Unit Chairman
Name: Colin James
Occupation: HGV Driver
Sea Cadet Unit: Liverpool City
Like so many parents, HGV driver Colin James first became involved with his local Sea Cadet Unit when his 14-year old son – also called Colin – joined as a cadet.
“My wife, a couple of friends and I formed a parents association,” he says, “then I re-joined in 2003 as Chairman of the Management Committee.”
Little did he – or any of the 50 cadets at the TS Mersey Unit – know, but the owner of the Unit building had a surprise in store. “Just after I took on the new position, the landlord served us two months’ notice to leave the building,” he says.
It was quite a shock, but only served as a call to arms for Colin and his committee. “We actually managed to extend the notice period to three years, although we also decided that we couldn’t carry on knowing we were existing on borrowed time. We’re currently looking for bigger premises. TS Mersey is a successful and expanding Unit; a new base with additional space will allow us to grow.”