Nautical training has been at the heart of The Marine Society & Sea Cadets, the UK’s most enduring maritime charity, since its foundation in 1756. Currently, they have just one power-training vessel as the TS Earl of Romney had to be decommissioned, leaving only the TS John Jerwood.
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In celebration of the charity’s 250th anniversary in 2006, a £2.6 million fundraising appeal was launched to build the TS Jack Petchey, a sister ship to the TS John Jerwood. She will take two years to build and be of a similar design to the TS John Jerwood, though with 16 cadet berths rather than 12.
Sea Cadets normally go onboard on a Saturday and become the working crew of the ship until the following Friday. Over an anticipated 25-year lifespan, the TS Jack Petchey will be home to 16,000 young people and 3,000 adult volunteers who will experience the challenges and excitement of offshore training, while also learning skills such as engineering, electronic communication and chart systems, cook steward, the need to be vigilant and keep watch, the value of living in a tidy and disciplined environment and the need to employ sound social and communic ation skills when working in a team.
Chief Executive of The Marine Society & Sea Cadets, Mike Cornish, said: The success of this fundraising appeal will enable us to expand our activities and provide opportunities for more boys and girls to experience life at sea. Mike went on to explain that living and working together onboard a ship was a long-established and proven means of developing teamwork and mutual responsibility within young people. It offers excitement and adventure in a well-s upervised environment, training cadets in managing risk and sea sense.
The Marine Society & Sea Cadets 202 Lambeth Road London SE1 7JW
Website: www.ms-sc.org