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The Sea Cadet Corps (SCC) forms the UK's largest Naval Cadet Force with over 30,000 cadets and adult volunteers. The SCC is a nationwide voluntary youth organisation; open to young people aged 12 to 18. Junior Sea Cadet sections, are open to young people aged 10 to 12 years of age. Those aged from 13 to 18 may also join Marine Cadet Detachments (MCD), as Marine Cadets.
The aim of the SCC is to help young people towards responsible adulthood and to encourage them to reach their potential by developing valuable personal attributes and high standards of conduct, using a nautical theme based on the customs and traditions of the Royal Navy. Cadets also follow the same rate/rank structure, of their parent armed service, the Royal Navy and for Marine Cadets the Royal Marines.
The Corps welcomes young people and adults of all abilities, within the bounds of safety to themselves and others, and actively seeks to widen the diversity of its membership. It is affiliated to the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS), the major representative body for United Kingdom youth organisations and is represented by NCVYS on the Council of the National Youth Agency
Whilst the SCC is not a pre-service organisation, a significant number of former Sea Cadets and Marine Cadets do go on to join the Royal Navy, Royal Marines or other sections of the Armed Forces.
HM The Queen is the Patron of the Sea Cadet Corps and HRH The Duke of York is the Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps.
The SCC has two principal sponsors, the Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the MSSC and MOD, sets out their common interest in supporting the SCC in achieving its aims. The MOD supports the SCC by providing the MSSC with an annual grant-in-aid, loaning it equipment, a small number of serving Royal Naval and Royal Marine personnel. It also provides access to certain MOD facilities. The SCC is composed of individual Sea Cadet Units, located throughout the United Kingdom and elsewhere, with a central support management and training structure provided by the MSSC.
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