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First Walk Of The Summer

Cadets from 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn have continued to increase the number of Duke of Edinburgh’s award holders on the Squadron as four cadets have completed their expedition phase of their silver award.

104 Squadron teamed up with 2484 (Bassingbourn) and 2461 (Sawston) Sqns to run a joint expedition up in the White Peaks near Bakewell.

Cdt Cpls Ben Wisbey and Robbie Neal completed their assessed expedition meaning they have now gained their silver awards. They can now proudly wear the badges on their uniform as the begin working towards the next level of the award. Cdt Cpl Alex Jenvey and Cdt Bella Shallcross completed their practice expedition and now can go on to complete their assessed expedition later in the year.

Cpl Robbie Neal said: “Completing my silver Duke of Edinburgh’s award was a real challenge from start to finish but was very rewarding. I am proud that I can now wear my silver badge on my uniform and inspire the junior cadets to partake in the award."

CI Jess Bradshaw added: “The squadron has been really focusing on developing the award for the cadets on the unit. Bronze DofE is free to all Air Cadets and is a valuable life skill for a young person to have on their CV.”

by: CI Jess Bradshaw Sqn MCO 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn - B&C Wg

07 Jun 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Sunshine for a Bank Holiday Expedition

After days of rain and high winds, the bank holiday was expected to be a typical wash out, however, as 19 cadets from 115 (Peterborough) Sqn picked up their rucksacks and ventured out to start their bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition, the sun started to shine and the winds dropped.

There is nothing worse than being wet, cold and miserable whilst completing their hike to the designated camping spot but the sun was shining, temperatures were rising and the cadets set off in high spirits ready to tackle the challenge.

All of the cadets had been working through the relevant sections of their award, such as skills, sports and volunteering. Having completed their practice expedition on the early May Bank Holiday, they re-packed their camping gear into their rucksacks and set off from the Squadron HQ.

The expedition consisted of several learning tasks, such as navigation and surveying the local area for evidence that the Romans once resided in the Peterborough area. After spending three hours collating their evidence on the Saturday, their route lead them to Sacrewell Farm on the outskirts of Cambridgeshire. There they had the task of pitching their tented accommodation for the evening and settling down for a cooked evening meal.

The squadron's DofE leader, CI Barry Buckingham, watched their progress throughout the day and was at the campsite with other adult staff to assist the cadets, he said: "The cadets have to complete this expedition unassisted, proving to the assessor that they can plan a route, follow that said route and then stay overnight with minimal supervision or interjection by staff members."

Having stayed overnight, the cadets packed up and headed the 6 miles back to their start point to finish for the weekend. However, their work does not finish there, they are now required to collate all their evidence and provide a written report of their expedition and their findings. This needs to be submitted within four weeks.

Cdt Ryan Cornwell said: "I was thrilled to have completed the weekend. It was hard work carrying all of our kit in our rucksacks but we had a great team and kept each other motivated through the walking. It was a great experience and I can’t wait to see if we have passed and move on to working on our Silver Award."

All of the cadets were assessed during the weekend by Sqn Ldr Rob Bradshaw and are awaiting to hear if they have successfully completed their expedition

by: Karen Barfield Sqn MCO 115 (Peterborough) Sqn - B&C Wg

01 Jun 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

1360’s Trepid Explorers go for Silver

On a sunny early morning, a group of seven cadets from 1360 (Stapleford & Sandiacre) Sqn, travelled to the Peak District to begin their Silver DofE expedition.

After many weeks of preparing and volunteering to gain their silver Awards, they were finally ready to take part in the 3 day walk. The group consisted of Cdt Cpls Jade Cox (15) Shannon Conway (14) Stuart McPherson (16) Cdts Elly Ongoma (15) Ryan Griffin (16) Joel Terry (15) and Cdt Cpl Charlotte Lee (16).

These intrepid explorers completed their self-sufficient 3 day expedition, after walking 20km each day from Llam to Leek to Longnor, having to carry their camping equipment and food all on their backs! The hours of trekking through the country side paid off when they successfully reached the finish in Longnor, and were greeted by celebratory ice creams in the sun.

