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Funding for sea cadets to furnish new base

A group of Teesside sea cadets looking to furnish their new base have been awarded £1,000 by Persimmon Homes.

Stockton-on-Tees Sea Cadets will soon move into their new home next to the River Tees in Thornaby Place in Stockton.

They had raised more than £430,000 to purchase the building which will also be used by other sea cadets and organisations in the surrounding area.

However the unit of sea cadets still require furniture and crockery before they occupy the building.

Persimmon Homes Teesside gave the cash to the group after they applied for the housing firm’s Community Champions Scheme. It began last year allowing charities and groups to apply for funding up to the value of £1,000 to match money they have already raised themselves. Nationally Persimmon Homes donated a total of £750,000 across the UK in the first 12 months of programme.

Lynne Apedaile, of Stockton-on-Tees Sea Cadets, said: “All sea cadet units are run as independent units to the national organisation and are individual registered charities.

“We have raised £430,000 to purchase and refurbish our new home but we are also making it available for the wider community to use.

“In addition to this sea cadets from the Teesside area will be able to use it as a base for training while gaining national qualifications and life skills for future employment

“Although we have managed to get this far we find we lack the funds to purchase the final items of furniture.

“We are grateful for the donation from Persimmon Homes as it will now help us move into the building.”

Joan Peart, head of sales for Persimmon Homes Teesside, said: “The £430,000 raised by the sea cadets is an incredible achievement and it is exciting times as they move into a new base.

“We are delighted to support them with our £1,000 donation and we’re please it will help them move into their new home.

“As always it was a difficult decision to select our Community Champions but I would encourage any charity or organisation that missed out this time, even if they have won previously, to apply again.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lee Southen .