SEA CADETS SAIL THANKS TO LORD MAYOR OF LONDON APPEAL

The upcoming Lord Mayor of London has confirmed that Sea Cadets has been chosen for the Lord Mayor of London’s Appeal 2015/16.

Fundraising will start in earnest after the Lord Mayor’s Parade through the City of London on Saturday 14th. November. For several years, many hundreds of London Area Sea Cadets have been taking part in the parade with a float, marching band and platoons.

Like other charities that have been beneficiaries of the appeal, Sea Cadets is hoping to raise £1 million over the twelve months to replace the charity’s two Tradewind 35ft yachts, as they are in need of replacement as they come to the end of their serviceable life. The two yachts have, over the last sixteen years, given 4,600 young people a transformational voyage at sea, offering a unique learning experience as they work together as a team to navigate the United Kingdom’s coast lines.

With Sea Cadets, young people can earn accredited nautical qualifications (governing bodies: RYA, BCU, British Sub-Aqua Club, Scottish Canoe association) and build up practical, nautical experience through the courses and training Sea Cadets run. This can help the young people to both access a career in the maritime sector, of which there are currently 263,000 people in the United Kingdom employed in the industry that contributes £32bn to the country’s economy or support them in other work options through the life skills set they will achieve as a cadet: confidence, self-belief, self-discipline, team working and leadership.

Martin Coles, CEO at Sea Cadets, says: “Thank you to the Lord Mayor Elect and his wife for choosing Sea Cadets as one of the beneficiaries for this year’s appeal. This is a monumental step forward for the charity to achieve our dream of offering 14,000 Sea Cadets, including the 1,705 cadets from London, the opportunity to experience a life changing voyage in one of our new modern yachts.

“It’s not just a sense of achievement an offshore voyage brings, but the gradual and longterm sense of confidence and belief it brings. This lays foundation for future success in whatever career path they choose.”

Sea Cadets and JDRF are joint charity beneficiaries for this year’s Lord Mayor of London’s Appeal, which has raised millions of pounds for charities over the years. The Lord Mayor of the City of London is one of the oldest continuously elected civic offices in the world with the first Lord Mayor being inaugurated in 1189. While the Mayor of London represents Greater London, the Lord Mayor is the governing officer solely for the City, commonly known as the ‘Square Mile’.