Ross Sea Cadets are celebrating winning £1,000 in the Vodafone and Ross Gazette Community Connection Award. They are looking forward to using the prize to purchase three laptop computers. They will use these to enable the Cadets to gain more qualifications which are increasingly being delivered via the internet.

Staff at the Vodafone store in Ross-on-Wye teamed up with the Ross Gazette to find a local charity which most deserved the £1,000 prize.

The judges were impressed by all the entries but felt the Sea Cadets’ application stood out for giving the best reasons as to why they should be awarded the money.

General Manager of the Ross Gazette, Charlotte Reynolds, said it was a fantastic opportunity to give something back to the local community. She added that it was very difficult to choose a winner but it was a unanimous decision to award the money to the Sea Cadets.

The conditions of the award asked the charity to give a specific project or purpose and the Sea Cadets explained that they needed to supply individual computers as many Cadet courses are now conducted as distance learning programmes through the internet.

They will use the new laptop computers to enable Cadets to work as a class with one instructor. At the moment they use computers for the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme and for B Tech qualifications. Brian Lampert, Commanding Officer with the Ross Sea Cadets told the Ross Gazette that in future more training courses will be conducted on line.

Kevin Hogarth, the Assistant Shop Manager at Vodafone in Ross told the Gazette that as well as giving the best reasons for winning the award their Manager, Adam Parks is a former Sea Cadet and knows just how valuable the experience they offer to youngsters is.

The Unit’s aim is to give young people a good start in life through adventure and fun, based on the customs and traditions of the Royal Navy.