Sultan personnel assist communities on INSET day
PERSONEL from HMS Sultan deployed across Gosport and the surrounding area to support multiple community projects as part of their annual INSET Day earlier this month; which acted as the latest in a series of events marking the training establishment’s seventieth anniversary.
With instructors engaged in professional development, trainees from the Marine Engineering Training Group and the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival Equipment School broke into teams. They then set out to tackle improvement projects at sixteen locations across the region in warm temperatures.
Sites supported included the 5th, 6th and 9th Gosport Scout Groups, the Gangshow at Phoenix Hall in Bridgemary, Freedom Church Elson, St Matthews Church, the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA) Club, the Royal Navy Benevolent Trust Jellicoe House, HEDCA, and several local retirement homes.
School improvement projects also formed a significant part of the day, with teams deployed to Alver Valley School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Brockhurst Primary School, Peel Common School, King’s Academy Gomer, and Haselworth Primary School.
Tasks carried out across the sites included gardening, exterior staining, fence and bench preservation, interior painting, pressure washing, weed clearance, bush clearance, deep cleaning, general maintenance, and refurbishment work.
Luke Spence, Site Manager at Alver Valley Schools, said: “What we’re doing today, with the help of the Navy trainees, is clearing a fenced-off forest area that’s become very overcrowded. We’re trying to create a pathway through it because we have a forestry school and we want to encourage our kids to get out into the woods, play, and learn about the environment. The teamwork they’ve got going on is absolutely brilliant, getting so much done in such a short period of time. I can’t thank them enough.”
David Ashby, part of the maintenance team at Freedom Church, said: “We’re overjoyed with the support HMS Sultan has provided. The church has a cycle of maintenance which is a huge task, and in one morning the trainees have achieved what would have taken us weeks. They’ve made a significant contribution, including to improving the children’s play area, which is also used by the local community.”
HMS Sultan Base Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer 1 Marty Wallace, commented: “The annual INSET Day is a fantastic opportunity to contribute positively to our local community. HMS Sultan has been part of Gosport for 70 years and projects like these strengthen our bonds and demonstrate our commitment to being good neighbours. What everyone has achieved in just one morning promotes the best of the Royal Navy, and everyone should feel proud.”
HMS Sultan is currently celebrating its 70th anniversary, reflecting seven decades of engineering training and deep community ties across Gosport and the wider Hampshire area. More information on the Royal Navy’s centre of professional engineering can be found via this website link.
PICTURED: Trainees from HMS Sultan lend a hand at one of six local schools supported during the base’s annual INSET Day, which was organised as part of HMS Sultan’s seventieth anniversary celebrations.
