A POPULAR community group in Thornbury has celebrated its organisation’s anniversary.

Thornbury Sea Cadets - also known as TS Battleaxe - marked Sea Cadets’ 168th official birthday recently.

Cadets and adult volunteers at TS Battleaxe sang a rendition of Happy Birthday before blowing out the candles in their base behind The Castle School Sixth Form.

Sea Cadets was established in 1856 as the Naval Lads’ Brigade to give orphans of the Crimean War a future.

Coastal communities banded together to provide places for sailors to pass on nautical skills and training.

Girls have benefitted from the same opportunities Sea Cadets affords boys since 1942.

Petty Officer (SCC) Christopher Batt, one of the adult volunteers at TS Battleaxe, said: “168 years of helping Britain’s young people grow and develop is no mean feat.

“We are immensely proud to be members of the world’s oldest uniformed youth organisation.

“Nobody knows the exact date in 1856 the first unit started, so we use the day in 1899, when Queen Victoria marked our importance to young people by becoming patron and giving £10 to the Windsor and Eton unit for uniforms.

“Here at TS Battleaxe, we are a bit more recent, having been founded in the 1980s.”

Petty Officer (SCC) Will Edge, who is second-in-command of the unit, added: “For the last 168 years, we have provided young people with life skills and qualifications in a fun and sociable environment.

“The range of activities on the water and ashore always amazes people, from aviation to seamanship and from engineering and cooking to first aid.

“We have a comprehensive training programme for both cadets and potential instructors, so prior knowledge is not important.

“We will be enrolling new cadets in early September, so book you or your child’s place now.”

To find out how to get involved as a cadet (for those aged 10 to 18) or instructor with Thornbury Sea Cadets, visit sea-cadets.org/thornbury