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Cadet Lauren is taking on a marathon to raise money for a new roof for Farnham Sea Cadets.

That’s right, Lauren is running a whole 26 miles, a challenge for adults, let alone a teenager!

In Lauren’s words, here’s why she’s running the marathon for Sea Cadets:

“Personally, joining Sea Cadets was one of the best things I have done; it has provided me with a confidence and experiences that just simply cannot be learnt within a classroom. it has provided me with an insight into Royal Navy life, and has helped me lose weight and gain a healthy life style, in just one year, I lost 7 stone. Now I am putting myself to the ultimate challenge; running a marathon so I can help those who may be future cadets.”

Help motivate Lauren on her run: Lauren’s JustGiving page

Sea Cadets rowed the Atlantic (and back) in one weekend!

Over the weekend, 46 Sea Cadet units from across the UK collectively rowed 5,600 MILES on indoor rowing machines.

Our goal was the 3,000 miles of the Atlantic, amazingly, cadets smashed that target on day one!

We then set our sights on rowing there and back, ending up just 400 miles short: with a final total of 5,628!

Lucky cadets from north western area experienced the Row 3000 on board aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales when the ship made port in Liverpool last weekend. The atmosphere was super charged with support from the general public spectating as Sea Cadets from 4 different areas competed with each other in the row off.

Sea Cadets could also see their team miles on the live Atlantic map tracker, the competition was on!

Overall, team Beccles won the weekend – rowing 562 miles! The equivalent of rowing from London to Berlin.

The Row 3000 is a national effort to fundraise for the Sea Cadets bursary appeal and their local unit.

“Its good exercise and a great competition and mostly its great raising money for us as a unit and all the other units taking part”

-Cadet from Trafford Sea Cadets.

Support the Cadets incredible 48 hour double the Atlantic effort. Donate to a team on JustGiving here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/seacadets-row3000-2020  

3 weeks in and I have doubled the marathon distance plus some, crossing the 54miles mark in the Gym today!  I've also passed my personal fundraising target which was £10 per mile (£260) this week!! (Support Mark on his JustGiving page!)

Why did I decide to take on the challenge?  I have been conscious for a while now that I was putting on more and more weight and needing to get more active, In my day job I work 12hour shifts in Ambulance control and often getting in late in the evening (or Morning) dinner would be whatever was convenient, as opposed to healthy, and more often than no it would be what was delivered! As the District training Officer for London Western District I have regular interactions with almost 400 Cadets plus volunteers and I realised that it was time to start setting more of an example to them and to my own 4 year old son!

I started the Mighty Marathon Challenge on New Year’s Day, weighing in at 143.7kg/22st 9lb and 146cm around the middle, so far this month I have lost 6cm around the waist and have lost almost a stone and a half! Day one saw me taking my son for a walk to (and around) the park clocking up my first mile felt amazing!  I have built on this by visiting the Gym almost every day this month using a combination of static cycles and treadmill. I have also been using my 20 minute breaks at work to walk a mile at a time around the Waterloo area both in the middle of the day and during the night, Central London is surprisingly quiet at 4am. 

I haven't been alone in undertaking the challenge and have been supported by family, colleagues and friends as well as other volunteers: Cathal Hegarty from Richmond unit and Jessica Burton from Tooting unit, as group we all completed 26miles early into the challenge so set ourselves the goal to double it and today that happened (captured in the pic!) Thank you to all that have motivated, supported, donated and cheered me on I could not have done this without them.

“When you are tired, hurting, out of breath and struggling, dig deep find the courage and self-discipline to power through and little by little things get easier- and remember to stay hydrated!”

The My Mighty Marathon challenge ends in 2 days! Give them a boost and show support on JustGiving

As we start the new year, you may be wondering what new horizons 2020 has is in store for you...

