Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal opens the new Midlands Boat Station

Marine Society and Sea Cadets are thrilled to announce the completion of their new Midlands Boat Station on the banks of the Edgbaston Reservoir in Birmingham.

Midlands Boat Station was declared open by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales at an opening ceremony on 11 October. The ceremony included a cadet parade, music from the Sea Cadets Warwickshire District Band, and the opportunity to tour the new Midlands Boat Station.

The state-of-the-art facility will serve as a water sports training hub and residential centre for 1,500 cadets, offering activities like dinghy sailing, paddle sports, powerboating, rowing, and windsurfing. Back in March 2023, Marine Society and Sea Cadets were awarded a Youth Investment Fund grant of £2.1m towards building the exciting new facility.

In addition to providing a new home for Birmingham Vernon Sea Cadets, the new boat station will become a cornerstone of local engagement. It will benefit the wider community by providing a venue for community groups, schools, and charities. And there are so many more people that could benefit. There are 340,000 young people aged 9 to 18 within 30 minutes of Edgbaston Reservoir – a brilliant resource for the region.

As well as being part of their national Sea Cadet Corps, the unit is an independent charity currently run by over 20 volunteers. It provides a huge range of water- and land-based activities for over 60 cadets, and qualifications including Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards and BTECs. As a youth-centred charity, it is proud to deliver the Sea Cadets Experience that aims to launch its young people for life with the skills they need to succeed.

As a highly celebrated Sea Cadets unit with a proven track record, Birmingham Vernon has transformed the lives of many young people from the local community. And this new space will be the springboard to welcoming more young people for generations to come.

In total, the boat station will offer over 30,000 boating and activity sessions – providing regular support to 500 sea cadets in the Birmingham area and over 1,000 residential places for local young people at weekends and during school holidays.

Midlands Boat Station paid tribute to their architects, Troyka Associates Ltd, and their construction specialists, Speller Metcalfe, for turning their vision into reality. For more information, visit their dedicated webpage