Scarborough Sea Cadets Launch £50k Appeal

Tuesday, 19 July 2022 06:00

By Matthew Pells

Scarborough Sea Cadets need to raise £50,000 for repairs to their building on East Sandgate.

The voluntary youth organisation provides a range of activities for over 100 local young people.

The chair of the Sea Cadets in Scarborough - Bob Smith - says the building needs some big work.

The grade 2 listed building needs major structural repairs to the roof and a bowing wall.

Bob Smith says that they want to secure the long term future of the Cadet unit.

The Scarborough Sea Cadets is a voluntary youth organisation which is located in the Historic Old Town adjacent to the Harbour and celebrated its centenary year in 2019.

Bob says:

"Our cadets support the community and organizations such as the Royal British Legion during Remembrance Day and the Poppy Appeal, Seafest, RNLI and hold a candlelight carol service yearly at St. Marys Church.

The work undertaken at Scarborough Sea Cadets is overseen and directed by a team of unpaid Staff and Trustees. We are a non-profit charity, completely voluntary run and rely on grants and fundraising, we do not receive funds from the Ministry of Defence and we are not a pre‐service organisation.

Each individual Sea Cadet Unit is a charity in its own right. We are a voluntary youth organisation for boys and girls aged 10-18 and we provide a range of activities, sports and skills which are attractive and adventurous which includes a caring discipline attitude based on the high standards of the British Royal Navy."

Bob says that the Cadets group provides the young people with a wealth of skills and training

The Sea Cadets meet in an old church and community centre formerly known as St. Thomas’s in the old town of Scarborough, situated in East Sandgate. The Grade 2 listed building dates back to 1839 and was the first home of the Seamans Bethnal mission in the town.

The building due to its age is in need of major structural repairs, these repairs include one of the main structural walls incorporating roof supports which requires steelwork due to the wall bowing, this also includes rendering, plastering, bathroom & toilet repairs and decoration of the main hall on completion.

The work needed to secure and repair the building is estimated to be in excess of £50,000, the group says it is reaching out in a hope to raise funding or grants to ensure that they can complete this essential work.

The sea cadets will be fundraising at this weekend's Sea Fest event in Scarborough. They have also launched a fundraising page at https://localgiving.org/charity/scarborough-sea-cadet-corps/