We recently received an enquiry for onsite fire training from the Sea Cadets in Chorley. Each Sea Cadet establishment takes its name from a ship, using the prefix ‘TS’ (Training Ship) rather than HMS. Steve Wilcock MD at NWFT served in the Fleet Air Arm as a Sea Harrier Mechanic in the early 90s and was attached to the HMS Invincible, you can imagine his delight when he discovered that their unit is named TS Invincible.

Steve’s home address was literally inside the ski-jump ramp at the front of HMS Invincible. Walking into the classroom on Saturday morning and seeing the ship proudly displayed on their wall borought a huge smile to his face.

Sharing a Bit of Navy History

Steve couldn’t resist digging out a few old photos from his time in the Royal Navy, sailing the globe in 1991 and 1992. Those experiences helped shape who he became, not just as a person, but professionally. The discipline, resilience and teamwork he learnt on board fed directly into his career with Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service, and ultimately led to where he is today with North West Fire Training and as the founder of the incident-response app Marshal Eye.

Training the Next Generation

The Sea Cadets session itself was fantastic a really engaged group, plenty of good questions, and a great opportunity to share practical, realistic fire safety learning that supports their wider development. Even on a rainy Saturday morning, the enthusiasm in the room made it a pleasure to deliver.

It was also a reminder of why we do what we do: giving people the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to respond safely in an emergency, whether that’s in a training ship, a care home, a school or a workplace.

A Proud Connection

Steve said “Walking into TS Invincible brought back memories I’m incredibly proud of, and it was a privilege to support the Cadets with their fire training. Moments like these connect past and present in a way that makes this job so rewarding.”