The Marine Society & Sea Cadets

James Everett from Walton on the Naze Sea Cadet Unit is the first Cadet to be recognised by the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) at the end of a trial phase which will be open to the rest of the country next year. The scheme was introduced by Captain Smith, Director Merchant Navy at MSSC HQ, and Lt Cdr Nick Moulton, London Area ASO Navigation. From next year each Sea Cadet Area will have the opportunity to nominate their top Cadet Navigator via Captain Ian Smith with each winner receiving a handheld GPS.

The Ironmongers’ Company has introduced a scholarship scheme to encourage young people to pursue careers that will benefit the iron and steel industry. Bursaries of up to £5,000 a year for three or four years are on offer subject to satisfactory academic progress. In order to be eligible you must be studying for your first degree at a UK university starting in autumn 2007. The subject studied must be related to ferrous metals, in particular civil and structural engineering, materials science, metallurgy and physics. There must also be a need for financial support over and above grants and bursaries available from local authority, university or other sources.

• Scholarship guidelines

• Scholarship application form

• Scholarship application finance form

The gala dinner took place on Tuesday 26 June in The Drapers' Hall. A number of prominent guests attended and a silent auction took place throughout the evening to raise funds for the new training ship. Sea and Marine Cadets from Richmond, Hornchurch and Tooting Units, who were joined by the London and Southern Navy Board Cadets, formed the guard for arriving guests and piped the top table in to dinner. A Royal Marines brass quintet entertained guests as they arrived.

The New Training Ship appeal now stands at just over £2.3M which leaves a target of a little over £200,000 to raise. This month we are particularly grateful to The Greenwich Hospital who made a donation of £100,000 to the appeal, Holbeck Charitable Trust for their donation of £75,000 and the Shipwrights for their donation of £5,000.

The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) has teamed up with The Open University to offer a Foundation Degree in Working With Young People aimed at adults who work with the Sea Cadet Corps.

The degree programme, jointly branded between The Open University and the MSSC, will appeal to SCC adults who wish to take advantage of an opportunity to turn their experience of working with young people into a formal and recognised qualification. The qualification is validated by the National Youth Agency and is recognised as a professional qualification for those engaged in or wishing to be employed in youth work.

No formal qualifications or time in SCC service are required to enrol and all volunteers would be eligible on account of their work with the SCC. Delivery is by means of distance learning (attendance not required).

The MSSC has agreed to financially underpin the study of individuals who wish to pursue this qualification by offering a scholarship called the Admiral Tippet Memorial Scholarship in memory of our late lamented admiral.

For more info click here or email education@ms-sc.org or telephone 020 7654 7050

We are delighted to announce that The Jack Petchey Foundation is contributing an exceptionally generous £1 million to the fundraising appeal for our new power-training ship and the vessel will therefore be named the TS Jack Petchey. This donation is conditional on our placing the order for the ship by October 2007, which has brought additional urgency to the appeal.

The Jack Petchey Foundation, established in 1999, exists to help young people take advantage of opportunities and play a full part in society, and gives grants to programmes and projects that benefit young people aged 11-25. This is not the first time the Foundation has supported the Sea Cadets. Since 2003 the Foundation's direct support to the Sea Cadet Corps has totalled over £280,000, with further funding anticipated this year. We are very grateful for their continued assistance

An intrepid team of MSSC HQ staff is hard at work training for the Edinburgh Marathon on 27 May to raise money for the New Ship Appeal.

Our four energetic colleagues: Sonia Walker, Diversity & Participation Officer; Ryan Murray, IT Support Officer; Claire Barnett, Company Secretary; and Ash Bourne, Staff Royal Marines Officer are undertaking the race as a relay.