Teenagers from across the country came together at SCTC Weymouth for the annual Cadet Conference.
The event was held at the weekend (3-5 November), with 48 cadets taking part in a series of workshops and other activities.
The conference, which is now held annually, was introduced because cadets said they wanted to have a stronger voice when it came to the charity. Their contributions will be fed back at area conferences attended by volunteers, meaning the young people can shape the future of Sea Cadets as it moves forward.
A series of workshops were led by the charity’s six First Sea Lord cadets. They asked their fellow cadets questions on certain topics and encouraged debate, before feeding back to cadets, volunteers and employees later that day.
Later, working in teams in a Dragons’ Den-style session, cadets pitched new ideas for the charity to a panel from Sea Cadets’ London headquarters. This included ways to interact in the digital age – for example, the ways in which they would like to communicate with the charity, and what they would like to hear more or less about. They were asked to what extent Sea Cadets should embrace the digital age, and whether cadets should be allowed digital devices, such as mobile phones, at their respective units.
Young people also dressed up for dinner and enjoyed a quiz and other games.
