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I was delighted to have been invited to visit Sea Cadets flagship TS Royalist, which is traditional tall ship. Sea cadets and royal marines cadets can spend a week on board this training ship, developing new skills and making new friends.

At one-year and three-months-old I was definitely the youngest on board.

Sister ships TS John Jerwood and TS Jack Petchey can take cadets from 12-years-old because they are powered vessels. The rope handling on a tall ship is a bit more physical so TS Royalist trains cadets aged 13 to 17-years-old.

Given my youthfulness I was a little surprised to be told that I reminded one cadet of his grandma! But he quickly explained that he meant “wise and experienced”. This seems plausible. I am a pretty magnificent moggy. Hello to grandma!

As an experienced prowler of Royal Navy warships, I had never been on board a sail ship or met any sea cadets or royal marines cadets before. I needn’t have worried as they were all very welcoming and most of them were on their first sailing trip too. My cadet shipmates were from units all over the UK and so day one was spent settling in, getting to know their new cabin mates, with the help of the experienced and friendly permanent staff.

I joined for day two which was the first day at sea. We spent the morning learning some essential safety rules, practicing putting on safety harnesses and having our first go at climbing the rigging; which is an important part of setting the sails at sea.

Sailing a tall ship is completely different to being at school and was new to all of us. Some cadets quickly discovered a hidden talent which they didn’t know they had while the rest of us needed a little longer and a bit more practice to master new things. This is fine; there were ten staff on board to assist us and fellow cadets encouraged each other well.

Every small step forward (or upward!) is celebrated. As soon as they climb onto the very first rung of the rigging ladders cadets have achieved something new and with a whole week in which to gain confidence, everyone enjoys personal progress.

I had a few difficulties with my claws getting stuck in the rope but I made it to the ‘first floor’ of the rigging, about a third of the way up. The sea breeze really gets in your whiskers up there – lovely!

Teamwork is an important part of the training. This can be anything from taking your turn as duty mess cadet, helping to serve hot food to those who have been out on deck; making sure that you’re pulling the right rope at the right time to coordinate with everyone else, or heaving heavier ropes as part of a group. ‘Learning the ropes’ is a phrase which has its origins in sailing and with one hundred and twenty “ropes with jobs” on TS Royalist, I can see why!

Lunch, cooked by the full time chef, was soup followed by pulled pork baps. On Sunday evening we had a traditional roast dinner. The smell of turkey had been wafting through the ship all day so it was a relief to finally get my paws on some. Several cadets had vegetarian meals and having let him know in advance, the very nice chef also catered for my feline needs. Purr-fect!

As well as being a lot of fun, TS Royalist provides a very different environment in which to discover and develop your individual strengths and identify and work on areas for improvement. For me a strength was that I am comfortable with heights. It’s a cat speciality. My main area for improvement was team work as I can be quite easily distracted by food and warmth. After my tail had been trodden on a couple of times I learnt to pay more attention to where I was in relation to feet and moving ropes!

All in all, it was a brilliant trip in a fascinating vessel. The staff are wonderful and have years of experience of working with young people at sea; they make sure that everyone is well looked after, including this Ship’s Cat. A big thank you to Captain Sea Cadets for the invite on board, and also to the lovely staff and cadets who made me so welcome. Enjoy the rest of your training season, TS Royalist!

Author: The Ship's Cat 

Follow The Ship's Cat on Twitter! @R08Cat 

A Naval charity that has helped connect lonely veterans to the Internet has won a prestigious national award - with the help of the Sea Cadet Corps.

Project Semaphore, one of the Royal Naval Association (RNA)’s flagship initiatives, took the honours in the People’s Choice category at the annual Soldiering On Awards.

The project aims to help alleviate loneliness and improve the finances of digitally-isolated veterans by issuing Apple iPads and training individuals in how to benefit from access to the Internet.

Once they are trained, veterans including those with limited mobility can use their new iPads to message and video-call far-flung family members or old friends and can take up new hobbies or research the history of their old ships online.

The training programme, carried out by more than 70 volunteers, also provides social interaction; many of the trainers were RNA members but Naval Reservists and members of Sea Cadet units also got involved, reinforcing the inclusivity of the Royal Naval family.

Current RNA General Secretary Bill Oliphant said: “Project Semaphore is a perfect example of the ethos of today’s Royal Naval Association.

Project Manager Sarah Clewes, herself a veteran, said: “We are delighted to have won – thank you so much to all those who voted for us. This Award is recognition for all those who have given their time to volunteer, stepped outside their comfort zone to learn how to use an iPad, and for the range of like-minded organisations and charities who have helped us reach more veterans. I have seen the extraordinary effect that this programme has had on lonely individuals, with veterans in their 90s suddenly able to chat regularly with relatives on the far side of the world – relatives they had not seen or spoken to in years”.

The ship's cat used to be a common feature on many trading, exploration, and naval ships dating to ancient times. Cats were carried on ships for many reasons, most importantly to control rodents and in addition, offer companionship and a sense of home to sailors away from home.