The squadron are very proud of all our cadets who complete their Duke of Edinburgh’s as it’s a challenging aspect to cadets and at such a young age it’s a great achievement. Next Stop Gold! Cpl Lee Said: “It was a great weekend for the whole team as we all made it to the finish, it was challenging but as we stuck as a team it made it fun and enjoyable. I’m really glad I managed to finish it as now I know I can push for gold!”

by: Cdt FS Abbie Jones Sqn MCO 1360 (Stapleford and Sandiacre) Sqn - SEM Wg

27 May 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Swadlincote Instructor's Going for Gold

Last weekend saw one of Swadlincote's latest CIs join twelve cadets from around South Derbyshire to embark on their first training and planning weekend in preparation for successful completion of their Gold DofE expeditions, taking place in the Summer.

The weekend included pre-expedition training required for Gold Level expeditions incorporating: practical exersises in navigation in remote country, camp craft, route planning, and finally food and nutrition.

CI Clare Tildesley a current Gold DofE participant said: “Prior to a short break from the Air Cadet Organisation for University, I successfully managed to achieve both my Bronze and Silver DofE awards, so accepting the challenge to partake in the Gold award, was one I took willingly but also found a very daunting prospect as I had not picked up a map for at least 4 years, although the skills I have learnt from this weekend, led by Flt Lt James Roberts (Deputy Adventure Training Officer for cadets in the South and East Midlands area) has gave me great confidence in continuing my interest in the outdoors and prepared me, both mentally and physically for the expeditions that still lie ahead.”

It is anticipated that at Gold Level, a participant, like CI Tildesley, should spend approximately 12 months working towards successful completion of the award. Upon successful completion of the Gold Award CI Tildesley will receive an official invitation to St James Palace in London, to be presented with her certificate with a member of the Royal Family and various celebrities present.

by: CI Clare Tildesley Sqn MCO 1211 (Swadlincote) Sqn - SEM Wg
 

26 May 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

A DofE Rainbow

2286 (Arden) Sqn now has two staff qualified as DOfE Award Expedition Assessors after the recent Wing DofE camp.

On what was an extremely wet and windy weekend, the two staff each had to carry out a supported assessment on groups of cadets undertaking their expedition, including carrying out kit checks and monitoring the progress of the group. Despite the weather the two groups completed their expeditions successfully, eventually enjoying their Saturday evening meal under the arch of a rainbow.

The squadron is extremely pleased that they are now able to completely carry out expeditions to silver level entirely from staff on squadron and would like to thank everyone involved for arranging the assessments.

by: Fg Off Julie Seymour RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 2286 (Arden) Sqn - W&B Wg

18 May 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Dunstable Complete Silver Practice

Eight cadets from 460 (Dunstable) Sqn have completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award practice walk in the Peak District, along with cadets from 1985 (Flitwick) and 1003 (Leighton Buzzard) Sqns.

The cadets consisting of Cdt Sgt Loczy, Ct Cpls Holdstock, Brinklet, Anderson and Cdts Jones, Snelling, McClune and Manseri along with CI Alex Bell and Marine Poole took themselves off to the Peak District over the Bank Holiday weekend to complete the three days of walking, sleeping outdoors and cooking.

The cadets are due to complete their Award in October with their final expedition.

by: CI Alexandra Bell 460 (Dunstable) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

14 May 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bank Holiday Expedition Training

Cadets from 22 (Sandy) and 2065 (Biggleswade) Sqns, recently spent their bank holiday undertaking a day of training for their upcoming Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions. The training day took place on the bank holiday on Monday 6th May, and taught the cadets attending all the skills they would require to complete their expeditions.

The day started with a lesson on route planning, and filling in route cards, which would be used during the rest of the day on a navigation walk. The cadets then set out on an eight mile walk from Sandy to Biggleswade, via Potton, stopping along the route for various lessons.

These lessons included navigation skills, expedition first aid, cooking on an expedition, and how to set-up and pack away a campsite, using tents recent purchase thanks to donations made to the Squadron.

