BRADFORD Sea Cadets unit is celebrating taking ownership of its long-standing headquarters in the city after raising grants to buy the building from the Council.

At a ceremony held at TS Aurora, as the base in Feversham Street is known, cadets, staff and dignitaries marked the the key moment for the volunteer-led organisation.

Sandra Howard, unit chairman, described how the cadets had moved into the former Feversham Street Nursery School in 1995, leasing the building from the Council on a peppercorn rent.

"With help from parents and supporters, a main deck was added and an engineering shed built. The Unit flourished, achieving the top ‘burgee’ award for most of the following 20 years.

"When the lease came to an end negotiations started to renew it, but with members of the unit management team leaving and changes in the Council, it just sort of slipped while the rent continued to be paid," said Mrs Howard.

"But things came to a head in 2013, so, after discussion and negotiation with the Council, and approaches to funders, eventually the money was raised and the sale went through at the end of July."

Part of the issue was that the 'ship' needed repairs, and without a lease the unit was unable to access funding. But she said she was extremely grateful to the Council for its help and to the unit's funders Sovereign Health Care, the Liz and Terry Bramall Charitable Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Marine Society & Sea Cadets.

The Bradford branch has aboujt 50 cadets and 15 members of staff who meet twice a week to train. In addition there are weekends spent boating on the river in Wakefield or on Thrapston Lake in Northamptonshire.

Skills learned include first aid, meteorology and cook steward. Cadets range in age from ten to 18-years-old and are know as junior sea cadets until the age of 12, when they become sea cadets.

Cadets also raise funds for the unit through bag-packs and local fairs as well as for charities like the Lord Mayor’s Appeal and the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

Mrs Howard said: "Our mission is 'to inspire young people through nautical adventure and challenge to give them a head start in life' and that’s just what we aim to do."

Anyone interested in joining the unit is asked to email bradfordscc@gmail.com or turn up at the Feversham Street base at 7.15pm on a Wednesday or Friday.

Another landmark is being celebrated at the TS Aurora this weekend. The Bradford branch of the Royal Naval Association, which meets at the Feversham Street base, is marking its 80th anniversary, with the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Joanne Dodds, cutting the cake with a ceremonial sword.

The association was formed in 1935 and is believed to pre-date the national Royal Navy Association by four years. It is also the furthest-inland association in the country.

The ceremony takes place on Saturday at 2.30pm.