A possible new ‘water sports’ area has been identified in Nuneaton . This could be Bar Pool Brook on Queen Elizabeth Road. However, the long term proposal will not help the current situation being faced by Nuneaton and Bedworth Sea Cadets. CoventryLive previously reported that the future of the club, which has a history that links to the adoption of the HMS Vanquisher in 1942, was discussed as part of its plea to the borough council for permission to use the Bermuda Balancing Lake. READ MORE: Man charged with assault by beating and GBH after Nuneaton Wetherspoons attack READ MORE: Desperate search for missing Nuneaton woman hits milestone as update issued They are currently having to travel out of the borough – to Shustoke- to use water there as there is no water space available to them within the borough But this travelling is causing issues, from finances to feared burn-out among volunteers. Eva Thompson, a Petty Officer (Sea Cadet Corps) for the local group, told a cabinet meeting about the impact of the situation they face. “We have had to increase our subs at the unit, it means that we have to put transport in place again, the fuel increased costs,” she said. “Initially we weren’t able to provide any transport, we can now provide a mini bus but that is for a maximum of ten cadets out of 30, so you can imagine the logistics of trying to get 30 cadets and staff over to Shustoke for boating is a mammoth task. “At the moment, because we are in boating season, we are not able to actually accept any more cadets into the unit, we are not even able to fulfil our capacity because we don’t have the facilities and infrastructure to meet the demands. “There are lots more young people who want to join us, there are lots of families who are constantly contacting us and we want to be able to provide those services for these young people. “Because of all of the additional pressure that is leading to volunteers experiencing burn out because of the extra pressure, that impacts on home and work life as well. “We are all volunteers, everything we do is outside of working hours and, in itself, it is more than working full-time and it is voluntary on top of the work that we do.” Due to the distance that the unit has to travel to access water, often volunteers, as well as the cadets themselves, are not back until gone 11pm. “That is because of the distance that we have to travel,” she said. “It is not fair for them (the cadets) having to be up so late so that they can take part in boating experiences. So local facilities would really reduce this pressure.” Councillor Christian Smith continued to push for the council to allow Bermuda Lake – but was told that this has been ruled out by officers. Cabinet members spoke of their desire to help the local group and said that support would continue to be given to help them look for private water bodies. Proposals were agreed that Borough Lottery funds could be used to set-up a community fund which could be used for organisations whose aim is to provide youth advocacy where use of open water is a key function, such as the sea cadets. It was also explained that Bar Pool Brook on Queen Elizabeth Road could be considered as a ‘water sports’ venue, something which both surprised and heartened the sea cadets volunteer. Get the latest Nuneaton and Bedworth news FREE straight to your inbox “It is good to hear that things are moving in the right direction, it is very positive,” she said. “We need to be looking at the future and what we can put in future for young people. It is the perfect opportunity not just for the sea cadets but other organisations as well. “There would be no transport required because hopefully it would be on a bus route, it would reduce costs, it would reduce pressure on our volunteers and it would make volunteering more desirable for potential future volunteers, which would future proof the unit. “It would increase the capacity for cadets and increase time on the water, which would then mean an increase in ability and higher level of qualifications for the young people and there is also the possibility to expand to include the Royal Marine cadets attachment, so there is lots of things for the borough on the back of having that water, “We need support and investment for the Nuneaton and Bedworth Sea Cadets to be sustainable and future proofed for our young people.” It was also agreed that the leader of the council would write to Warwickshire County Council to explore the feasibility of resurrecting the previously proposed Flood Alleviation Attenuation Lake Scheme within the borough, and to assess if it could also pave the way to support recreational water use. This plan was previously paused due to costs back in 2023. Nuneaton now has its own WhatsApp community where you get the latest news from Nuneaton and Bedworth straight to your phone. Find out more here by following the link
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