Sheppey Sea Cadets' new classroom
Published
Monday 15 September, 2025
Updated
Monday 15 September, 2025
Sheppey Sea Cadets and Royal Marines Cadets Corps have refurbished their building, and increased their capacity, thanks to funding from Swale Borough Council.
The unit received £9,028 from the council’s Community Infrastructure Grant, funded by UK Government, to fully refurbish their space near Barton’s Point Coastal Park.
Improvements included a full refurbishment of three classrooms and an additional classroom increasing the capacity by ten cadets with space for more.
They also installed new carpets and flooring, internet upgrades, heaters, new electricals, an alarm system, lockers, and a ship simulator suite for cadets to practice captaining a ship.
The charity, which is a member of the Marine Society and Sea Cadets Corps, offers training and activities based on the principles of the Royal Navy for youngsters aged between 9 and 18.
The popular youth programme helps over 70 cadets on the Island towards responsible adulthood whilst having fun learning new skills, socialising, and getting active.
Cllr Monique Bonney, chair of the council’s Economy and Property Committee, said:
“The work the cadets do for the Island is incredible; they act as a positive influence for our young people, offering support, fostering new skills, and giving them a chance to make new friends.
“It also acts as an important space for other groups, with this refurbishment benefiting the cadets and the wider community.
“Our Community Infrastructure Grant has helped boost our community assets across the borough, we are also funding more amazing projects this year.”
Captain John Gurton, Unit Management Trustee, said:
“We offer a myriad of activities for our cadets, many of which are in the looked after category, including boating, navigation, drill, band, catering, first aid and engineering.
“We also encourage them to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, helping guide our youngsters into responsible adulthood.
“The previous classrooms were old, cold and damp, worsened by concrete flooring and draughty windows, making heating the space far too expensive, and this revamp has cut our running costs substantially.
“These modern, clean classrooms will provide a better environment for the cadets and the community, with the reconfiguration also allowing us to better utilise the space.”
