The Malta Sea Cadets has unintentionally been Malta’s “well-kept secret” that organises adventures at sea and teaches young people transferrable skills which help them positively contribute to society.

In an attempt give a new lease of life to the Malta Sea Cadets, which was adversely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, Captain of the Sea Cadets Neil Downing, Lieutenant Commander John Reeve and Senior Events Officer James Thompson visited Malta for a few days to grow the profile of the Sea Cadets within the local community.

They also plan on coming again in the future with the intention of setting up meetings with the appropriate ministry to promote it further.

Downing told The Malta Independent on Sunday that they did not want to impose their ideas on the Maltese unit, as they want it to be something which reflects the Maltese community at large.  “We want to give it a uniquely Maltese identity. We want it to be managed and run by Maltese,” Reeve added.

The Sea Cadets is a development charity that is closely related to the royal navy and is linked to a tradition that goes back around 250 years, where the former Royal Navy members used to support young people who were either orphans or children of sailors.

The unit in Malta was established in 1962 and it currently hosts 23 cadets aged 10 to 28, with 16 adult volunteers.

Considering the Sea Cadets are not so popular in Malta, Downing was asked whether the Sea Cadets were basically the scouts of the sea. He laughingly replied, “Hate to admit it, but yes… but the sea cadets are more closely linked to the royal navy. We are also trying to strengthen the links with the Armed Forces of Malta as well.”

Unfortunately, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the unit in Malta took quite a hit and everything stopped, as volunteers were not able to offer the same support as before, Downing said. “It used to be much bigger but post-Covid it has shrunk. However, it has regenerated really well.”

Nevertheless, he added that because the cadets were so motivated to continue, they used to attend online training sessions with units from the United Kingdom. This led to a 13-year-old girl cadet from Malta volunteering to join the Cadet’s Voice conference in Doncaster in England last October where she spoke about the views of the Cadets in Malta and how they wanted the Sea Cadets to develop in the future. “She really did the island proud,” Downing said.

When discussing the benefits of joining the Sea Cadets, Downing said that “it takes [young people] out of their comfort zone but in a safe and controlled manner.” In today’s day and age, young people are living quite a sedentary lifestyle, Downing said, therefore, joining the Sea Cadets acts as a way for youths to be more active.

“Sea Cadets give them the opportunity to stretch themselves in a safe environment, through adventures both on water and on land. To learn transferable skills, to learn how to be a leader, to learn how to be a team player, to learn core values and actually understand what it is to have integrity, respect, loyalty and commitment to something.”

Downing also praised the Maltese unit for even coming out on top and doing incredibly well when competing against the UK units.

The Cadets also get the opportunity to go on maritime adventures with the resources they have available. They have access to two RS21 sailing boats, a Trinity 500 sailing boat, three RS Quest sailboats, a new power boat for rescues, and most recently a new rib. Besides the full range of water sports equipment, they also have equipment for land activities.

Cadets also carry out volunteer work such as litter clean-ups and they have worked with a variety of other charities to help raise funds for them.

With regard to career prospects, being part of the Sea Cadets has also encouraged a number of young people to join the Armed Forces of Malta, Downing said.

“There are also examples of young people who have gone out into merchant marine or have joined the fishing industry, because of the experience they have acquired through Sea Cadets which has given them the foundation blocks with those transferable skills.”

Moreover, to continue growing the Malta Sea Cadets are seeking more locals to volunteer and be part of the Sea Cadets. “We're particularly interested in people who have a maritime background or people that have got experience of being on yachts at sea.”

Nevertheless, even with minimal to no experience Downing said that there are already support packages in place to train adult volunteers. In fact, in August a number of Maltese adult volunteers will be going to the UK for training.

However, volunteering does not only need to be linked with teaching the cadets a particular skill set, Downing said that anybody who could help with administrative work, obtaining funds, or even a minibus driver is needed.

“No matter what your background is, no matter where you're from, you're welcome in our organisation… Everyone is welcome,” Downing said.

The Sea Cadets follow a very clear equity diversity inclusive policy, which means that they accept people from all backgrounds and even children with additional educational needs.

If you wish to get in contact with the Malta Sea Cadets you can do so through the links below:

Website: https://www.sea-cadets.org/malta

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maltascc/

Email: [email protected]

Number: 2166 7643