Sea Cadets is providing some 1,200 children with the chance of experiencing the thrill of water-based adventures, learn valuable life skills and earn qualifications this summer.

The charity’s On The Water programme launches today and will run until 29 August. The programme will give young people aged 9 to 14 the opportunity to try out sailing, paddle sports and much more, free of charge. Qualified instructors will deliver sessions on a wide range of water sports.

This year, the programme is bigger than ever before and it’s being held across three locations: Royal Docks (London), Crosby (Merseyside) and the Edgbaston Reservoir (Birmingham).

“Children from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to have limited access to leisure activities while COVID-19 and the prolonged lockdown has brought new challenges for them,” says On The Water Coordinator, Hugo Dell.

“We hope this project will boost young people’s spirits and give them a chance to exercise, have fun and provide them with long-term benefits too.”

First held in 2019 in London, Sea Cadets was unable to run the programme last summer due to the pandemic. By extending the programme to include Merseyside and the West Midlands, the youth charity aims to broaden horizons for many more children in hard to reach communities.

“[My son] has never done anything like this before and he enjoyed it so much, his confidence has noticeably improved,” said the mother of one participant. “It has brought out a side of him we haven’t seen before and it’s a joy to see.”

“When [my child] started the programme he was hesitant to try new things. He was scared of sailing and terrified of capsizing,” said another mum, “By the end of the programme he had fallen in love with kayaking and sailing. He is very proud of his paddle sports certificate and has now joined Sea Cadets.”

“Last week I came to the Royal docks to try out the boats,” said a young participant who took part in the 2019 programme, “They were amazing! Eric was a fabulous teacher, I’d never done water sports before. Thank you Sea Cadets!”