After being distraught at being unable to complete their Royal Marines training, former recruits Aden Dennis and Bradley Seager approached RMA – The Royal Marines Charity who, in May 2022, sponsored them to attend a residential rural week at Bicton College in Devon.
This was organised HighGround, a charity partner which provides advice and support for service leavers and veterans on jobs, careers and vocational opportunities in the land-based sector.
It was during this time that they discovered a passion for tree surgery. Both were keen to pursue careers in this line and, with RMA help, quickly secured full-time jobs with Hi-Line, one of the UK’s leading tree surgery and management companies.
Both are now training to become fully-fledged professional arborists (tree surgeons), horticultural engineers responsible for the maintenance and repair of trees. It’s a career that requires huge skill and lots of specialist training not to mention one requiring plenty of courage, too, especially when having to climb trees to reach the area that needs attention and carrying out vegetation management in and around electricity networks.
They both have a brilliant attitude, are enthusiastic to learn and seem so driven to do well and succeed.
Kirsty McNicol, Hi-Line
RMA – The Royal Marines Charity work with all compulsory discharged Royal Marine service leavers, veterans and spouses. We support them into meaningful and rewarding employment through bespoke careers’ advice and guidance, sourcing of employment opportunities and funding for training, qualifications and equipment.
Zoe Darnbrough, RMA Employment & Education Manager values the strong relationships that are continually being forged with prospective employers.
“It’s a critical area of our work, and we are so grateful for the many opportunities this offers those in our Royal Marines Family looking for meaningful employment, often during or after some very personally challenging issues they are dealing with.
Our work doesn’t end when someone has secured work. We continue to follow their progress and offer any support that might be needed during an often difficult period of transition, so we’re absolutely delighted that Aden and Bradley have settled into their new careers so quickly and successfully with such enthusiasm and passion.”