SEA Cadets

What SEA Cadets does

Sea Cadets is a UK registered charity operating under the umbrella of Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC), tracing its origins to the Marine Society founded in 1857. It delivers maritime-themed youth development and personal training to approximately 15,000 cadets aged 10-18 (plus 9-14-year-olds through the On The Water programme) via a national network of roughly 400 local community units staffed by approximately 9,000 volunteers. Programmes span Junior Sea Cadets, the core Sea Cadets curriculum, Royal Marines Cadets, and SeaVenturers, and award recognised qualifications including Royal Yachting Association (RYA), British Canoeing, BTEC, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and ILM leadership credentials.

The organisation operates a fleet of seven training vessels, most notably the 58-metre flagship tall ship TS Royalist (launched 2015), which delivers 35 week-long offshore voyages annually carrying 24 cadets each. Supporting infrastructure includes the Cadet Training Platform — an online portal for virtual learning, qualification tracking, and module completion introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic — and the Trinity 500 pulling-boat flotilla programme. The charity is governed by a board with Jeremy Penn as Chair and Guy Holloway as Chief Executive, registered in England and Wales (313013) and Scotland (SC037808), with headquarters at 202 Lambeth Road, London.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable giving rather than commercial sales. Income streams include individual donations (with Gift Aid), trust and foundation grants, legacy giving, challenge-event fundraising, and affiliate referral income from platforms such as easyfundraising, Amazon Smile, Savoo and Giveacar. The TS Royalist Appeal is a flagship fundraising campaign (raised £587,000 toward a £787,000 target for Phase 2 of the ship's refit by October 2025). Go-to-market is community-led: recruitment of cadets happens through local unit presence, school outreach, and volunteer networks, while donor acquisition is driven by digital channels, national events (Trafalgar Day, National Cadets Week), and earned media. Cadets participate free or low-cost, and the charity reports substantial social impact including 38,563 days of community volunteering in 2019/2020.

Name

SEA Cadets

Legal name

Marine Society & Sea Cadets

Website

https://sea-cadets.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sea Cadets is a UK registered charity delivering maritime-themed youth development and accredited nautical training (RYA, BTEC, Duke of Edinburgh) to approximately 15,000 cadets aged 10-18 through 400 community units, 9,000 volunteers, and a fleet of seven training vessels led by TS Royalist.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Maritime Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs (THAKAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchant Marine & Deck Operations (EDAOANAA), Maritime Security Training & Drills (ISPS, Crew Training) (BPAKALAG)

Keywords

• Youth maritime training
• Cadet sailing programs
• Marine education
• Seamanship training
• Water sports activities

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Sea Cadets receives direct monetary donations from individuals via its website donate portal and postal cheques. Gift Aid is offered to eligible UK taxpayers to increase the value of donations.
2. Trusts and Foundations: Institutional grant funding from trusts and foundations that support youth development and nautical training programmes.
3. Legacy Giving: Donors are encouraged to include Sea Cadets in their Will (legacies) to provide long-term charitable support.
4. Third-Party Retail Donations: Donations are generated when supporters shop online via easyfundraising, Amazon Smile, Savoo, and Giveacar — platforms that redirect a portion of spending to Sea Cadets at no cost to the shopper.
5. Challenge Events Fundraising: Supporters participate in challenge events (running, cycling, swimming, hiking) and raise sponsorship money for Sea Cadets nationally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SEA Cadets is a UK youth maritime charity organization that provides maritime training and water-based activities for young people. The organization is referenced as a charity focused on the maritime sector for youth engagement.

Product overview

Sea Cadets is a UK youth charity offering a portfolio of maritime-themed programs including Sea Cadets (core program for ages 10-18), Junior Sea Cadets, Royal Marines Cadets, and SeaVenturers. The organization operates TS Royalist, a flagship tall ship providing offshore voyages, and delivers the On The Water Programme offering free water sports tasters. Cadets can earn qualifications including RYA sailing credentials, BCU kayaking awards, BTEC certificates, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and ILM leadership qualifications. A Cadet Training Platform supports virtual learning and progression tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TS Royalist: Sea Cadets' flagship tall ship training vessel, built in 2015, providing offshore sail training voyages for cadets aged 13-17.
• Junior Sea Cadets
• Royal Marines Cadets
• SeaVenturers

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9,000 cadets have been transformed through TS Royalist offshore voyages since 2015.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered notable, flagship and minor.

• SentebalenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea Cadets partnered with Prince Harry's charity Sentebale for a 24-day expedition to Lesotho, South Africa in 2010. Sixty specially selected teenage cadets volunteered with Sentebale supporting orphans and vulnerable children, as part of Cadet150 celebrations. Prince Harry told cadets: 'You will really enjoy it; it will be a hell of an adventure.'
• Sail Training InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea Cadets participates in the Tall Ships Races, organised by Sail Training International. In 2026, 26 Sea Cadets will represent the UK aboard TS Royalist in the 70th anniversary race, with stops in Harlingen, Antwerp and Stavanger.
• Ubisoft / Red BullnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerTS Royalist featured in a new film created with Ubisoft and Red Bull, ahead of the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced release. The film follows historian Dan Snow and Olympic sailing champion Ruggero Tita aboard the brig, showcasing Sea Cadets experiences to a global audience.
• Power Of Youth / UK YouthnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea Cadets is a proud partner of Power Of Youth day, a celebration of young people's contributions to society through volunteering and social action as part of Volunteers Week 2021.
• Imperial War MuseumsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea Cadets units visit HMS Belfast for The Big Help Out event, working with Imperial War Museums volunteers to learn about wartime naval life and participate in heritage activities.
• The 1805 ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trafalgar Way Challenge splits entries between The 1805 Club (to support the continued legacy of The Trafalgar Way) and Sea Cadets.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Combined Cadet Force: School-based MOD-sponsored cadet force (Army, RAF, Royal Navy sections) operating in ~500 UK secondary schools. Royal Navy Section CCF units directly overlap with Sea Cadets on naval-themed training and waterborne activities, sharing the MOD-sponsored cadet pathway and Duke of Edinburgh infrastructure.
• RAF Air Cadets (RAFAC): The Royal Air Force Air Cadets is the RAF-sponsored youth organisation delivering aviation-themed training, leadership, and qualifications to ~40,000 UK cadets aged 12-20. Sibling cadet force to Sea Cadets under the MOD Youth Sponsorship umbrella, with the same volunteer-led squadron/unit structure and Royal Air Force career pathways.
• Sea Scouts (The Scout Association): The UK's largest youth organisation runs Sea Scouts as a specific section delivering water-based activities, sailing, and nautical badges to young people aged 6-25. Directly comparable to Sea Cadets in delivering maritime-themed youth development across the UK with similar volunteer-led unit model.
• Army Cadet Force: The Army Cadet Force is a national youth organisation sponsored by the British Army, delivering military-themed training, adventure, and qualifications to ~74,000 UK cadets aged 12-18. Closely comparable structure: military-themed cadet programme, paid staff backbone with volunteer instructors, community-based units, and youth outcomes including Duke of Edinburgh.
• Tall Ships Youth Trust: UK charity operating two tall ships (STS Challenger and STS Doris) providing residential sail training voyages for young people aged 12-25. Direct peer in operating tall-ship sail training experiences for UK youth with similar fundraising-dependent charity model and youth outcomes focus.
• Jubilee Sailing Trust (rebranded as Sea Trust and The Small Ships Trust): Formerly the Jubilee Sailing Trust, this UK charity used tall ships (STS Lord Nelson and STS Tenacious) to provide sail training for people of all abilities, including disabled cadets. Direct peer in operating purpose-built tall ships for youth/adult sail training under a charitable funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Outward Bound Trust: The UK's largest outdoor education charity delivering residential adventure and character development courses to ~35,000 young people annually, including water-based activities. Overlaps with Sea Cadets on personal development outcomes (confidence, resilience, teamwork) and qualifications, but covers broader outdoor disciplines beyond maritime.
• The Scout Association: The UK's largest youth organisation with ~500,000 members delivers badges, qualifications, and community service to young people aged 6-25. Competes with Sea Cadets for the same UK youth cohort, donor base, and volunteer pool, while offering maritime activities only through the Sea Scouts section.
• Girlguiding UK: National charity delivering badges, qualifications, and personal development programmes to ~300,000 girls and young women across the UK, including water sports and adventurous activities. Competes for the same donor and volunteer pool as Sea Cadets, with overlap on youth outcomes and qualifications pathways.

Regional players

• Ocean Youth Trust Scotland: Scottish sail training charity operating two vessels (Alba Endeavour and Alba Explorer) for residential youth voyages. Comparable in delivering RYA-accredited sail training and personal development outcomes for young people, but primarily focused on the Scottish market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SeaCadetsUK

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SEA Cadets