IMPACT
HOW SEA CADETS CHANGED MY LIFE Through our My LegaSea campaign we’ve been reconnecting with former cadets from around the world to explore the impact that Sea Cadets has had on its alumni – and inspire the next generation of cadets to create their own legacy
W
hen Sea Cadets launched a campaign to reconnect with the people who’d once been cadets, we couldn’t have imagined the response. From Olympians and award-winning musicians to dancers, civil servants and military vets, former cadets from every walk of life have got in touch to recall their time with the corps. Here, five former cadets tell us in their own words how Sea Cadets inspired the paths they took and influenced their futures.
“Every skill I learned as a cadet gave me a head start” Andrew Le Seelleur MBE Innovative and inspirational charity founder My father was a cadet in the 1950s and gave my brother and I no choice but to join. I started at the age of 12 and stayed right up until the week before I joined the Royal Navy at 17. I loved everything about it: the sailing, pulling, guard display teams. It was definitely the biggest influence on my decision to join the Royal Navy as soon as I could. Every skill I learned as a cadet gave me a head start when I joined up. I’d been on residentials to HMS Raleigh so was familiar with life there; the leadership and communication skills I’d developed were hugely useful – as was the ability to iron my uniform and polish my shoes! I left the Royal Navy after nine years and returned to Jersey where I fell into the finance industry. Having seen what real teamwork and workplace pride looked like, I could see this was missing from the corporate sector, so I spent the next 14 years developing incredibly challenging but fun fundraising events. I always say that the greatest attributes I took from Sea Cadets were leadership – the ability to not only stand in front of a group of people but also be decisive – and teamwork, which has always been a huge asset to me and the skill I cherish the most. Life is short, so live it to the full and experience as much as you can: Sea Cadets is most definitely the place to fulfil this outlook.
10
SEA-CADETS.ORG / SPRING 2020
Former cadet Andy was awarded an MBE for his services to the community
