Ullapool’s Air Training Corps (ATC) has won a reprieve after members decided to continue at least until the autumn.
There were fears the unit could be mothballed amid a dwindling number of new recruits, with competition from other youth organisations and sports groups.
The concern was the current crop of cadets would run out with most leaving school and then going into work or further education.
But at Saturday’s meeting an “action plan” was agreed on and the unit leaders were willing to persevere the ATC for now.
Included in the plan is bringing in some cadets from the Inverness parent squadron to increase the unit’s “footprint” in the west Highland town.
That initiative forms part of the drive to increase awareness in the local community about the ATC and what it can offer teenagers.
Highland Wing Squadron Leader Andy Dobson believes it could be an uphill struggle, but says there is still a chance the unit could be saved.
He said: “We are working to a plan that will culminate in August but if there is no serious intake then we will not seriously look at the viability of the unit.
“After the school holidays we will do a relaunch and if that proves fruitless then it may be curtains but we hope not reach that point.”
Peter Harrison, the chairman of the Support Committee for the whole 22 years of the unit’s existence, confirmed they were willing to wait and see.
He said: “The numbers have always fluctuated but at the moment our cadets are towards the older part of the age range.
“The meeting was to plan the way forward and to find new people to join the unit, it was a very good positive meeting – we intend to keep going.
Key to the plan for going on is to make more people aware that there is an ATC in Ullapool.
He said: “We want to try and raise the profile a bit, of what we are trying to achieve, which can only help other units in the area.”
But like Wing Commander Dobson, Mr Harrison admitted that if there is no real progress by August or September, they may have to “concede defeat.”
He said: “If teenagers do not want the opportunity to take part then it is not fair to ask the adults to continue to turn up.”
