Come down on a Tuesday or Friday evening from 7pm and have a look round, try out the evening to see if you like it.
The Sea Cadets is open to boys and girls for 10 to 18 years and very inexpensive, with all uniform being provided. The unit always welcomes new faces, just turn up at 7pm on a Tuesday or Friday parade night, at the unit, which is just behind Westminster Lodge swimming pool. It costs just £1 a session. Why not give it a try and make new friends and learn new skills, you've nothing to loose! A location map is here.
See the Accounts section for real stories of our cadets adventures. Parents/guardians please see your page here.
WE AIM TO: Give boys and girls (10 to 18 years) the best fun they've ever had - with a serious side too. The unit works hard to be accessible to all youth. We teach life skills from cookery to computers, engineering, first aid, navigation and the art of seamanship. There is also a complimentary Duke of Edinburgh Awards program.
TRAINING: Fit for life. There are sports and outdoor activities (eg kayaking, shooting, windsurfing, sailing, drill, camping/survival, first aid & orienteering) to get involved in and they will be able to impress their friends with newfound skills, make new shipmates and put their talent to the test. New cadets all have to spend a week, often in term time, doing general cadet training, typically at SCTC Raleigh in Plymouth. And there are opportunities to take trips on Royal Navy ships, sail before the mast aboard the Sea Cadet's square rigged flagship TS Royalist, attend training camps or fly in a Navy helicopter.
LOADS TO DO: At St Albans Sea Cadet Unit there are lots of friendly faces waiting to welcome participants aboard. The officers and instructors are all highly trained to make sure every aspect of Sea Cadet life is enjoyed - a cut above the local youth club.
WHEN AND WHERE: "Training Ship" St Albans is located beheind the pool at Westminster Lodge, AL1 2EH. They meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7 to 9.30pm.
WHY JOIN: Why do young people join the Sea Cadets? Because they want to do something worthwhile. Because they want to belong to the best youth movement around. Because they want to invest in their own community and make the most of what the new millennium may bring. Because they want to meet the challenge of the future with the motto - Ready Aye Ready.
COSTS: Drill nights cost £2 per week (2 sessions), this is optional for the severely financially disadvantaged, however as a self funding organisation we hope that all cadets parents/guardians would make a monthly standing order in favor of the unit for at least £8.70 or an annual one for just £104. A standing order form is available here (PDF 17k).
External courses have to be paid for by the cadet, they are relatively inexpensive. For example a weeks residential dinghy sailing course at The Welsh Harp currently costs £55. We carry out various fund raising activities, which cadets are expected to help with eg: house to house collections and manning stands at shows. Parents/guardians please see your page here.
Our Mission Statement
The St Albans Sea Cadets is governed by its constitution, which first two paragraphs set out the fundaments of the organization. They read ...
Preamble
The Sea Cadet Corps is a nationwide, voluntary, uniformed youth organization open to young people aged between 12 and 18 years (and with a Junior Section for those of 10 to 12 years) regardless of sex, religion or race, and, within the bounds of safety to themselves and others, to those with special needs.
Aim
The aim of the Sea Cadet Corps is to help young people towards responsible adulthood by encouraging valuable personal attributes and high standards of conduct, using a nautical theme based on customs of the Royal Navy.