It has been a busy few months for the Cadets and Sea Rangers of C/SRS Churchill, filled with new skills, celebrations, acts of kindness and some important milestones. From first aid and boat maintenance to pancakes, beach cleans and Easter egg hunts, there has certainly been plenty happening in Brixham!
Here’s a look back at what the crew has been up to.
Building Skills and Earning Badges
Throughout the winter, Churchill’s Cadets and Sea Rangers have been busy building their skills and working towards their badges.
First aid has been a particular focus, with the crew learning everything from slings and bandaging to the recovery position and CPR. They have also been developing their seamanship skills: tying knots, creating knot boards, practising throwing a rope and learning the different parts of a boat.
Alongside their practical training, the girls have learnt about ship’s time and explored the history of their crew.
All that hard work has paid off. Several Cadets have now achieved their Bronze or Silver Dolphin Badges, while Sea Rangers have earned their AB Badges. Churchill has also been delighted to welcome and invest several new Cadets and Sea Rangers into the crew.
Pancakes, Masks and Mardi Gras
There was plenty of colour at HQ when the crew combined Shrove Tuesday celebrations with work towards their Mardi Gras badge.
The girls discovered more about the history and traditions of Mardi Gras, listened to music and dressed in the traditional colours of purple, green and gold. There were pancakes to cook and eat, Mardi Gras masks to make and a colour-themed treasure hunt to complete.
The mask-making proved particularly memorable – feathers were still being discovered around HQ weeks later!
Spreading a Little Kindness
For Random Acts of Kindness Day, the crew spent time thinking about what kindness means, the different ways we can show it and how doing something thoughtful for somebody else can make us feel.
They created kindness envelopes for one another and decorated stones with positive messages to leave around the local community. You can spot some of their creations over on our Instagram, @searangerassociation.
The crew also collected donations for Brixham Food Bank, adding handwritten kindness notes to the items before their Skipper delivered two large boxes on their behalf. The Food Bank was very grateful for the donations, and the girls were delighted to receive a lovely thank-you letter in return.
Easter Adventures
The Easter holidays began with a full activity day and, thankfully, some glorious spring sunshine.
The morning was spent getting creative, with the girls making sheep cakes, fluffy sheep decorations and spring flowers using a variety of techniques. After a picnic lunch outside, the crew headed off for a walk to see how many colourful spring flowers they could spot – with the route conveniently ending in the woods for an Easter egg hunt!
Back at HQ, there was just enough time for some serious hot cross bun taste-testing. With so many unusual flavours now available, there was plenty to discuss. The day finished with the chocolate game before everyone headed home.
Caring for Our Coast
To mark Earth Day, Churchill headed to the beach to do their bit for the local environment with a beach clean.
Back at HQ, the crew created a collage of the world and shared ideas about the changes we can all make to save energy, reduce our carbon footprints and look after the planet.
Getting the Boats Ready
Work has also been happening behind the scenes to get Churchill’s boats ready for the season. After a particularly harsh winter, they have needed rather more attention than usual!
Sea Ranger Mia has been lending a hand with the maintenance as part of the Skills section of her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, gaining valuable practical experience while helping the crew prepare to get back on the water.
Celebrating Jess and Eva
There is more fantastic news to celebrate: Sea Rangers Jess and Eva have both been awarded the Founder President Award this year.
They are now planning to take their Level 2 Powerboat qualification at a local yacht club – an exciting next step as they continue to develop their skills on the water.
Congratulations to them both!
Remembering Miss Felicity Tack
Amid all the happy news of recent months, the crew was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Miss Felicity Tack on 9 April.
Felicity devoted many years of her life to the Sea Rangers in Brixham. From 1977, she played a hugely important role in the crew and was the founder of C/SRS Churchill. She continued to lead Churchill until her retirement in 2005 and remained involved behind the scenes until 2013.
Described by the crew as a “driving force”, Felicity gave decades of commitment, energy and service to generations of Sea Rangers.
Everyone at C/SRS Churchill and the wider Sea Rangers Association remembers her with enormous gratitude and sends their condolences to her family and all those who knew her.
Her contribution to Sea Rangers, and particularly to the crew in Brixham, will not be forgotten.
So, it’s been a season of hard-word, kindness, and community for C/SRS Churchill – with many proud achievements along the way. Here’s to a wonderful summer on the water!
