Penryn and Falmouth Sea Cadets enjoyed an evening of pomp at their annual awards ceremony on Thursday evening.

The awards were presented to the cadets by the inspecting officer, Cdr Roger Kennedy RN, Commanding Officer 849 Squadron, from RNAS Culdrose, in front of an invited audience of local dignitaries and parents.

The prizes included the award for the Lord Lieutenant's Cadet of the Year, presented to leading cadet Harry Avard, and there was also a presentation by the former commander of the RFA Mounts Bay.

The group chairman, Gill Grant, said: "It went very well. It was just a very nice evening, there were a lot of parents there which was nice."

The Falmouth and Penryn Lions presented a cheque worth £2,500 to the cadets, and Mrs Grant said the group had been "extremely generous with us." She added that the group would be using the money to buy a dinghy.

There was another cheque for £275, donated by the Falmouth branch of the Royal Naval Association, to sponsor leading cadet Harry Avard as the cadet chosen this year to go to sea aboard the sail training ship Royalist.

The full awards were as follows: RNA Cadet of the Year, Leading Cadet Harry Avard; Co's Most Improved Cadet, Ordinary Cadet Ellis Alford; Chaplain’s Community Service Award, Leading Cadet Harry Alford; Seaman of the Year, Leading Cadet Harry Avard and Leading Cadet Jonathan Brown; Best Attendance, Able Cadet Emily Yarde-Dent; Most Parades Attended, Ordinary Cadet Michael Alford; Best Dressed Male, Able Cadet Alex Walker and Cadet 1st Louis Jamieson; Best Dressed Female, Able Cadet Emily Yarde-Dent and Able Cadet Bethany Yarde-Dent; Best New Entry, Cadet 1st Macsen Osmond; Most Promising Male, Cadet 1st Louis Jamieson; Most Promising Female, Cadet Milly Farr; Best Junior Cadet, Louis Sanger; Most Promising Junior, Junior Cadet Killian Manceau and Junior Cadet Ryan Kitts; Most Improved Swimmer, Junior Cadet Tyler Horton; Most Improved Sailor, Cadet 1st Dominic Spencer; Mitchell Mud Pup Award, Ordinary Cadet Michael Alford;

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, Able Cadet Emily Yarde-Dent and Able Cadet Bethany Yarde-Dent.

There were promotions for APO Darran Pearmund to Petty Officer (SCC), APO Malcolm Alford to Petty Officer (SCC), and OC Michael Alford to Able Cadet.

Good Conduct Badges for: 3 years Good conduct, Ordinary Cadet Joshua Houghton; 2 Years Good Conduct, Ordinary Cadet Daniel Jones; 1 Year Good conduct, Cadet 1st Jack Norville

And PO(SCC) Chris Clayton retired from the Sea Cadet Corps after 10 years service.