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Marine Society and Sea Cadets would like to wish our patron, Her Majesty the Queen, a very happy birthday.

The monarch celebrates her 91st birthday today and is expected to mark the occasion privately. This is in contrast to her 90th last year, which was celebrated across the country, with many - including Sea Cadets - lighting beacons in her honour.

Marine Society and Sea Cadets' royal association goes back many years. In 1899, Sea Cadets received royal recognition when Queen Victoria presented the Windsor unit with £10 for uniforms. Cadets also took part in the Thames Pageant for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and have greeted the Queen on royal visits.

Marine Society, meanwhile, dates back to 1756 and was founded when Britain was on the brink of war with Europe. The 250^th anniversary of the charity on HMS Albion in Greenwich was attended by Queen Elizabeth II.

Leading Cadet Simon finished third in the famous Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race over the Easter weekend.

The 17-year-old, who attends Reading Unit, took on the 125-mile race with Stephen, also 17, and secured the bronze medal in a time of 17 hours, 26 minutes and 31 seconds. They competed against 90 other pairs in the 15-18 category, kayaking for long periods – including more than five hours on one day – without any rest.

Simon, who is currently revising for his A-Levels, said: “It’s a very difficult thing to be doing. It is mentally and physically demanding, but the hardest part is the mental side of it.

“You stay on a campsite in-between, and you make friends with different people and get through it together. You just hope it won’t hurt the next day – but it does! I’m still aching quite a bit now.

“Training involved a lot of long paddles. Every weekend we would be doing 20 miles. It was tough.”

Simon is hoping to go to Plymouth University to study mechanical engineering, with the view to becoming an officer in the Royal Navy. He has been kayaking since he was young and has taken part in the race, which starts in Devizes, Wiltshire, and ends in Westminster, London, twice before.

Cadets from across the country were interviewed for ITV News about their involvement in this year's Tall Ships Festival in Greenwich.

TS Royalist berthed in Woolwich last week, and cadets on board spoke about their offshore experience.

You can watch the report here on ITV Central: http://www.itv.com/news/central/2017-04-16/watch-sea-cadets-take-on-tall-ships-challenge/

TS Royalist has arrived in Woolwich for the Tall Ships Festival 2017.

Sea Cadets' flag ship will be open to the public for tours between 1pm and 5pm on Thursday, all day on Friday, and between 9am and 2pm on Saturday.

TS Royalist berthed yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, and you can see a video of the arrival on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/SeaCadetsUK/?fref=ts

As charity partners for the event, Sea Cadets also has a stand in Greenwich and will be hoping to spread the word to as many people as possible about the Corps. The last event attracted more than one-million people.

Find out more about the festival here: http://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/200006/arts_and_entertainment/1589/tall_ships_festivals. And if you're going along, make sure you share your pictures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #tallships. 

Sea Cadets has launched a lottery, offering people the opportunity to support the charity while being in with the chance of winning money.

Entry to the scheme, run by Unity, costs just £1 per entry. The money will go where it is most needed – whether that is renovating buildings damaged by floods, or funding offshore voyages for cadets.

The draw takes place every Saturday, and those who sign up are allocated a six-digit Unity lottery number. A random winning number is drawn. Players can win up to £25,000, plus £2,500 for Sea Cadets, if they match six digits, while prizes of £1,000, £25 and £5 are also up for grabs. All winners are notified and prizes posted automatically.

To sign up to the lottery, visit: http://www.unitylottery.co.uk/charity/display/marine-society-and-sea-cadets, where you can also find out more about the rules. If you have any queries, please call our hotline on 0370 050 9240. Calls cost no more than calls to geographic numbers 01 or 02. You must be 16 or over to enter.

The lottery is only open to people aged 16 and over. The lottery is licensed by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005, licence number 45856. If you feel you have a problem with gambling, please visit: www.gambleaware.co.uk.