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Sea Cadets is another year older, having celebrated its 161st birthday on Sunday 25 June. And we would like to thank everyone who helps make the youth charity what it is, including our amazing cadets and volunteers.

Sea Cadets is committed to helping young people find confidence and self-belief through water-based and land-based adventure. We offer nationally-recognised qualifications and exciting opportunities, such as offshore voyages and an International Exchange Programme.

Founded in 1856, Sea Cadets dates back to the Crimean War when sailors returning home from the campaign formed Naval Lads’ Brigades to help orphans who ended up on the back streets of sea ports. By 1899, Sea Cadets received royal recognition when Queen Victoria presented the Windsor unit with £10 for uniforms, and in 1919 the Admiralty officially recognised the 34 brigades and changed the name to the Navy League Sea Cadet Corps.

Nowadays, the charity has 400 units - run entirely by volunteers - across the UK and 14,000 cadets, while our royal association continues with the Queen as our patron.

Sea cadets across the country represented their units at Armed Forces Day events on Saturday.

The annual awareness day is a chance for people to show their support for all that our forces do. Events to mark the occasion were held across the country, with sea cadets taking part in parades and displays.

In Liverpool, cadets were watched on by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, as they performed a window ladder display, while others in the city met Prime Minister Theresa May.

Cadet Molly from Colchester saved the life of a girl who was choking, using the first aid skills she learnt at Sea Cadets.

Molly, 15, cleared the girl’s airway, performed CPR and called an ambulance, before placing her in the recovery position during the incident on Saturday 17 June.

These skills – which Molly learnt at Colchester Sea Cadets – were praised by paramedics, who said her actions could have saved the girl’s life.

Cadet Molly said: “One of the girls ran over to me and said, ‘You’re a sea cadet, can you help, someone is unconscious’. When I went over, she was choking, she had a pulse, but I couldn’t hear anything.

“I didn’t really panic at the time, I just wanted to make sure she was OK. Everyone was really upset, but I just tried to keep calm."

The girl was taken to hospital and has now made a recovery. Molly added: “She’s OK now, she bought me a present and said, ‘Thank you so much, I will never forget what you did’.”

Molly’s mum, Maxiene, said: “I am so proud of her. I don’t know how she did it and kept so calm.”

Three Sea Cadets volunteers have been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Eileen Buchan, Chairwoman at Peterhead Unit, Teresa Smith, Chairwoman at Sheffield Unit, and Lieutenant Commander (SCC) Cliff Burns RNR, District Officer in Northern Ireland, were among the inspirational people honoured.

Eileen and Teresa were awarded a British Empire Medal for voluntary services to young people, while Cliff will receive the same honour for services to the community in Newtownards, County Down.

The list was unveiled on Friday night, with Sir Paul McCartney and J K Rowling among the famous faces to appear on it.

Sea Cadets’ flag ship, TS Royalist, will be taking part in its first race this summer, giving dozens of young people the opportunity of a lifetime as they visit new countries and experience life at sea.

Cadets will take part in Sail Training International’s Tall Ships Races 2017, with the first leg setting off from Halmstad, Sweden. It is the first time the new TS Royalist will have taken part in a tall ships race since its commissioning in 2015.

In between racing, cadets will have the opportunity to explore new places, meet cadets from other countries and go aboard other tall ships.

Angela Morris, Captain of TS Royalist, said: “We are looking forward to taking the ship into the Baltic to race for the first time, and taking cadets that are joining us for the races.

“It’s a long time to be away for, but it should be a fantastic experience for the cadets. Many of the crew, including myself, have never been to some of the countries on the route, so it’s a first for all of us. We’re all ready to go racing now.”

TS Royalist has been in South Quay, London, ahead of the races to prepare and carry out vital maintenance. It is due to leave on Sunday 18 June for Den Helder in the Netherlands.

The race’s three legs will take cadets to countries including Finland, Lithuania and Poland throughout the summer, with different groups of cadets joining at various stages.