Help brighten young futures for East Sussex Fire Cadet Units

Financial support has been awarded to East Sussex Fire Cadet units by the Charitable Trust associated with the Worshipful Company of Firefighters.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service would like to extend its sincere gratitude to the Trust, which dedicates itself to nurturing responsible citizenship and community service, mirroring the objectives of our Fire Cadet program.

David Kemp, Head of Prevention said: ''We are delighted to be awarded this grant. It will enable us to support these young people who are often more vulnerable and can feel excluded from youth groups. Our experience has shown that with the right encouragement young people can thrive within our units, become more confident and able to fully participate. A sincere thank you goes to all our Cadet leaders and volunteers who contribute to our Fire cadets.’’

The recent financial support from the Trust will bolster our efforts in providing a supportive environment for young people within our Cadet units and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is seeking sponsorship from local businesses and individuals to help further this impact.

It's a great cause, and an incredible opportunity for your brand, business, or organisation to support young people. To find out more about how you can get involved please contact Fire.Cadets@esfrs.org.

About Fire Cadets

The Service currently has three units – for Eastbourne, for Uckfield and for Hastings and Bexhill.

These give young people aged 13-17 a chance to learn a range of skills including:

• Fire Safety – learn how to keep themselves and others safe by understanding hazards, risks, and control measures.
• What to do in an emergency – learn about fire safety in the home and create a fire plan as well as how we work with other emergency services.
• Basic first aid – how to help people in an emergency.
• Firefighting skills – what firefighters do, the equipment we use, and how we help others.
• Life skills – how to be a positive citizen and an active member of your community

The programme is delivered by firefighters and non-operational Service staff from the local community. However, we could not do it without our supporters. 

Funding will build on the existing work to support these young people within our Cadet units, and feedback from parents underscore the transformative impact of the programme:

‘’Our son has a very clear bond and excitement for Fire Cadets, all thanks to the way in which you have welcomed him, and for your ongoing understanding and care. It's reassuring to know that there are individuals and organisations really living the values of inclusion, as opposed to a 'tick the box' exercise. As parents, we really can't thank you enough for that. So many clubs are either not accessible for him, or indeed some that are have not clearly understood the adjustments that need to be made to support children like him. It makes all the difference.’’

‘’Thank you for supporting my daughter at a difficult time in her life. Without Cadets this last year may have ended very differently for her.’’

5 reasons to sponsor Fire Cadets 

• Give young people the best possible start – the Fire Cadets makes an incredible difference to young lives. And that is an incredible thing to be part of.
• Make a real difference – Fire Cadets is a really positive involvement in social action and improving community cohesion.
• Make your place safer – increased awareness of how to reduce fires and antisocial behaviour contributing to the enhancement of local communities.
• Boost your brand – associate with the hugely respected and well-known brand that is East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, and the innovative new uniformed youth service that is Fire Cadets.
• Feel connected – be part of our firefighting and rescue family, respected around the world. 

How do businesses and organisations support Fire Cadets? 

The support we receive is as diverse as the communities we are a vital part of. From donations of goods and services, through to financial support, there are so many ways our generous communities help us help young people. 

What do we need? 

• It costs £11,600 to set up a brand-new Cadet unit – plus £16,000 (including £2,000 for administration) ongoing annually to run the unit including the first year.
• £1,500 will sponsor an individual Fire Cadet for a whole year at an established unit.

However, all sponsorship, support and funding helps! 

For example, our cadets get hungry! If you are a local food and drinks business, we would be grateful for edible donations to fuel their sessions. 

All supporters will be mentioned on our social media accounts and our website in return for their funding or donations. 

So don’t delay and get involved today by emailing Fire.Cadets@esfrs.org.