A group of Whangarei sea cadets nominated for a national community service award has won top prize.
The Training Ship Diomede on Riverside Drive is the country's northern most sea cadet unit that trains 11 teenagers between 13 and 18 years old with leadership skills they can use in their chosen careers.
The unit was presented with the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association Community Services Award by the Governor-General in Wellington two weeks ago. It is the first time they have won the award.
David Gilbert, commanding officer of the Training Ship Diomede, said his unit was nominated for the work the cadets did with Maritime New Zealand by spreading the safer boating message around Northland last year.
"Our cadets travelled around Northland no further south than Mangawhai to boat launches and pushed safety messages because Northland has a prolific number of boating incidents.