Rye Sea Cadets has been an important part of the life of this town since 1952. Although the headquarters is tucked away on Rock Channel the cadets can often be seen on parade for civic events. The mayor of Rye is often accompanied by two mayor’s cadets for important functions.
However, it is week by week during the year that the real work of the sea cadets goes on. And what is that real work? It is giving the young people of this town access to life experiences that they would not normally get – lots of activities on the water during the summer, as you might expect, but also following a curriculum throughout their cadet career (from ages 10 to 18) which leads not only to promotion but also the building of self-confidence, team working and a sense of camaraderie.
The unit in Rye also houses a Royal Marine Cadet detachment, for those who may prefer more land-based adventurous activities.
Some of the inspirational work that sea cadets do can be seen here.
But how is all this funded? Contrary to popular belief the sea cadets is not centrally funded by the MOD or the Royal Navy. Each unit is an independent charity and must raise its own funds to function. The cadets pay weekly subs but these cannot cover the full running costs and we don’t want to exclude any cadet because of costs.
This means that the unit needs to constantly raise funds to keep doing the good work it does. We would always be happy to receive corporate sponsorship, donations from individuals and would love to have a suitable patron to help secure our future.
We are also looking to recruit a volunteer head of fundraising to help inspire, direct and manage our fundraising efforts. Could that be you?
The head of fundraising would be part of our management team and would be required to carry out some mandatory safeguarding training and apply for a full DBS Check. Our management team meets once a month throughout the year.
We are also looking for adult volunteers (https://www.sea-cadets.org/volunteer) and if you know any young people who may value being part of the sea cadet family do get in touch.
If you would like to be our head of fundraising, if you are able to donate to the unit or would like to become our patron, or can help in any way please email ryeseacadets@gmail.com. Many thanks.
Image Credits: Revd Paul White .