Newhaven and Seaford Sea Cadet unit wins district competition

The team will now go on to represent Sussex in the unarmed drill category at the Southern Area competition held at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth.

Sub-Lt Heather Wells, Commanding Officer of the Newhaven & Seaford Unit, said: “We are delighted to have won this competition, which is testament to all the hard work put in by our cadets, staff and volunteers over five weeks of intensive training. The whole Unit is very pleased with this achievement. We are now very proud to be representing Sussex at the Southern Area competition next month”.

The unit was also praised recently winning a 2023 “Burgee”. The Burgee award is the highest efficiency that can be awarded annually to a Sea Cadet Unit in recognition of the hard work by the Cadets, Staff and Volunteers. The award also measures the quality of Cadet's training, qualifications, courses, experiences and safety of cadets achieved over the past year.

The Unit has won these prestigious awards despite having some significant challenges. In 2022 it was identified that their current premises were no longer fit for use, and they had been temporarily relocated to the historic Newhaven Fort and supported by the Fort team throughout 2022 and 2023. Newhaven Fort will be closed until 2025 whilst it undergoes a £7.5M restoration and the Sea Cadets have struggled to find alternative venues. With the assistance of Newhaven Town Council, they are now located at nearby Meeching Hall until a more permanent solution can be found.

“Sea Cadets offers so many opportunities to both adults and young people. It is important to remember that we are an independent charity that relies on volunteers in the local community to help make a positive different to the lives of so many young people in your area. If you think you could help us, please get in touch. Likewise, if you are between the ages of 10 and 18 and are interested in becoming a Sea Cadet, we would love to hear from you.”

Newhaven & Seaford Unit, which is part of national charity Sea Cadets, gives young people a new perspective. We broaden horizons and create possibilities. Working across the UK with 14,000 young people between 10 and 18, we help them see the world with confidence, gained through the challenge of nautical adventure and a Royal Navy ethos. Our aim is to help more young people to see the future that they want – and make that future happen.

The unit parades on Mondays from 7pm-9pm and meets at their temporary venue of Meeching Hall in Fort Road Newhaven. Visit: https://www.sea-cadets.org/newhavenseaford to find out how you can join.