North Fylde Group Armed Forces Covenant Officer Martin Poole, together with Fylde Light Blues Club Chairman Ian Fell, were pleased to support Fleetwood Sea Cadets with a donation of £100, recognising the important role the organisation continues to play in the town’s maritime and community life.
Martin and Ian were joined by North Fylde Group Chairman Eddie Wilkinson, who attended to offer his support and hear more about the work the Sea Cadets are involved in. The money was raised at a veterans’ lunch held at Fleetwood Masonic Hall. Fleetwood Sea Cadets have played a significant part in the town’s youth development for more than half a century and the last 50 years have seen periods of exceptional achievements with strong leadership and deep community involvement.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the Fleetwood Sea Cadet unit became widely recognised as one of the most successful in the country. Its brass band achieved national prominence, winning competitions and performing at major events across the United Kingdom. Former cadets often describe this era as a defining period in their lives, marked by discipline, teamwork and the pride of representing Fleetwood on a national stage. Many went on to serve in the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy and other uniformed services, carrying the values learned in the unit into their adult lives.
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s the Fleetwood Sea Cadets continued to adapt to changing times while maintaining their core maritime identity. Cadets took part in national courses, offshore voyages, Duke of Edinburgh Award programmes and community events across the Fylde Coast. The unit remained a familiar presence at civic ceremonies, remembrance parades and maritime commemorations, reinforcing Fleetwood’s long-standing connection with the sea.
In recent years the Fleetwood Sea Cadet unit has focused on providing modern training opportunities that reflect today’s maritime and technical skills. Cadets now take part in power boating, sailing, engineering, first aid, leadership courses and national competitions. The unit continues to offer young people a structured environment that promotes confidence, responsibility and personal development. Fleetwood’s maritime heritage remains central to its identity and the sea cadets continue to be one of the town’s most respected youth organisations.
Martin Poole is a former sea cadet himself, joining in 1970 along with Blackpool Group Secretary John Darrell and Emile Timothy, who also served with Blackpool Sea Cadets. Martin has many fond memories of his time in the unit. As a bugler in the brass band, he played for the then Prime Minister Edward Heath and performed in front of Buckingham Palace. Their crowning moment came when the band appeared on the television show Opportunity Knocks with show compere Hughie Green.
Across these five decades the Fleetwood Sea Cadets have remained consistent in their purpose: to give young people the chance to grow, learn and achieve. Their contribution to the town has been significant and their influence can be seen in the many former cadets who are now Freemasons and who speak proudly of their time in the unit.