Penzance Sea Cadets has been given £1,000 towards folding beds at its training centre by the Cornwall 100 Club, the business club of the Cornwall Community Foundation.

Club members Lee Williams and Debbie Palmer from Colas Cornwall Quarries, and Richard Collett from RTP Surveyors, visited the project where they handed over a cheque to Chief Petty Officer Dave Adams.

The cadets provides educational support and training, based on the traditions of the Royal Navy, which encourages personal independence, aims to build confidence, and develops skills such as team work.

On average 10 per cent of the cadets are with foster families at any time, and others are with extended family members, while approximately 50 per cent are in receipt of free school meals.

Their 50 volunteers have been working hard for years to host weekend training sessions, with participants enjoying the security of a relatively disciplined environment with rules and respect for each other. Each year some cadets go on to join the Royal or Merchant Navy or join a sailing or gig club.

Debbie Palmer, sales manager of Colas Cornwall Quarries, said: “It is always an eye-opener when you meet the people in person, hear their stories and for me, in particular, when they highlighted that fundraising for the Sea Cadets is such a struggle: They would have needed to do at least 50 coffee mornings to raise £1000”

The Cornwall Community Foundation is an independent charity that invests in communities to improve the lives of others in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The Cornwall 100 Club, is its business arm and has invested a total of £36,706 into 25 community projects in 2016 - a club record. Since its inception nine years ago, the C100 has invested more than £200,000 into communities in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, supporting over 120 local projects.