A struggling sea cadet unit has been able stay afloat after the council offered it a grant.

Dartford Sea Cadets, at Brooklands Lake, Dartford, has been in dire financial straits.

The unit has been struggling with the rent of its 70-year-old headquarters and utility bills were piling up. Instructors said that group needed around £1,000 a month to keep going.

The cadets have been based by Brooklands Lake for the entirety with its building constructed to partially resemble the shape of a ship.

However, as hope was fading of keeping the group floating, Dartford council stepped in to offer the unit some temporary fiscal stability and council leader Jeremy Kite secured them a £6,000 grant.

Cllr Kite called the cadets the area’s “best kept secret” and explained the council were happy to help.

He said: “We have a grant in Dartford called Salute to Youth, it’s been very successful for about seven or eight years and it’s been dispersed to a large number of uniformed groups. It’s a very well used grant platform.

“Although it is usually a planned grant, it certainly is there to help organisation like the sea cadets.

“A couple of members came to me and brought along some instructors from the sea cadets and it’s absolutely clear they’re doing a fantastic job.”

One of the conditions of the grant being offered was that the cadets increased their recruitment driving.

Cllr Kite said: “I think they would admit, they’ve taken their eye off the ball with recruitment a bit and have found themselves with some bills to pay and their membership going down.

“We offered to secure a grant with them which is going to give them a secure footing. But we said to them we want them to use this time to work on getting some new members.

“Now, I can’t go anywhere on the internet without seeing an advert for them.”

Cadets can gain qualifications such as a BTEC and take part in schemes like the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

They can also enjoy camping, water sport activities such as kayaking, canoeing and power boating, and learn to work with others and make friends.

Petty officer Emma Dawson said that the grant was very welcome.

She said: “We did get a big grant from the council that has secured us for a few months, so that’s good for the short term future. It gives us a chance to look at our long term plans and build up some further members and put us in the public eye more.

“Obviously it was fantastic news to get the grant and I think the cadets morale was better as a result. The staff’s morale has also risen and we’re now looking at things we can do in the long term.”