MAIDSTONE SEA CADETS
Chairman Report AGM 25.11.2021
Welcome to All to the 2020 -2021 AGM via Zoom
As Chairman I can report that 2020 leading into 2021 has been a very eventful period and much progress has been made in one of our key objectives of increasing our numbers of Staff, Cadets and Volunteers. I will not repeat the numbers we currently stand at, as these are set out in the Officer in Charge’s Report.
In the early part of 2020 we were entering the grip of the Covid Pandemic which resulted in lockdown, but together, Staff and UMT worked tirelessly to bring the Unit to the point where we were able to apply to Area Headquarters and obtain Lime Status (what I like to call GO STATUS) which meant that, all be it on a restrained basis, we could recommence training activities for Cadets, initially outside, and importantly, with boating activities on the River Medway utilising our own mooring facilities. New Staff have joined us as have new Cadets.
During the Covid Lockdown period and subsequent recovery we were very grateful to receive considerable Government business support funding, and this is set out in the Treasurer’s Report. Our thanks go to our Treasurer working away in the background to successfully obtain this funding. Part of this funding was allocated by our UMT to creating what is now a serious Cadet training IT suite, together with other IT training equipment for use elsewhere in the Unit. More latterly this training equipment has been supplemented by additional IT equipment obtained via Area Staff, for which we as a Unit thank them.
In Staff terms, in the early part of 2020 PO Brian Newbury who had taken over the reins as Temporary Officer in Charge relinquished his role to revert to First Lieutenant and PO Steve Pilkinton took over as Officer in Charge. We are very grateful to Brian for taking on the temporary role at a troublesome time and steering our ship to the position where Steve took over. PO Rebecca Pilkinton took over much of the operational admin and stores whilst the irrepressible Blake Pilkinton and Luke Askew transferred to members of staff. Further additions to Staff include Zoe Salton and Simon Absolon joining Mrs Ellen Askew who will be taking on the role of Junior instuctor. We are grateful to all
Unit Headquarters Address: The Masters Tower, College Road, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6YE Tel: 01622 720800 Registered Charity No: 302793
Staff for their hard work and dedication towards making Maidstone Sea Cadets the real success it is fast becoming.
For several years, we have not had our own dedicated Unit Chaplain. This year we are very lucky to have Andrew Royal join us as Unit Chaplain. Andrew is already getting to work and has fast become a greatly valued addition to our Staff.
During 2020 our lease of the Unit premises and bank of the nearby River Medway (to which our boat berthing pontoon is moored) expired and we are now in the very final stages of agreeing and signing a new 25-year lease with Maidstone Borough Council which secures our future in the centre of Maidstone. Our thanks go to our legal advisor on the UMT, Paul Burbidge, for his hard and extremely time-consuming work in negotiating this important outcome.
This year, and for the first time in many years, the Unit now has a very active Unit Parents and Supporters/Assistants Committee headed up by their Chair, the ever-enthusiastic Raz Dowdall. They are already progressing several projects to help raise funds for the Unit, and generally to promote the work of the Unit to the outside world. We thank all on that Committee for their time and effort.
Early 2020 saw Malcolm and Brenda Greer retire respectively as Trustee and UMT Secretary. Losses that we greatly miss. We thank them for all the hard work they gave to the Unit over an extended period and to Malcolm in particular for the funds he raised both during his year as Mayor of Maidstone, and otherwise. Jane Taylor has now joined us and is taking over the task of UMT Secretary.
Over the last almost two years, Maidstone Sea Cadet Unit has made huge progress not only in increasing numbers of Staff and Cadets but also our facilities are now being developed so we can act as a District Training Hub: and the Unit has now secured Area approval to function as a quasi-residential Unit for overnight/weekend/school holiday time training.
We are now embarked on a programme of improvements to the buildings the first part of which has involved external redecoration, with other improvements scheduled into the spring of 2022.
Whilst the Unit UMT has several future development projects under consideration, as the Unit further expands it will need additional boats. The UMT has earmarked funds to secure two additional Trinity 500 vessels and we
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await hearing from Headquarters as to progress in the manufacture of these important vessels. Whilst on the subject of boating the UMT has also secured funding sufficient to send at least two Cadets during 2022 on the organisations offshore training vessels, including Brigantine, TS Royalist.
All in all, I hope you agree that Maidstone Sea Cadet Unit is thriving. Getting the Unit to this point has involved a lot of dedicated hard work by everyone, and as Chairman I congratulate everyone involved. In this connection I am particularly grateful for the encouragement and assistance Maidstone Unit has received from both District and Area Staff over the last year or so.
I would also particularly like to extend our thanks to the Guild of Water Conservators for their continuing support. As Steve has highlighted in his Report, in August we had the great pleasure of hosting the Water Conservators at the Unit when the catering was most ably undertaken by our Cadets; the Water Conservators presenting the Unit with a silver water ewer, and the Unit responding with an admiral’s crystal glass decanter.
I leave you with a Sea Cadet Unit in which we can all be truly proud.
John Taylor
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Maidstone Sea Cadets Balances
Balances 1 [st] April 2020 Cash £100.00
Bank ### ###
Income Expenditure
£3,390.00
Subscriptions
£1,128.00 £234.00
Parking Revenue
£11,001.00
Money for Embryonic Unit
Small Business Grants £20,193.00
£583.25
Donations and Grants
£564.53 £1,980.89
Building Running Costs
£42.67
Waste Collection
£2,500.00
Lease of Building
£922.50
Cadet Courses and Berths (re-imburseme
IT Purchases £10,069.48
£451.95
Insurance
£264.00
Pest Control
£400.95
Weather Station
£207.84
Fire Safety Update and Protection
£23.00
Replacement Parts
£870.15
Catering Training Equipment
Totals ### ###
Balances 31 [st] March 2021
Cash £100.00
Bank ###
###
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*** A computer was also kindly donated to the Unit**
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I, Georgina Overton, of 2 Betchworth Place, Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 IGD. Do hereby certify that I have checked the bank statements and the accounts for the Maidstone Sea Cadets Corps for 202012021 and I am content that the income and expenditure is an accurate representation of the position of the Maidstone Sea Cadets as at 31. March 2021. Date: Ibli ia09l. Georgina Overton