Nowadays the ship's cat is a thing of the past... or maybe not? 

A 'cat' that once belonged to HMS Elizabeth, but has now come ashore to explore other ships visited Sea Cadet's TS Royalist! 

The cat jumped on board for two days to watch our cadets unfurl the sails, manually pull sea boats up - plus so much more! Ship's Cat even joined for dinner... although there wasn't much food there for a cat! 

Ship's Cat said, "What a ship! And what an enthusiastic bunch of young people, working together to improve themselves while having fun along the way. The future is bright!"

To see the Ship's Cat's full experience on Royalist click here.

Royal Marines Cadet Second Class is Laurelle is the face of our newest value - courage. She tells us how it feels and what courage means to her.

I, myself, to be frank- was incredibly astonished to find that a photo of myself, in my Royal Marine Cadet parade uniform, was chosen as one of the Sea Cadet Corp value posters. The photo, in its own right, was unknown of; considering that I was focusing very hard on the task at hand at that present time- taking a squad “dressing”. For that matter, this photo was taken on the 21st October 2018- during the Trafalgar Parade; taking place annually in Trafalgar Square at Nelson’s Column, commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar itself. There was, as expected, a selection process and a few days of drill practice and training that had to be completed and, even so, there were further selections within the practices for the Companies that we’d represent. The parade itself was not only worthwhile but absolutely phenomenal: the training, what we’d learnt, the experience of being onboard HMS Excellent and the parade itself- marching from Horse Guards Parade, through Pall Mall and right past Buckingham Palace.

In finding a photo of myself as the face of the Corp value “Courage”, aside from honoured and humbled, it reminded me and prompted me to think of where I had demonstrated such a key value in my life thus far. In the Sea Cadet and Royal Marine Cadet Corp, and in life, courage is defined as “doing what we know is right”- especially in the face of adversity. For myself, this has ranged from reporting incidents to standing up for others, putting myself on the forefront for the sake of those who require defending or someone who has no voice. It definitely makes me smile in realising that, in fact, I have and I can demonstrate courage in my everyday activities and relations.

I do believe that, however, I have learnt something new- despite the obvious that, in any event, the paparazzi have their eyes on you, even if you didn’t expect them; but that courage comes in many forms and is a key value that mustn’t be taken lightly. In the SCC and RMC, we learn about many Victoria Cross Winners- with the Victoria Cross being the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. In order to be awarded this, one must demonstrate “gallantry in the face of the enemy”, an “act of self-sacrifice and valour, and devotion to one’s duty”. More often than not, these winners are embossed with these awards in their selfless death- in serving those whom they protected. Although these aren’t handed out freely, young people can still take these values and ethics and implement them habitually. I think that courage is a pertinent morale that can help anybody- helped by it or demonstrating it. As Harper Lee said in To Kill a Mockingbird: “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. - Atticus Finch”

I would recommend the Sea Cadets and Royal Marines Cadets with my whole heart- as they have not only done so much for so many young people, but also enriched the lives of so many young people and adults alike. My experience has been wonderful so far; I would never have been able to take part in such a large-scaled and national event, like the Trafalgar Parade if I had stayed at home or done anything else! The SCC and RMC Corp has truly opened up so many doors for me and exposed me to new opportunities and skills. Having also been embarked onto the National Aviation course last year, with all thanks to my unit, I must say, we rarely do the “every day” and, in all honesty, I love it. From sailing to Physical Training and offshore voyages, from Marine Engineering to Communication-Information systems and shooting weekends; these are only the tip of the iceberg as to what the SCC and RMC offer. It truly adds value and depth to my skills and knowledge, as well as teaching me something new and allowing me to channel and focus on my current and newly made interests. I would have little to say without the RMC and SCC and I must emphasise, with heartfelt sincerity, that they have changed my life and made me a stronger and more confident individual- and I am more than grateful.

As I close, it is important to remember that courage itself is a beautiful thing- it separates the wheat from the chaff, highlights those who are happy to stand up for what is right, helps societies and groups to come together and build better relationships. I hope that, as we go on with our daily lives, that we’d see courage being demonstrated and shown more often- especially with the rise in youth crime and fatal incidents and attacks. To be frank, doing what is right is worth it all.

Sea Cadets have six values - loyalty, self-discipline, respect, commitment, honesty & integrity and courage.

The Mountbatten Festival of Music features the Massed Bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, performing over two nights at the Royal Albert Hall. These concerts display the outstanding versatility of the world’s finest military musicians in a spectacular venue. The Festival sees the Royal Marines showcase their incredible musicianship and pageantry and features a wide range of musical styles, including music from the big screen and superb solo items, as well as the traditional marches and overtures that have proved such a hit with audiences over the years. This year, Captain General Royal Marines Prince Harry was among those who attended.

Proceeds go to The Royal Marines Charity and CLIC Sargent.

First Sea Lord Cadets host VIPs at the event and help the event organisers with various other duties such as programme selling.