Ayr Sea Cadets: Unit work to transform Foresters Hall

With only seven cadets around this time, the unit was well and truly fighting for survival.

It came as a result of their home building suffering over 30 burst pipes while the nation was in lockdown during the Covid pandemic. 

A small team of volunteers set to in trying to repair the damage and we managed to get the building back to a somewhat usable condition.

However, the group were told that the buildings had come to end of life and needed to be fully replaced. 

The Sea Cadet's then came to the decision to close the building on June 27, 2021, rendering them practically homeless.

The troop's commanding officer Duncan McKechnie explained: "After several enquiries, we were finally taken in by the Night before Christmas team at Annbank Hall, we arrived at the hall with no more than seven cadets and barely achieving sea cadet activities.

"Due to our fresh arrival in the village, we had an influx of local children, and our numbers quickly grew again.

"During this time, we set to with finding a permanent solution for the unit, we wanted the unit to survive, it has been part of Ayr for over 80 years!"

So the troop began investigating a number of potential new locations before contacting South Ayrshire Council in December 2021 with the initial conversations highlighting the availability of Foresters Hall -  beloved former council building nestled in the heart of Ayr town centre.

Duncan added: "Going into 2022 we started to outgrow the space at Annbank and with help from the Provost and speaking with the team at the Auld Kirk, we made the move back into the town of Ayr at the Auld Kirk Church Halls in the middle of 2022.

"Throughout 2022, the work commenced on preparing our business plan and proposals for the council to get the use of the hall as there was other interested parties.

"One of our biggest aims within all of this, as well as establishing a new HQ for Ayr Sea Cadets and Royal Marines Cadets, we wanted to re-open the hall to the local community. 

"The hall was eventually put up on the open market early 2023, at which time we submitted our full business plan.

"During the latter half of 2023 we also managed to establish a brand-new royal marines cadets detachment, even though we where still homeless, this is one of the achievements that showed that Ayr Sea Cadets was once again thriving.

"We where fast approaching 40 cadets with us as well, which is more than we had before closing for lockdown."

The Ayr Sea Cadets were then selected as the successful party to take over Foresters Hall being granted a long term lease - with plans to purchase the hall in the coming years.

They received the keys on June 26, 2023 - almost exactly two years after having to close their previous home - and work began on revitalising the hall.

Duncan commented: "The hall had been closed for roughly three years and needed some love before we could re-open the building.

"July through to mid-September, our volunteers spent most of their weekends in the hall carrying out kinds of work.

"This couldn’t have been done without outside help and we received financial donations from Radbury Double Glazing and TCS Construction Consultants, City Gate Construction donated a lot of needed materials, James Frew sent in apprentices to carry out some of the more technical jobs which saved us weeks of work.

"The national fostering agency Scotland did a beach dip to raise funds for us aswell as our own just giving page.

"Drain Klear visited several times to clear blocked drains. STS Ayrshire also donated paint and painting materials."

Then the big day came on September 19, 2023, when the cadets made a final move and paraded in their new home for the first time.

Duncan added: "Our volunteers turned the building round in less than 4 months, an achievement that did not look possible in the beginning!

"We have a lot more work to do to bring the hall up to the standard that we want, though this is coming with time and more volunteer hours being spent in the building. 

"Since opening, we have achieved a lot within the hall. The kitchen is now fully equipped and comes as part of the hall hire.

"We have also been awarded £10,000 from the lottery to allow us to fit a disabled toilet to the hall, something it currently lacks.

"We held our first community event on November 25 last year, and we have much more planned for 2024."

For more information on the hall and how the community can utilise it, visit  forestershallayr.co.uk/ or to find out more about the Sea Cadets visit their Facebook page on facebook.com/ayrseacadets/.