Cdt Filippo Plumb said: “It’s been a really good day, and I’ve learned a lot about what is required on an expedition. I can’t wait to put those skill into use on an expedition."

by: CI Jeffrey Henshaw Sqn MCO 22 (Sandy) Sqn - B&C Wg

13 May 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

DofE Practice at the Suffolk Coast

The beautiful Suffolk coast was the destination for 17 cadets from 863 (Thurston) Sqn over a sunny April weekend, to take part in their Duke of Edinburgh Award practice expedition.

The cadets had spent several weeks carefully preparing the expedition; the routes, the weather forecasts to check the equipment they would need and their meals, as well as developing an investigatory project to complete during the expedition. Information for their project, which can range from the wildlife in the area to the land use, is gathered along the route, and the group deliver a presentation on their expedition and their project after the expedition is complete. Their careful planning culminated in a two-day unaccompanied self-sufficient expedition around the Leiston, Saxmundham, and Snape area, with an overnight stay at the Beach View Campsite at Sizewell.

The cadets were divided into three groups. In Group One were Cdt Cpl Katie Spark and Cdts Bronwyn Jacobs, Georgia McDonald, Zoe Maddison and Anna Shelton; in Group Two were Cdt Cpls Matthew Skoyles and Matthew Baldry and Cdts Megan Hood, Sophie Hunt, Anastasia Oakey, Harvey Pearson, and Bradley Collins; and in Group Three were Cdts Callum Wade, William Lockyear, Matthew Moeser, Chris Gwatkin and Ewan Gadd.

Cdt Cpl Skoyles had a great weekend, and when he returned he said: “It was a really good weekend, we all had a go at navigating and we saw some new places. We worked well as a team and I mixed with people I wouldn’t normally mix with outside of cadets.”

All of the cadets completed their practice expedition successfully, under supervision by staff from the squadron.

by: CI Claire Marks Sqn MCO 863 (Thurston) Sqn - N&S Wg
 

01 May 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cadets Going for Gold

Cadets from 2222 (Brigg) Sqn have recently completed their first Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award practice expedition in the Peak District, the staff and cadets travelling to The Peak District National Park during the Easter half term break to undertake four days of hill walking in the area. Each day consisted of eight hours of planned activity.

The expedition gave the cadets a chance to practice the techniques needed to undertake an expedition in unfamiliar terrain and covered navigation using map and compass, kit preparation and gave staff the opportunity to assess the fitness levels prior to the real expedition later in the year. Day one saw the team start their walk from Saddleworth Moor towards Edale via Hayfield.

Flt Lt Gill Wills Officer Commanding 2222 (Brigg) Sqn said: “The teamwork and determination showed during this practice expedition was fantastic. I am very proud of them. It was a challenging expedition but they all pulled together and I’m looking forward to them completing their Gold Qualifying Expedition later in the summer.”

by: FS (ATC) Fiona Bayes Sqn MCO 2222 (Brigg) Sqn - Trent Wg

28 Apr 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cadets Strive for Silver

Twenty Four cadets from across Nottinghamshire have successfully completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award Practice Expedition in the Peak District National Park.

The cadets from squadrons in Long Eaton, Stapleford, Beeston and Bilborough completed an arduous route spanning 2 nights, 2 days and 36 km to successfully complete their Practice Expedition. The Expedition section of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award requires cadets to complete a Practice and Assessed Expedition during which a qualified assessor assesses cadets against the 20 expedition conditions stipulated by the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. This weekends expedition saw cadets battling extremes of weather with snow drifts on the ground in places, night time temperatures below freezing and hot, dusty and dry daytimes.

Cdt FS Laura Allen of 2195 (Long Eaton) Sqn commented: "The expedition was hard but we worked well together as a team and made sure we all got through it, despite some challenging moments!"

The cadets will now begin planning their routes for the final expedition in May when the cadets will take on the western side of the Peak District in the 3 day, 2 night final expedition.

Image: some of the participating cadets high in the Derbyshire Peaks.

by: Flt Lt Alan Munns RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 2195 (Long Eaton) Sqn - SEM Wg

09 Aor 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Awarded

Congratulations go to Cdt Cpl Jack Rogers from 2500 (St Neots) Sqn on gaining his Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Cpl Rogers will now work his way to the next step on the ladder, the Silver Award. The Bronze Award was presented by the Commanding Officer of St Neots Squadron, Flt Lt Graham Sturgess.

