Volunteer Cadet Corps

The Volunteer Cadet Corps is said to have originated with a bored lad with questionable football skills. The boy in question, the son of a senior NCO, was reported to have been kicking a football about at the Royal Marines Barracks at Eastney when he broke the window of a senior officer. The VCC was set up to give the lad, and his friends, an alternative and more constructive way of passing the time.

Ironically, football still features on the list of sports and skills in which training and competition is offered by the VCC, alongside netball, swimming, cross country, seamanship, basic parade drill, small-bore shooting and field gun.

And the fact that there are four units in the Portsmouth area – HMS Sultan, HMS Collingwood, HMS Excellent (RM VCC) and Fort Blockhouse (HMS Dolphin VCC) – means there is always an edge of local rivalry to pep up the competition.

The VCC is open to any youngster aged between nine and 18 who come from a naval or RM family, or whose parent(s) are civilian staff at an establishment, or who simply live in the vicinity of the base.

In addition to instruction in skills and sports, VCC cadets also get the chance to attend camps dufing school holidays and also represent their units at major public events such as Remembrance Day ceremonies and commemorations.