As 2025 draws to a close, Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading ports group, has completed a programme of donations supporting the work of Sea Cadet units in coastal communities all across Britain.
The funds donated by ABP will be invested across fifteen Sea Cadet units in close proximity to ABP’s ports, including in Ayr in Scotland, Barrow in the North West, Barry, Cardiff, Newport and Swansea and Port Talbot in Wales, Grimsby, Hull and Immingham on the Humber, Ipswich and King’s Lynn in East Anglia, Teignmouth and Plymouth in the South West and Southampton.
Local Sea Cadet units, all run by volunteers and each a standalone charity, offer young people a variety of opportunities and experiences to help them develop the teamwork skills, confidence and qualifications on the water and off the water. They provide a strong platform for personal development through activity-based learning and role modelling. At ABP we see firsthand the positive difference our local units make to the lives of young people and communities.
ABP’s funding will be put to work in a wide variety of ways, with uses including new training vessels, upgrades to premises, provision of facilities for overnight accommodation, essential minibus repairs and equipment for life saving training. In several cases, ABP’s donations are helping Units reach long-term goals they have been fundraising towards for some time.
The response from the Torpoint Sea Cadets (Plymouth) illustrates the positive difference ABP’s support will make: “Many thanks again for this generous offer of a donation. We are very grateful indeed. As mentioned, this will go a long way into funding our unit expansion project, specifically by getting us significantly closer to our target of being able to purchase an additional two rowing boats for next summer’s boating season. We currently don’t have enough capacity to get all of our cadets on the water on each boating night, so the extra boats will bring some significant waterborne experiences for our cadets – young people from across the local area, including Plymouth and South East Cornwall.”
Catherine Tipper, Chair of the Southampton Sea Cadets said: “We are extremely grateful to ABP Southampton for the generous donation made to Southampton Sea Cadet unit. We are fortunate to have the ongoing and invaluable support of ABP, which helps our cadets gain essential skills, qualifications, and experiences to give them a real head start in life, they have fun, gain confidence and make friends. Thank you again, your donation makes a big difference to the work we can do.”
Kings Lynn Sea Cadets said: “”As a charity we work hard to raise funds to provide the best experience for our cadets. We have an amazing team of adult volunteers who support us in delivering this. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, this will help us immensely towards our purchase of a new safety boat.”
Hull Sea Cadets said “On behalf of everyone at the Unit, we thank you and ABP for your generous donation and continued support. It is much appreciated.”
Speaking for ABP, Paul Bristowe, Chief of Staff said: “We’ve been delighted to support our local Sea Cadet units through 2025, expanding a number of long-standing relationships. They do great work developing young people and highlighting the exciting opportunities the maritime sector offers. In particular I’d like to pay tribute to the volunteers who run the units, a number of whom are ABP colleagues, without whom none of this positive impact would be possible.”
For decades ABP has been a supporter of the Sea Cadets across multiple locations, including of the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Sea Cadets, based next to the Grimsby Port Office. The unit represents a great example of the variety of different water-based and shore-side activities available to young people, including sailing, windsurfing and powerboating to rock climbing, camping and paddle boarding.
In Southampton, ABP has previously donated to the Southampton Sea Cadets to help improve facilities and support the development of a variety of skills from cooking, cleaning, sailing, water safety, kayaking to confidence and relationship building. ABP has also donated items such as storage cupboards and role to Sea Cadet units, including in Barrow. In 2024, ABP supported the Ipswich Sea Cadets with the purchase and installation of a new pontoon.