Image: Cdt Cpl Jack Rogers being presented with his award

by: Flt Lt Margaret Bell RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 2500 (St Neots) Sqn - B&C Wg

08 Mar 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Found in Harborne?

Tuesday 29th January saw four cadets from 485 (Harborne and Quinton) Sqn awarded their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s award at the Squadron HQ in Harborne.

The four, Cdt Sgt Hitchman, Cdt Cpl Kettle and Cdt’s Mosson and Woolley had all worked hard during 2012 to ensure that their award was fully completed.

Along with other 485 Sqn cadets, the four had undertaken practice and actual expeditions earlier in the year and then undertook a physical exercise regime during the Summer which saw them racing against the RAF bleep test, and improving their score week on week.

Flt Lt Simon Jennings, OC 485 Sqn commented: “We achieved a total of 6 bronze awards in 2012 and I would like to personally thank WO Richard Coates and CI Peter Coates for all their hard work during 2012. They arrange all of the DofE at our squadron and now with FS Andy Hudson joining us, we have a strong adventure training team as we go forward in 2013. The cadets have worked extremely hard, but it will only get harder now has they undertake their silver awards.”

by: Flt Lt Simon Jennings RAF VR(T) 485 (Harborne and Quinton) Sqn - W&B Wg
 

09 Feb 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Duke of Edinburghs Awarded

Six cadets from 115 (Peterborough) Sqn were officially awarded their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh awards whilst on parade on Monday 7th January.

The cadets, aged between 15 and 16 all started their Duke of Edinburgh early part of last year and undertaking two practice expeditions and one final assessed expedition in October which took them ferry meadows to Sacrewell Farm where the cadets camped overnight before returning to the squadron in Westwood the following day.

The expeditions are just one element of the award, with sports, skills and community involvement. During this time, the cadets are expected to keep a log of all activities through the Duke of Edinburgh Internet site (EDofE) and these are then signed off by various members of staff. Once complete, this is submitted through to be signed off and authorised.

The supervising officer for Duke of Edinburgh in Beds and Cambs Wing, Sqn Ldr Robert Bradshaw, was available to present the certificates and badges to the youngsters. He said: "It's great to see a group who have started the award together all get presented with their certificates at the same time, I look forward to seeing them go on to achieve their Silver award in the next 12 to 18 months."

Cdt Alex Hill, who turned 15 on Monday when he was presented with his award, spent time volunteering at his local scout troop, assisting the scout leader organising events and activities. After volunteering for six months, he was able to get this section signed off as complete. He said: "I used to attend the scout troop in Longthorpe before deciding to move to the Air Cadet Organisation, so it seemed fitting to go back and volunteer my services whilst achieving my Duke of Edinburgh award."

Image: Five of the cadets who were awarded their certificates, Cdts Hill, Cook, Mills, Witt and Forrest.

by: CI Karen Barfield Sqn MCO 115 (Peterborough) Sqn - B&C Wg

16 Jan 2013                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze In Bedfordshire

Seven cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn recently completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s award expedition in Bedfordshire. The cadets completed their route in the area of Woburn Abbey camping overnight at Milton Bryan.

Having completed a practise expedition earlier in the year the cadets were more prepared with what to expect. They had planned their menus and decided who was going to bring which food for them to share as well as working out which equipment they could share out to help reduce the load of their rucksacks.

The team planned their two day route that would include six hours of journey time each day. The first day took them from Great Brickhill, through Woburn Abbey to the campsite. On the second day they walked part of the Greensand Ridge Walk to finish in Ampthill.

They found the navigation on day one quite challenging until they reached Woburn Abbey. When at the abbey they came across a triathlon event, it was interesting trying to walk along the route in the opposite direction to the runners!

For Cdts Calum Brownlie and Alfie Jaggard the expedition was the final part of their Bronze Award and they have recently been presented with their certificates and badges. They both now plan to take on the Silver award.

