The aim of Sea Cadets is to give young people aged 10 to 18 the best possible head start in life through nautical adventure and fun, based on the customs and traditions of the Royal Navy.
Our volunteers work, both directly with young people and behind the scenes, to help make a positive difference to teenagers who are often struggling in today’s world and their communities.
Our immediate outcomes for young people within the Sea Cadets include improved life skills such as leadership, communication and citizenship, we also offer internally and externally accredited qualifications. Our long-term benefits for young people are far reaching - attendance and engagement in school, improved post 16 destinations, long-term wellbeing, reduced risky behaviour and increased participation in communities.
At Ashington Sea Cadets we have strong community links and we pride ourselves on our community engagement. We are a long-established unit and are looking to increase our volunteer numbers so that we can continue to have a positive impact on the young people within our community.
Our instructional volunteers work with cadets and report to the Commanding Officer to deliver safe, fun and engaging training. We have a great team of instructional staff, some are ‘seasoned’ and have been in the organisation for a number of years, but some are new to the organisation and working their way through their own personal development. There are plenty of opportunities for self-development and to gain transferable qualifications on the water or on the land if you want to.
Whatever your experience and skills, they could be utilised to help young people flourish – catering, meteorology, navigation, orienteering, first aid, engineering, photography, marketing, football coaching, IT, social media, finance, driving - there is no limit. Whatever your interest, you could bring it to Faversham.
You could also share your skills out on the water with the next generation, through the opportunity to teach water sports such as kayaking, sailing, powerboating, canoeing, rowing and windsurfing. If you don’t have any water sport qualifications, we’ll provide you with all the equipment, training and the opportunity to gain national qualifications with the Royal Yachting Association for example. All you need is lots of enthusiasm! We also have more occasional volunteering opportunities with our Unit Assistants - some have very specific duties, such as building and grounds maintenance, decorating, cleaning, driving the minibus, helping at events or serving stand easy to the cadets during a parade night. The time commitment is generally a lot less than most other roles, but Unit Assistants can be as active in the running of the unit as they wish to be.
Finally, we have our Unit Management Team made up of both trustees to the charity and non-executive members and they play an integral part in the management of the unit; responsible for health & safety, insurance, fundraising, utilities, the unit minibus, governance and resources/equipment. Led by the Unit Chairperson we have some specific roles and skill sets and we look for people with those skills. If you have a skill with numbers, writing grant applications, social media or business skills you would be a great asset to the team.
