Not all at sea: Croydon’s Sea Cadets get extensive training in a range of naval-related skills
Croydon’s unit on Mitcham Road is seeking adult volunteers from all backgrounds — and says no experience is necessary
Croydon Sea Cadets has been in continuous service since 1948, and now meets every Monday and Wednesday evening, working with young people aged 10 to 18.
Using nautical adventure rooted in the customs and traditions of the Royal Navy, the unit helps them build confidence, resilience and practical skills that go well beyond anything they’d pick up in a classroom.
For many cadets, it becomes a second family. And while the organisation draws on naval tradition, it is neither part of the military nor a recruiting arm for the armed forces.
But with landlocked Croydon at least 30 miles from its nearest stretch of coastline: where does the sea come in?
Croydon’s Sea Cadets is one of around 400 units across the country, and membership opens the door to boating and adventurous training across London and further afield. Through the national offshore fleet based in Gosport, cadets can get time on a tall ship, yachts and powered vessels — some spending a full week at sea.
Team training: Sea Cadets experience a range of navy-related activities, but they need volunteers to run the unit
But the value runs deeper than learning to sail or tie a bowline. At its core, Sea Cadets is about equipping young people with the kind of qualities that stay with them: leadership, self-discipline, teamwork, commitment. Many of its courses carry nationally recognised vocational qualifications, and the values the organisation works to instil – respect, loyalty, honesty, integrity – are the sort that help young people stand out in an increasingly competitive world.
The unit is now making a direct appeal to adults in the borough to come forward as volunteers. Without them, the unit simply cannot run. No previous experience or specialist knowledge is required – full training is provided for all volunteers. Roles range from making tea and driving the minibus, to teaching practical skills on the water (and volunteers are subject to vetting before working with young people).
The call comes at a significant moment. After years of making do without a permanent base, Croydon Sea Cadets is expecting its new purpose-built premises on the Mitcham Road site later this year – a long-awaited home from which to deliver the full Sea Cadet experience to the next generation of young people in the borough.
- To find out more about joining the Sea Cadets or to volunteer, email croydon.scc96@gmail.comcroydon.scc96@gmail.com
- Or click here to visit sea-cadets.org/croydon
Captain Mark Windsor RN Retd was one of the guests on a recent episode of our Croydon Insider podcast, where he spoke about what adult volunteers can get from helping teenaged members of the Croydon Sea Cadets- Click here now to access the podcast episode and our entire archive via our Spotify page
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