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - B&C Wg

15 Dec 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Seven Gold Awards for 2030 Cadets

2030 (Elmdon & Yardley) Sqn cadets have made recent history with a record seven Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards achieved in one go for their squadron, it was 2002 when this feat was last achieved in Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing.

The awards were presented by Wg Cdr Stuart Iles and Wing Adventure Training Officer Sqn Ldr Bryan Coates. The awards were a culmination of a number of years hard work for all seven which ranged from learning and excelling in new skills, physical training, two four day expeditions, a residential camp, and voluntary work in the community.

The seven Gold’s were awarded to Ben Howard, Hollie Booth, Jessica Duffy, Matthew Croton, Richard Bishop, Norman Wakeman and James Wakeman who will now go on to St James’ Palace where they will be presented with their official certificate from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh or his representative.

The squadron is set to end the year on 8 Bronze, 4 Silver and 8 Gold awards, a total of 20 awards gained in a single year – a rare achievement! Wg Cdr Iles commented: "It is a credit to all seven participants that their hard work and commitment has shown through and that it is great to see young adults wanting to make a positive impact on not only their future but the local community around them."

Some of the new Gold award holders since moving on from the Air Cadets have now gone on to serve in the armed forces, others now work for the United Nations while some are giving back what they have learned as adult volunteers at 2030 squadron and inspiring the future generations to fulfil their full potential.

by: Norman Wakeman DofE Officer 2030 (Elmdon & Yardley) Sqn - W&B Wg
 

13 Dec 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cadets Take to The Peak District

The first weekend of December saw cadets from 301 (Bury St Edmunds) Sqn take to the Peak District.

Leaving Bury on the Friday evening, a small group of cadets journeyed the 160 miles to Hathersage in Derbyshire, to participate in training for their Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Due to the freezing temperatures the squadron used a bunk barn, which was a luxury in comparison to their usual tents.

The cadets were split into two groups, based on their ability and experience. The younger group acclimatised to the area by practising orienteering skills learnt in the classroom. The more experienced group took to Stanage Edge, reaching Dale Dike Reservoir before heading back towards Hathersage. Due to the early sunset the cadets had the chance to use night navigation skills on the return leg, under the guidance of Mountain Leader, Flt Lt Wilding.

The Sunday morning saw the cadets continue with their expedition training. The senior group undertook a navigation exercise around Hathersage, heading over Burbage Rocks. Cadets aiming to participate in the Bronze Award next year walked around Higger Tor, to the east of Hathersage.

Cdt Cpl Matt Irwin commented: "I feel this weekend will help me with my navigation and team work skills. These are essential for the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. I thoroughly enjoyed the night navigation around Bamford – we don’t often get a chance to practise this so this was really useful. I would like to thank the staff for organising the weekend: it was enjoyed by all."

by: CI Dan Garlick Sqn MCO 301 (Bury St Edmunds) Sqn - N&S Wg
 

04 Dec 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

There’s Gold In Them There Hills

2286 (Arden) Sqn are immensely proud to announce that Cdt Sgt Brandon Ballard has achieved the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. The official presentation of his award badge was made at the Squadron on the occasion of the recent visit by Wg Cdr Stuart Iles.

Brandon completed the Gold level after an expedition in Wales, a huge achievement given that it requires four days walking and 3 days camping in challenging terrain, with everyone having to carry everything they need for the four days with them. In order to complete the level, Brandon completed a residential at Manston Camp earlier this year.

Brandon, who is also a lifeguard, worked extremely hard to achieve all of his Duke of Edinburgh Award levels and is now waiting for the official presentation at St James Palace. Well done Brandon!

Image: Wg Cdr Stuart Iles presents the DofE Gold badge to Cdt Sgt Brandon Ballard

by: Fg Off Julie Seymour Sqn MCO 2286 (Arden) Sqn - W&B Wg
 

28 Nov 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Success at Cambridge

Cadets from 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn have continued to increase the number of Duke of Edinburgh’s award holders on the Squadron as four more cadets have gained a bronze award.

Cdts Alex Jenvey, Alex McIntyre, Emily Waide and Isabella Shallcross have gained their bronze awards. They can now proudly wear the badges on their uniform as the begin working towards the next level of the award.

