SEA cadets have finally taken to the water again after one of their boats was stolen a year ago.
Long Eaton Sea Cadets were able to return to action thanks to a £2,000 grant from Erewash Borough Council.
The keen sailors had been out of action since June after thieves took one of their lightweight safety boats during a break-in at Attenborough Sailing Club – where they sail and store their boats during sailing season.
The group's treasurer, Kevan corrChatterley, reported that the boat has been spotted along the River Trent since the incident.
He added: "All the cadets could do without it was take the long boats out and row.
"They can't sail, they can't kayak or anything like that.
"Some of the kids who were doing on-shore sailing this year should have been doing off-shore but, because they haven't got their basic qualifications, they can't.
"On the sailing front it's delayed them by a year."
The group received a leg-up after one of its members suggested they make an application to the council's small grant scheme.
It was quickly approved and with £2,000, alongside money from the club committee, the group was able to buy a new boat.
The engine is now stored securely and the boat locked up outside of sailing season.
Petty officer Jessica Bradshaw, 19, of William Street, Long Eaton, has been with the sea cadets since she was ten.
She said: "It really affected the cadets – we've only had the rowing boats so its been a struggle to keep them entertained and off the water.
"We've been trying to keep them occupied but there's a lot of repetition when they can only row on the water and do task books. They'd much rather be out there.
"We only have two rowing boats so we can only get 12 kids out there at a time.
"It's just an amazing thing to have happened now – they can all do what they wanted to do over the summer. It's liberating."
The group holds its meetings twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays between 7-9pm, at the unit headquarters in Oakleys Road, Long Eaton.
Councillor Carol Hart, deputy leader of Erewash Borough Council, said: "We've actually doubled our small grants pot this year.
"We think there are a lot of groups out there that struggle financially and it doesn't take a huge amount to help them out.
"The Sea Cadets are a good group, they're keeping young people occupied with interesting things and we're happy to give them the grant."
"There's lots of organisations out there and we think this is a particularly good one. This is one of the groups where we've got some really good people in it and we want to help them out where we can."
