News
September 12th 2013
Royal Naval Reserve Commodore visits HMS Sherwood’s new home
Reservists from Nottingham’s only Royal Naval Reserve unit, HMS Sherwood, hosted a special guest yesterday, Tuesday 10 September, from Navy Command HQ and used the opportunity to show him around their new training base.
Commodore Andrew Jameson is the national Commander of Maritime Reserves and is based at Navy Command HQ on Whale Island in Portsmouth.
The Commodore visits units such as HMS Sherwood annually but this trip was far from routine as he got the chance to look around what will soon be HMS Sherwood’s new local base, Foresters House on Swiney Way in Toton, Nottingham.
Building work started in August on the £1 million renovation project that will see Nottingham’s Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Marine Reserves units co-locate with some of the county’s Army Reserve units at one site for the first time in Nottinghamshire.
An existing garage space is being converted into a two-level training facility, which will also include classrooms for the Reservists to use and office space for the unit’s full-time staff.
Foresters House is currently home to the Army Reserve Unit 350 Field Squadron (Air Support), 73 Engineer Regiment, who have been based on the site since 1999. It is one of two Squadrons that together create 73 Engineer Regiment.
Martin Clegg, Commanding Officer at HMS Sherwood, said: “I decided to take the opportunity during the Commodore’s visit to show him the Foresters House site and the on-going re-development work.
“During the visit he had the opportunity to see the excellent location of our new site, our plans for the new HMS Sherwood and the tremendous opportunities there will be to work closely with the Army Reserve and our neighbours next door at Chetwynd Barracks.
“In my previous correspondence with the Commodore, he has stated that he is very keen for us to extend our reach into the local community and further develop our links with local employers. I believe we will be better able to achieve this at our new site.”
Martin Capewell, Head of Estates at East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA), is managing the project overall. He said: “Currently, both the Royal Naval and Royal Marine Reserves are based at Chalfont Drive in Nottingham which is unsuitable for the future training needs of its Reservists; but thanks to funding from Navy Command both units will be moving to an up-to-date, shared military complex on the Foresters House site that will have much improved facilities. It is planned that the renovation project will be complete by early 2014.”
John Martin Hoyes Ltd, of Lincoln, have been appointed as the approved contractor to complete the renovation works, and they are working alongside the building’s designers Maber Architects.
If you would like to find out more about HMS Sherwood or are interested in joining the unit as a Reservist please email navymr-sherwoodco@mod.uk or call 0115 929 6373.
