Having fallen into the wrong crowd of friends at a young age, Luke decided that a lifestyle of crime, violence and drugs was not the future he wanted. Luke then joined Huyton with Roby SCC at the age of 16, as his dream ambition of a career in the Royal Navy or other sea service was slipping away from him, due to leaving school without any qualifications.

“It was difficult for me to find the confidence in breaking away from this lifestyle, but joining the cadets and being encouraged by my staff to enrol on the BTEC First Diploma in Public Services and ILM Level 2 Team Leading Certificate was the best decision I have ever made.”

As part of the ILM Certificate, Luke decided to put something back into the community by organising and arranging several local events. One innovative idea was running a sea cadet slot on his local community radio show. In doing this, Luke’s aim was not just to recruit cadets to the unit but also to offer the local youth with similar backgrounds to his the option to improve or enhance their lifestyles.

“I have achieved more in the past year than I have my entire life.  I have sailed ships, flown aircraft, learned how to work within a team and gained internationally recognised qualifications. Plus, I have managed to stay on the straight and narrow, keeping myself on the right side of the law.”

Luke has already passed the initial test for a career in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary where he hopes to progress further as the opportunity arises.

“I found both courses useful in helping me prepare for a career at sea, but also giving me the qualifications which will allow me to meet the entry criteria into the Royal Navy.”

Luke Finnigan
Huyton with Roby Unit SCC