Marine Society and Sea Cadets are another year older after celebrating their respective birthdays.
On Sunday 25 June, Sea Cadets celebrated its 161st anniversary, while Marine Society marked its 261st.
Marine Society was the world's first charity dedicated to seafarers, and dates back to 1756 when Britain was on the brink of war with Europe. Boys from poor backgrounds were recruited and given naval training so they were equipped to fight on the King's ships, and by the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, a significant proportion of manpower for the Navy was being supplied, trained and equipped with Marine Society boys. Today, Marine Society offers tailored learning programmes that support the learning and professional development of seafarers at all levels.
Sea Cadets, meanwhile, is committed to helping young people find confidence and self-belief through water-based and land-based adventure, offering nationally-recognised qualifications and exciting opportunities, such as offshore voyages.
Founded in 1856, the charity dates back to the Crimean War when sailors returning home from the campaign formed Naval Lads’ Brigades to help orphans who ended up on the back streets of sea ports. By 1899, Sea Cadets received royal recognition when Queen Victoria presented the Windsor unit with £10 for uniforms, and in 1919 the Admiralty officially recognised the 34 brigades and changed the name to the Navy League Sea Cadet Corps.
Nowadays, the charity has 400 units - run entirely by volunteers - across the UK and 14,000 cadets, while our royal association continues with the Queen as our, and Marine Society's, patron.