Cdt Alex McIntyre said: “Completing my bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s award was a real challenge from start to finish but was very rewarding. I am proud that I can now wear my bronze badge on my uniform and I look forward to starting my silver award.”

CWO Jess Bradshaw added: “The squadron has been really focusing on developing the award for the cadets on the unit. Bronze DofE is free to all Air Cadets and is a valuable life skill for a young person to have on their CV. So far this year we have gained 7 silver awards and 5 bronze awards.”
 

Image: Cdts Jenvey Shallcross and McIntyre

CWO Jess Bradshaw Sqn MCO 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

21 Nov 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

To The Palace For Their Gold Awards

They had been through a tough five days and four nights as well as a lot of long distance walking in the Dark Peak area of Derbyshire and after a year of waiting the day had finally arrived for four of 1360 (Stapleford Sandiacre) Sqn’s intrepid explorers and Duke of Edinburgh experts.

On Wednesday 14th November Cdt FS Liam Osbiston (17), Cdt Sgt Matthew Carre (17) and Cdt FS Abigail Jones (17) accompanied by Fg Off Phil Prudham, the Squadron’s Duke of Edinburgh Award Officer, made their way by train to St James’s Palace, where they were to meet Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh himself.

On arrival at St James palace they joined other cadets, armed forces personnel and scouts that were seated ready to be awarded their Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. It was an exciting time for the cadets as the commandant of the ACO, Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty, presented the certificates personally. Each cadet were called up to collect their award from the Air Commodore, where they shook hands and were then seated again. After all the awards had been received everyone was told to stand as the Duke of Edinburgh was going to be entering the room!

Prince Philip entered and there were smiles all around. Cdt FS Jones was especially excited as Prince Philip spoke to her asking where she was from. Afterwards she said: “I cannot believe Prince Philip spoke to me it was such an exciting moment for me, I couldn’t take the smile off my face as its not everyday people get to speak to him.”

After the awards ceremony had ended the proud parents and cadets headed over to the Royal Air Force Club. They had a spot of lunch and a look around the grand building then it was time to rush back to the train station and depart from London.

Fg Off Phil Prudham, said: “These three cadets have been exceptionally keen and completed all three levels – Bronze, Silver and now Gold – of the Award in record time. They are now helping the other cadets from the squadron gain their awards and are a credit to the squadron.”

Images: 1. Liam Osbiston, Phil Prudham, Matthew Carre and Abigail Jones at St James Palace; 2. Matthew Carre, Phil Prudham, Abigail Jones and Liam Osbiston at the RAF Club.

by: Fg Off Gareth Fowler RAF VR(T) 1360 (Stapleford Sandiacre) Sqn - SEM Wg

18 Nov 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Kelly Goes Four Gold

On Wednesday 14th November, CWO Claire Kelly (19) of 2484 Bassingbourn Sqn, collected her Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s certificate, making her the fourth and final member of her family to receive this prestigious award.

The certificate itself was presented by Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty, Commandant Air Cadets, who acknowledged the hard work and effort put into achieving such an exemplary award. The recipients, with an audience of close family and friends, were also in the presence of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, who took time to personally chat with groups of individuals about the experiences and challenges they faced when going through the scheme.

The Duke of Edinburgh award scheme has remained the same over the 56 years that it has been running. The highest attainable level of the award involves several four-day, wild camping expeditions alongside at least twelve months of volunteering, sports achievements and the development of a certain skill.

Sqn Ldr Tony Kelly, Claire’s father, was the first in the family to achieve this exemplary award in 1983, with his final expedition being in Wales. Her mother, Susan achieved hers shortly after in 1986. Claire’s brother Adam in achieved his two years ago, in 2010. The whole family gained the award through being part of the ATC and each member has continued to help the award scheme through running and supporting expeditions run by air cadet squadrons.

