Hundreds of children celebrate the Volunteer Cadet Corps' 120th birthday during a parade at the Royal Navy's HQ

More than 250 children and adults from the Volunteer Cadet Corps (VCC) paraded through HMS Excellent in celebration of the youth organisation’s 120th birthday.

The anniversary was actually on February 14 last year. However, celebrations to mark the occasion were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cadet units from across Portsmouth, Gosport and Fareham, as well as Plymouth, Lympstone, Arbroath – and the organisation’s newest wing in Chivenor, North Devon – all turned out to mark the milestone.

Lieutenant Colonel (VCC) Chris Spratt, who heads the cadet corps, was thrilled to finally celebrate the Gosport-based group’s anniversary.

He added: ‘Whilst a year later than planned due to Covid, today’s parade was a magnificent way to celebrate our 120th anniversary. I’m very proud of all of our cadets who paraded today, demonstrating the very best of our youth.’

Youngsters all stood proudly on the drill square at HMS Excellent – which is used to train the navy’s top ceremonial guards for parades in front of the Queen.

SEE ALSO: Gosport veteran ‘excited’ to join this year’s Invictus Games

Children were inspected by an array of military VIPs, including the lord lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, Rear Admiral Philip Hally – the assistant chief of defence staff and Brigadier Tony Turn, deputy commandant general of the Royal Marines.

Providing the tunes for the celebration were musicians from the Band of HM Royal Marines, (Royal Marines School of Music) from Portsmouth.

As well as a parade, a number of long service medals were presented to adult volunteers, with WO2 (VCC) Jim Coomber from Portsmouth Division of the Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps being awarded his 4th cadet force medal clasp for 36 years’ service and WO2 (VCC) Paul Holden from Lympstone Division RMVCC, who picked up his third clasp for 30 years’ service.

The VCC was ‘stood up’ with one unit at what was then the Royal Marines Artillery barracks at Eastney on February 14, 1901.

Since then, it has weathered two world wars and most recently the coronavirus outbreak, with drill nights staged virtually.

The VCC is sponsored by the Ministry of Defence but does not help recruit young people into the military, the group says.