Connah’s Quay Sea Cadets storage nightmare solved with shipping containers

One of Wales’s oldest Sea Cadet units has been buoyed by a pair of shipping containers which have solved their storage problems.

Connah’s Quay Sea Cadets and Royal Marine Cadets were founded in 1941 but have outgrown their home at the town’s St Mark’s Church Hall and appealed for help to Care and Repair North East Wales Ltd.

Care & Repair through their Place For You project in Shotton and in partnership with Denbigh-based Lock Stock Self Storage, who have nearby storage parks at Saltney, Flint and Mold, have come up with two 20 foot steel containers which the cadets have repainted a smart navy blue.

Community Engagement Officer for Care & Repair and former Army combat medic Carol Molyneaux has worked closely with the cadets and Lock Stock to procure the additional storage facilities on the former Shotton steelworks site.

Sub-Lieutenant Josh McDermott who runs the 35-strong Cadets unit, said:

“Trying to squeeze over 30 cadets and their equipment into a small church hall has been a nightmare.

“Care and Repair have been a real breath of fresh air and we’re really grateful for the help that they and Lock Stock have been able to give us.

“We’re looking forward to moving our entire operation to Shotton in the near future. We have many outdoor activities and the space here will make it so much easier for us.”

Care & Repair is a charitable organisation which provides free advice and assistance to older and vulnerable people regarding repairs and adaptations to their homes and their Place For You project aims to redevelop the former Tata Steelworks Sports and Social Club complex into a hub serving the local community.

A spokesperson for Care and Repair North East Wales, said:

“The 35-acre site will ultimately offer a full range of services and facilities designed to improve long term well-being and community engagement.

“The land now taken over by Care and Repair is being well used once more with local junior football, girls as well as boys, rugby and archery taking place regularly and plans for more activities.

“Care & Repair have also recently launched a new initiative called ‘Veterans Force For Good which is designed to provide practical support and co-create new social activities for the local community.”

Jeff Woods, Area Manager for Lock Stock Self Storage, said:

“We do have a real commitment to the communities in which we operate and we are happy to support the vision of Care and Repair North East Wales and all the organisations that will benefit from the site.

“These steel containers have travelled 8,000 miles from China, they’re watertight and secure, they have to be to survive on the cargo decks of a big freighter, and they’re perfect for safe, easily accessible storage.

“We now are able to sell and deliver all sizes of shipping containers and when Care and Repair approached us to see if we could help solve the Sea Cadets’ problem we were happy to step in and we’re delighted to hear that they’re to move to this fantastic site at Shotton.”

For more information about Connah’s Quay Sea Cadets go to Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ConnahsQuaySCC/

Pictured: Lock Stock Area Manager Jeff Woods with, from left, Care and Repair Project Co-ordinator Carol Molyneaux, Cadet Max Calder, Sub-Lieutenant Josh McDermott, Cadets John Challenger and Ffion Jackson, with their new containers.