A FORMER Cirencester town councillor is looking for volunteers to help set up the town’s first Maritime cadet group.

Matt Helm, a military man in his younger days, hopes to establish the group to help the youth of Cirencester learn important life skills and experience a small amount of discipline.

If established the cadet group would teach important maritime skills including tying a variety of knots, the phonetic alphabet and much more besides.

Matt insisted that while there might be some drill exercises throughout the month it would be balanced out by a less formal activity every fourth week, allowing the cadets to have some fun together.

Matt said: “I’ve lived in Cirencester for 32 years and we haven’t really had a youth organisation like this in the town.

“It’s not all marching around saluting at everything. It gives young people a chance to let their hair down and be children again.”

To get the group up and running Matt needs as many volunteers as possible to take up positions on the committee and is hoping for an elected chairman, a treasurer and secretary at the very least.

He said that initially the group would meet once a month to get on its feet but would then meet once every third month to reduce the commitment needed from volunteers.

For more information on joining the committee call Matt on 01285 657823.