The future of Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge’s long-running Sea Cadets unit is under threat due to a funding crisis prompted by the loss of a major sponsor, it has emerged this week.
Carol Roberts, Chairwoman of the group, attended a meeting of the Town Council to appeal for grant funding of £2,000 to keep it running.
She told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We were self-sufficient until last year but are really struggling without our main sponsor.”
“We are finding fundraising incredibly difficult and have been cutting back on costs. We’ve applied for many different grants from different organisation but many don’t provide funding for running costs – they are for specific projects. We need a one-off grant to keep running for the forseeable future.”
Carol, pictured, added: “A further blow has been the loss of our unit’s minibus after it failed its MoT. This is a catastrophe for us – we depend on it for getting our cadets to events.”
Cllr Janet Keen said: “Of all the youth groups in the area, I think our cadet units are among the most important providers of youth services. They provide a solid foundation for the rest of their young people’s lives. It’s particularly distressing to hear that the Sea Cadets only have enough funding to the end of May.”
Town councillors awarded a grant to the unit of £1,000 to safeguard the organisation through to the autumn until its new management team has had time to put plans in place for the group’s future.
Pictured: Top, Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge Sea Cadets last year and, above, Chairwoman Carol Roberts at this week’s council meeting
