Marine Society & Sea Cadets Appeals for £2.5 million to Build New Training Ship

Added: (Mon Jul 17 2006)

Pressbox (Press Release) - In celebration of its 250th anniversary this year, The Marine Society & Sea Cadets is launching a £2.5 million fundraising appeal to build a new power-training ship for young people.

Nautical training has been at the heart of the UK’s most enduring maritime charity since its foundation in 1756. The organisation’s offshore fleet currently has one power-training vessel, the 24-metre TS John Jerwood, which has berths for only 12 young people. After 49 years of service, the charity’s second power-training ship, the TS Earl of Romney, has been decommissioned. As a result the four-year-old TS John Jerwood is now oversubscribed, disappointing many and inhibiting the charity’s training programmes.

The fundraising appeal is being spearheaded by Robert Woods CBE who is both a trustee of The Marine Society & Sea Cadets and chief executive of P&O. The aim is to raise the money within two years. The new ship will be of a similar design to the TS John Jerwood and take two years to build. The TS John Jerwood came into service in 2002 and was fully funded by a gift from The Jerwood Foundation.

Chief executive of The Marine Society & Sea Cadets, Mike Cornish, said today: “Living and working together in a ship is a long-established and proven means of developing teamwork and mutual responsibility in young people. We offer excitement and adventure in a well-supervised environment and train our Cadets in managing risk and sea sense. We are eager to expand our activities and provide opportunities for more boys and girls to experience life at sea.”

When undergoing offshore training, Sea Cadets normally go onboard on a Saturday and become the working crew of the ship until the following Friday. The charity’s offshore fleet also includes TS Royalist, the 29-metre square-rigged sailing brig, which takes 24 Cadets at a time; and three Tradewind 35 yachts, which take 5 Cadets each. TS Royalist came into service in 1971 and is expected to continue for a minimum of ten more years.

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About The Marine Society & Sea Cadets
Founded in 1756 as a response to the recruitment and trading challenges brought about by the Seven Years War, the original aim of The Marine Society was to rescue destitute boys from the streets, give them a suit of clothes and train them to work on board the King’s ships. Its activities have since broadened to incorporate the provision of libraries to ships, book selling and education to seafarers in both the Royal and Merchant Navies. In November 2004 it merged with the Sea Cadet Association to form The Marine Society & Sea Cadets, bringing the management of the Sea Cadet Corps into the charity’s remit.

About the Sea Cadet Corps
Founded in 1899, the Sea Cadet Corps is jointly supported by the Royal Navy and its parent charity, The Marine Society & Sea Cadets. Each of the 386 units throughout the UK is an independent charity, raising funds and support in the local community. The Corps offers a wide range of largely free activities for boys and girls aged 10-18. It aims to encourage good citizenship and provide worthwhile qualifications, experience and adventure for young people. It gives them the opportunity to learn life skills whilst having fun and making friends. The dedicated volunteers who staff the units are selected with care and are fully qualified to work with young people.

For more information and to find out how you might be able to support The Marine Society & Sea Cadets click on website: www.ms-sc.org

Editorial contact for more information, photographic and interview opportunities:
Melanie Bowran, tel 07885 222755, email mbowran@ms-sc.org