Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal opens new Sunbury and Walton Sea Cadets headquarters after 13-year journey

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has officially opened a new headquarters for Sunbury and Walton Sea Cadets, concluding a 13-year effort to create a permanent home for local young people.

As Patron of the Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) and Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps, The Princess Royal visited the unit to celebrate the completion of the project and meet cadets, volunteers, supporters and community partners who helped make the new facility possible.

The new headquarters provides modern training spaces, improved facilities and direct access to the River Thames, creating greater opportunities for young people to take part in sailing, rowing, paddlesports, seamanship, navigation and marine engineering.

The project represents a major milestone for Sunbury and Walton Sea Cadets, whose volunteers, trustees and supporters have spent more than a decade working to create a permanent building that can serve the unit for generations to come.

During her visit, The Princess Royal met cadets and volunteers, toured the new headquarters and learned more about the unit’s work helping young people develop practical skills, confidence and leadership through adventure on and around the water.

Among those welcoming Her Royal Highness was Leading Cadet Alice, 16, who led the Cadet Guard and accompanied The Princess Royal during the unveiling of a commemorative plaque.

Alice said:

“When I joined Sea Cadets as a junior cadet in 2020, I never imagined that one day I’d be standing alongside a member of the Royal Family during such an important moment for our unit.

“Sea Cadets has helped me grow in confidence and develop leadership skills by supporting younger cadets on the water and helping them learn new skills. This new headquarters gives us the space to do even more, whether that’s teaching, training, learning or simply coming together as a team.

“It’s a really exciting moment for everyone at the unit, and I hope even more young people will be inspired to join and discover what they’re capable of.”

For Alice and her fellow cadets, the new headquarters is more than a new building. It provides a dedicated base where young people can learn new skills, take on leadership roles, build friendships and spend more time on the water.

The opening comes as Sea Cadets continues to expand opportunities for young people across the UK. The charity supports almost 14,000 young people through a programme of maritime adventure and personal development. In 2025/26, cadets completed more than 416,000 boating hours and gained more than 37,000 qualifications and took part in over 70,000 days of specialist training beyond their local unit.

Guy Holloway, CEO of Marine Society and Sea Cadets (MSSC), said:

“This is a landmark moment for Sunbury and Walton Sea Cadets and for the young people who will use this building in the years ahead.

“What makes Sea Cadets special is the opportunity it gives young people to challenge themselves, gain practical skills, build confidence and discover new ambitions. This new headquarters will give even more young people the space and facilities to do that.

“The dedication shown by volunteers, trustees, supporters and funders over the past 13 years has been extraordinary. Their commitment has created a permanent home for the unit and a lasting resource for young people in the local community.”

The new headquarters marks an important milestone for Sunbury and Walton Sea Cadets as it continues to provide young people with opportunities to develop skills for life through adventure on and around the water.

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