A GROUP of Sea Cadets facing a huge funding crisis has been saved with the help of the Aaron Lewis Foundation.
The Burnham & Highbridge troop suffered a double blow when its main sponsor withdrew its backing and then the minibus used to ferry cadets to events failed its MOT.
Chairwoman Carol Roberts made a desperate plea to her Town Council for help, with the story picked up by local news site Burnham-On-Sea.com.
She told councillors: “We are finding fundraising incredibly difficult and have been cutting back on costs.
“We’ve applied for many different grants but many don’t provide funding for running costs, they are for specific grants. We need a one-off grant to jeep running for the foreseeable future.”
The council provided half of the £2,000 requested to safeguard the organisation through to the autumn – but it was still left £1,000 short.
However, the story was spotted by ALF trustee Lt Col (Retd) Steve Fraser, who lives Somerset where troubled the Sea Cadet group is located.
He then helped to ensure the charity delivered the remaining £1,000 to keep the group running.
Ms Roberts said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response. We would like to thank all those who have offered their support and in particular the Aaron Lewis Foundation.
“We have also been granted permission for fundraising collections with local supermarkets and garden centres, and we have been successful with our nomination for an Asda green token award. Sedgemoor District Council has also given £500.
“The Sea Cadets firmly believe that we are able to offer our youths a head start and with the continued support of the community will continue to do so.”