Why not have a think about some qualifications you could gain with the Sea Cadets? As well as many different boating qualifications, for example, the Royal Yachting Association and the British Canoeing Union. There are lots of personal development courses you can undertake too, all of which are great fun to be involved with, and will look amazing on your CV. The below list will give you a quick insight into the range of courses you can do and what they are about:

Open Award Level 1, Exploring Maritime Skills. This course gives you a chance to develop a broad experience in vessel navigation, food preparation, mooring, vessel stability and vessel construction.

Institute of Leadership Management Level 2, Award in Effective Team Member Skills. This is a course that will help you understand what a team is, how it develops, the importance of communication and how to manage conflict within a team. (This course is open to those age 14+)

Institute of Leadership Management Level 3, Award in Leadership and Management. If you go on this course, you will study topics including problem-solving, decision making, presentation skills, leadership and team motivation. (This course is open to those age 16-18)

Duke of Edinburgh – Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. Achieving a Duke of Edinburgh award gives you a chance to develop new skills by planning, training for and completing expeditions, working as a team, helping the community/environment and meet new people.

BTEC Level 1, Teamwork and Personal Skills in the Community. Use this course to build your volunteering, map, compass and music skills. The course will cover self-reliance in a fieldcraft environment and how to prepare for expeditions. (This course is open to those age 13-15)

BTEC Level 2, Teamwork and Personal Skills in the Community. This course will give you a chance to partake in adventurous activities, have a go at career planning, explore teamwork and communication skills and further improve your map and compass skills. (This course is open to those age 16-18)

If you’re with Sea Cadets already, or thinking about joining, there are over 600 qualifications you can choose from.

Speak to your C/O for info about doing a course. Or click here to join a unit near you and start your story

Author - Flora Stewart-Sandeman, Head of Sea Cadet Learning Development.

Marine Society and Sea Cadets were well represented in the New Year’s Honours List.

MSSC Trustee John May DL (pictured) becomes an OBE for services to young people, while former trustee and current MSSC Vice-President Patrick Stewart MBE receives a CVO for his work as Lord Lieutenant of Argyll and Bute.

The recognition of Sea Cadet volunteers across the country remains one of the highlights of the Honours List.

While three volunteers have become recipients of British Empire Medals (BEM), Janice Spicer was made an MBE for her fund-raising efforts to many charities in her native Hull, including Sea Cadets.

Mrs Spicer, 65 and from Hull, joined as a teenager when girls were first admitted in the late 1960s.

After coming back the following week, Janice remained for a near-continuous 50 years period. “My dad wasn’t sure. He huffed that it would be another “week-long wonder” but I knew different,” she said.

21 members of Janice’s family are now Sea Cadets and despite severe illness in her family, she remains as committed to the Sea Cadet cause as ever.

“I had good role models in a nan who brought up kids on their own and my mum’s sister who would take everyone from their street on train for a day’s holiday. If I’m as good an Aunty as our Aunty Madge. I’m doing all right. Sea Cadets in a way are my family and this is for them as much as anyone else.”

Emma Walton BEM from Grimsby has been honoured for community and voluntary service in helping her local Sea Cadets,

Since getting involved within Sea Cadets in 2015, Emma has helped recruit a new set of trustees, refurbish and sign a 99 year lease on their building near the Royal Dock, launch a major recruitment drive for both cadets and volunteers, develop partnerships with local businesses and charities as well as raise over £70,000 within four years to secure the future of Grimsby and Cleethorpes Sea Cadets.

All of this, in spite of being a mother of three which was added to by the arrival of Emma and her husband’s fourth child three years ago. She is also chair of Lincolnshire District Sea Cadets and helps to train new chairs across the East of England.

“I do it because I enjoy it. I’ve made so many friends and when my eldest daughter joined, I started helping out tidying up the unit. “I didn’t really know what I was letting myself in for, when I became Chair.”

Lieutenant Commander George Wilson, London Region HQSO as well as Chief Petty Officer Stefen Wells from Shirley also received BEMs for sterling work in their communities.