Littlehampton Sea Cadets finally get new £152,000 jetty after eight years of fundraising

​The group’s new jetty was constructed over three days at the end of last month after years of trying to raise the funds to pay for it.

It was built off site, transported in and constructed using a crane after the £152,000 to pay for it was finally secured this year.

Littlehampton Sea Cadets chairman David Moore said: “It was such a relief when I was able to give the go-ahead for the jetty to be built.

"When you’ve been working on a project for a long time, a lot of people ask you how you even keep going.

"It was tricky at times, but it’s amazing now it’s been built.

"Before Covid and all the inflation caused by things like the war on Ukraine, the first estimate we had for the construction was £50,000. But the price of steel and the price of power kept pushing it up and up.

"The goalposts kept shifting, and we thought we’d reached the fundraising target, and suddenly the price had gone up again.”

The Littlehampton Sea Cadets, whose base is in Rope Walk adjacent to where the jetty has been built, were supported by many charities and a £38,000 grant from Rampion wind farm. They were also given around half the money by the Marine Society Sea Cadets.

David said the new jetty would not have been possible without the support of the Marine Society and other charities with the cost of the project constantly increasing due to inflation.

The fundraising bid started in 2016 when the old wooden jetty that had been constructed by prisoners from Ford Prison in 1962 was declared unsafe. In the interim period, the cadets have been keeping their boats at Arun Yacht Club and using its jetty.

The new 35-metre jetty attached to a pontoon will allow the club to accept more members and undertake more regular activities, as it is not affected by low tides.

HAVE YOU READ? Littlehampton Armed Forces Day 2024 – in 27 pictures

The cadets meet every Tuesday and Friday, and accept members aged 10 to 18. They can then go on to become instructors.

David said the cadets’ reaction has been brilliant, and they are already enjoying trying out the new jetty and learning how to safely get into their boats from it.

For more information about the cadets, including details of how to join, see https://www.sea-cadets.org/littlehampton