor Unit also won the trophy for the Best Squad Commander.

The combined team will now go on to represent Central District at the Area Competition on Sunday 24 March 2013 at HMS EXCELLENT.

On Thursday 17 December 2012 the Cadets celebrated the end of a very successful year with a mess dinner at the unit served by the staff of the Unit.

PO(SCC) Skeates once again did a sterling job of creating a feast for all of the cadets who invited the District Officer, Lt Cdr (SCC) K Kristiansen RNR and the District Staff Development Officer Lt(SCC) H Gilbert-Jones RNR as their guests of honour.

Annual Awards Night

On Monday  4^th February 2013 Chichester Harbour and Selsey Sea Cadets welcomed Lieutenant Commander (SCC) Karen Kristiansen RNR, District Officer (pictured centre) to present the Annual Awards to the cadets.

The staff and cadets were also very pleased to welcome Councillor Quentin Cox, Chichester Lions President Brian Attfield, the Commanding Officer of Bognor Sea Cadets PO(SCC) Mark Bradshaw and the Commanding Officer of 461 Squadron, Chichester Air Cadets Squadron Flight Liuetenant Mark Ring.RAFVR(T).

This year’s winners were (rear row, left to right) Ordinary Cadet Billie Ellacott – Extra Commitment Award; Able Cadet Matthew Ore – Most Improved Cadet; Acting Leading Cadet Ellie West – Cadet of the Year; Cadet Hugo Malir – Smartest Cadet; Able Cadet Natalie Brassfield – Boating Achievement; Able Cadet Bronwyn Flower-Bond – Quartermaster Award; (front row, left to right) Junior Cadets Stanley and Arthur Wright – (joint winners) Best Junior; Junior Alice West – Best Attendance; Cadet Aaron Brooks – Sportsmanship.

It has been a great year with a large number of successes enjoyed by the cadets across a wide range of activities including sailing on the Sea Cadets flagship, a square rigged sailing vessel Training Ship Royalist.

The staff and cadets are very grateful to the support of all of the parents and trustees of the unit who make the work that we do possible.