Three Sea Cadets attended a distinguished ceremony at the House of Lords as finalists for the annual CVQO Westminster Award.

Larissa, from Chelmsford, Katie from Warsash and Sam from Weymouth all received their ILM Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management from Lord Lingfield at the event.

Sam was also presented with the Pearson BTEC Achievement Award for the best BTEC Level 2 submission.

The cadets were joined by families, friends and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, as well as distinguished representatives from the military, government and world of education.

Captain Sea Cadets Captain Phil Russell, who also attended the event, said: “It’s wonderful to see so many young people embracing the opportunities that Sea Cadets can offer. Sam, Larissa and Katie are great examples of what you can achieve with a good attitude, some hard work and dedication.”

They were joined by families, friends and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, as well as distinguished representatives from the military, government and world of education – all gathered to celebrate their achievements.

The three Sea Cadets will join eight other finalists from other cadet organisations for an expedition to South Africa in July.