Sea Scouts

Scouting is the UK’s largest mixed youth organisation, with over 465,000 young people aged between 6 and 25 across the UK, of both genders: Scouting has been mixed gender for many years.  The Shipwrights’ Company supports the Scouts with an annual grant of £4,000 for the Sea scouts but allows the Scouts Association to determine its own funding priorities.

Sea Scouting has the same Purpose and Values as any other Scout Troop, and delivers the same programme, but with a nautical twist.  Sea Scouts and Explorer Sea Scouts regularly get involved in a wide range of water activities from canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, pulling (rowing) and narrow boating to power boating and offshore sailing. Sea Scouts also find time for many of the traditional scouting activities, such as camping and hiking, and other activities within the Scouting Programme.

Sea Cadets

The Shipwrights’ Company enjoys a close relationship with the Marine Society and Sea Cadets and the Education and Charity Committee makes the separate annual awards to support them at local, regional and national level.

A grant of £13,000 is awarded directly to MSSC in order to allow the CEO and his team the flexibility to use their knowledge to assess and prioritise individual detachment bids and make the most suitable awards.  In 2019 the Shipwrights’ donation directly benefitted 9 units and 421 cadets as can be seen in the attached letter.

The Shipwrights Company makes a £3,000 donation to its affiliated unit, the City of London Sea Cadets on HMS BELFAST.  In recent years the City of London detachment has very generously passed the Shipwrights' donation on to another unit with whom they have a close association, but which has a greater need!  The Prime Warden pays an annual visit to the City of London Sea Cadets during a training night and cadets from the detachment line the route to the receiving line at the Company’s Annual Banquet.

The Shipwrights' Company also funds bursaries for seven Sea Cadets from the Greater London Area to attend offshore sail training voyages on TS ROYALIST.

These Sea Cadets are invited with their families to attend the March Court (left) when the Prime Warden presents them with their certificates and a financial award before the Cadets line the stairs for the guests attending the dinner.

The Marine Society and Sea Cadets replaced the original THAMES SHIPWRIGHT motor vessel, which was originally funded by the Shipwrights’ Company under a grant agreement, and was sold in 2018.  Following an approach from MSSC, the Court agreed that the Sea Cadets could use the proceeds from the sale of the original and purchase a new rib, which was much needed at their Boat Station at Royal Docks where they deliver some 17,500 on the water sessions for young people per year.

The new THAMES SHIPWRIGHT was named and launched on Tue 15 Oct 2019 at the Sea Cadets Royal Docks Boat Station, London Regatta Centre, Dockside Road, London E16 2QU.  The Lady Sponsor was Mrs Laura Bugden, the Prime Warden’s wife, and the Prime Warden, Mr John Denholm, headed-up a group of Shipwrights to witness the naming ceremony and they seemed to enjoy trialling it on the water!