Dominic's fundraiser for Oxford Sea Cadets

Dominic Grantley-Smith is raising money for Oxford Sea Cadets

Oxford Half Marathon 2025 · 12 October 2025 · Start fundraising for this event

The Sea Cadets teach young people life skills and prepare them for the big and developing world that they’re going into. There is a lot of learning, based on the traditions of the Royal Navy. It provides the youth with a different platform and gives them a break from school or being stuck at home.

Story

From running shoes to kitchen queues

In October, I’ll be running the Oxford Half Marathon to raise money for our local Sea Cadets, a charity I’ve proudly volunteered with for the past nine years. We welcome 9–18 year olds across Oxford, teaching watersports, life skills, and even cooking.

Our kitchen is old and no longer fit for purpose, yet it’s more vital than ever as more children arrive hungry at cadet nights. Until it’s refitted to meet regulations, we can’t provide meals or teach cooking safely.

Please support me and help us give these young people the skills—and meals—they young people deserve.

Thank you for the donation, read on to find out more.

This year I’ve set myself the challenge of running a half marathon. I’ll be honest, thought it would be easy, when I saw people do it last year. It turns out it’s not easy at all, and I’ve been training hard to get through it! I want to use this as a opportunity to raise money for something that matters deeply to me.

As many of you know, I’ve been volunteering with the Oxford Sea Cadets every week for the past 9 years. Sea Cadets is a youth charity that supports over 14,000 young people across the UK and here in Oxford, we work with over 50 cadets every single week. Our doors are open to anyone aged 10–18, giving young people the chance to grow in confidence, learn new skills, and take part experiences both on and off the water. It’s especially valuable for those who may not thrive in the classroom.

Right now, we’re fundraising for something vital: a new kitchen for our unit. With the rising cost of living, we are seeing more cadets arriving hungry. Over the years we’ve done what we can to provide food for them and even for their families but our kitchen is outdated and no longer fit for purpose. We want to rebuild it so we can feed our cadets properly.

This is about more than meals. With a redesigned kitchen, we’ll be able to teach cooking as a life skill.

Your support can make this possible. With your donation, you’ll be helping us ensure no Oxford sea cadet goes hungry, while also giving them the chance to learn skills that last a lifetime.

Thank you for supporting both me in this challenge!

Ps Don't worry I am not teaching people how to cook!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Donation summary

Total
£690.00
+ £167.50 Gift Aid
Online
£690.00
Offline
£0.00

Charities pay a small fee for our service. Learn more about fees