Rugby Sea Cadets

SPORTING clubs from Coventry, Nuneaton and Rugby netted £1,000 each thanks to Betfair’s £5,000 Big Cash Giveaway. In partnership with the Coventry Telegraph, Betfair’s Cash 4 Clubs promotion provides a vital boost to sports clubs. The five that have been rewarded for their commitment to supporting grassroots sports and encouraging the local community to take up sport are: Rugby Sea Cadets, Old Coventrians RFC, Wune Tang Martial Arts Academy, Whitnash Tennis Club and Griff and Coton Netball Club. The competition ran during November and December when Telegraph readers were asked to collect tokens from the newspaper and complete an application form stating why their club deserved the money.

Betfair’s corporate social responsibility executive, Georgie Corbett, said: “I offer the winning clubs my congratulations – they thoroughly deserve the money and I’m looking forward to seeing how they will be using the funds to help develop their club and local community.” She added: “Two entries that just missed out on winning the £1,000 award but deserve special recognition were Roger Casement’s GAA Club and Coventry Godiva Athletics Club.

Both had a very real need and we wish them every success in finding the money they need to make their plans happen.” So far 30 clubs have benefited from the Cash 4 Clubs scheme and £30,000 has been given away.

The five local winners will use their money as follows: Rugby Sea Cadets to cover sailing fees this year and allow them to redirect funds to replacing protective equipment and increasing boat maintenance; Old Coventrians RFC to provide their coaches with new kit; Rugby’s Wune Tang Academy to buy new training mats; Whitnash Tennis Club to buy new tennis nets and balls; Griff and Coton Netball Club in Nuneaton to send coaches on national level 1 and 2 coaching qualification courses.

Liz Hancock, of Griff & Coton Netball Club, said: “We are thrilled to be awarded £1,000 through the Coventry Telegraph/Betfair Clubs for Cash competition. We are a Nuneaton-based group that is keen to develop further our coaching for both the junior and senior squads. “This money will really make a difference by enabling us to pay for club members to attend UKCC Coaching Courses and for us to buy some specialised netball coaching equipment. Griff is a friendly club and is always on the look-out for more adult and junior players.” Meanwhile Zak Woon, head of the Wune Tang Academy, said: “In the current financial climate it is tremendous to get £1,000 to spend on equipment. We have bought a new competition jigsaw mat because our members trained previously on the hard floor. “In October we go to the Tang Soo Do World Championships in Poland and hopefully our competitors will benefit from practising on the mat and bring back some medals.” Clubs who were unsuccessful or did not enter can raise funds they need through Betfair’s Refer and Earn scheme, details of which can be found at www.cash-4-clubs.com.

Cash4Clubs Presentation

IN THE MONEY… From left, John Over (Old Coventrians RFC), Zac Woon (Wune Tang Academy), John Lapworth (Old Coventrians RFC), Claire Woon (Wune Tang Academy), Georgie Corbett (Betfair), Liz Hancock (Griff and Coton Netball Club), Alison Scholes (Rugby Sea Cadets), Jamie Turner (Coventry Telegraph), Graham Goodman (Whitnash Tennis Club)

Wording by Derek Brown, Coventry Evening Telegraph

LJSC Michael Suddens with CPO (SCC) Dean Marshall

Leading Junior Sea Cadet Michael Suddens has become the first Junior Sea Cadet at Rugby Unit to be awarded the Commodores Broad Pennant, an award that he has been working to for just over a year.  The Junior Sea Cadet Training Syllabus was re-vamped back in 2007 and now consists of four coloured modules; Red, Blue, Green and Yellow.

Cadets must complete a number of modules in each of the coloured modules which include unit based activities, waterborne training, outdoor & recreation and community based projects. Having completed all of the required modules, Michael completed another 15 modules to gain the Commodores Broad Pennant.

Michael will shortly turn 12 and move from the Junior Sea Cadets into the Sea Cadets. He is pictured here collecting his award from Chief Petty Officer (SCC) Dean Marshall, the Unit Training Officer.

For the first time, not one but two cadets from Rugby Sea Cadets, have been awarded the Reg Day Memorial Trophies for attaining the highest overall marks on a District Leading Cadet and Petty Officer Cadet Advancement Board.

The District Advancement Boards test the cadets ability in a number of disciplines to include, drill and ceremonial, leadership, instructional methods, fire safety and self discipline.

The two trophies, one for the highest mark attained on a District Leading Cadet Board and the other for the highest mark attained on a District Petty Officer Cadet Board were first awarded in 1996 by the widow of Reg Day, a former Chief Petty Officer in the Sea Cadets.

It is a great honour to have won both trophies in the same year, which were presented by the District Officer, Lieutenant Commander (SCC) G. Truelove RNR at the Warwickshire District Drill Competition, held on Sunday 8th February 2009.

The recipients of these trophies pictured below are Leading Cadet Aaron Snowdon and Petty Officer Cadet,  (now Probationary Petty Officer) Alice Spiby receiving their trophies from the Commanding Officer, Captain (SCC) David Scholes RMR.