Image: Tony, Claire, Sue and Adam - four gold-holders outside St James' Palace

by: CWO Claire Kelly Sqn MCO 2484(Bassingbourn) Sqn - B&C Wg

17 Nov 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Arden & Cpl O’Shaughnessy Make Wing History

Last week Arden had a surprise visit when Sqn Ldr Coats came down to make a very special presentation. He told the cadets that Cdt Cpl Kate O’Shaughnessy had achieved a momentous first in the Wing, the first cadet to earn the Duke of Edinburgh Award by 'e DofE', a great achievement for both her and for the squadron.

To earn the award, Cdt Cpl O’Shaughnessy has learnt to wood turn with amazing results, to dive, has undertaken a number of projects as a Cdt Cpl, and completed two expeditions. She is now moving on to Silver where we expect her to continue with her amazing progress.

Fg Off Julie Seymour, who manages DofE on the squadron, said: "The squadron had decided to try using the e DofE system earlier in the year and had found it extremely easy to use, despite our initial expectations that it would be difficult. In fact it is essentially just an online records book, but with the potential to upload photos and letters etc." She also commented: "How proud the squadron is of Kate, both for achieving her bronze and for her initial willingness to give the e DofE a go!"

by: Fg Off Julie Seymour Sqn MCO 2286 (Arden) Sqn - W&B Wg
 

16 Nov 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Garlick Gets Gold

After enduring a 4 day expedition in the Bavarian District of Austria and Germany, CI Dan Garlick was awarded his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award at St James' Palace, on 14th November 2012.

Dan joined an expedition headed by the Duke of Edinburgh Officer, Sqn Ldr Helen Gerrish, to the beautiful Bavaria. He joined forty other cadets from the Air, Sea and Army Cadet Corps to take on a four day expedition. Dan who is now a CI at 301 (Bury St Edmunds) Sqn completed his award whilst he was a cadet with 1181 (Syston) Sqn in Leicester.

The presentation was held at St James' Palace, on 14th November, with over 300 young people in attendance. The certificates were issued by Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty, before the arrival of the Duke himself. The room was organised into four horseshoes and fell silent as HRH Prince Phillip entered the room. The Duke spoke to each of the four groups, with Dan being lucky enough to speak to him personally about his trip to Bavaria, as it was different to other expeditions.

After collecting his award Dan said: "The whole Duke of Edinburgh scheme has been a great experience. Having started my Bronze Award at fourteen, I have progressed heavily in many areas thanks to the award. The gold expedition was tough at times, as the terrain was hard and often the weather was not kind. Being in the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh and having the chance to speak to him, made the hard times in the expedition worth it!"

by: CI Dan Garlick Sqn MCO 301 (Bury St Edmunds) Sqn - N&S Wg

15 Nov 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Staff Gold Rush at Swadlincote

Eight Instructors from 1211 (Swadlincote) Sqn have achieved the revered Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Mercian Private Adam Bayley-Bligh, Plt Off Richard Gaskell, Military Police Officer L/Cpl Simon Martin, Firefighter and CI Oliver Sartain-Berry, CIs Robert Charlesworth, Edward Price, Thomas LeFevre and James Galliers-Parker achieved their Awards whilst volunteering as Instructors at the squadron. Each completed numerous expeditions across the United Kingdom and over eighteen months of volunteer services within the local community, as well as achieving advanced sports qualifications and learning new professional skills, as stipulated by the rigorous assessment regulations.

Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty presented the Awards to the team in the presence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh during a ceremony held at St James’ Palace in London this week, supported by an audience of the teams’ colleagues, friends and family. In addressing the assembly, Air Commodore McCafferty acknowledged the exemplary level of effort and achievement the Gold Award represents, and congratulated the team on their success.

1211 Squadron Commander, Flt Lt Alyn Thomson, reflected: “The entire Corps and I are extremely proud of this enthusiastic and dedicated team for their excellent success in achieving this Award.”

Image: Flt Lt Alyn Thomson, CI's Edward Price & Robert Charlesworth, Firefighter & CI Oliver Sartain-Berry, Plt Off Richard Gaskell, Mercian Private Adam Bayley-Bligh, Gp Capt Brett Morrell

by: CI Olly Sartain-Berry Sqn MCO 1211 (Swadlincote) Sqn - SEM Wg

14 Nov 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze DofE Celebration

Cdts Andrew Goodman and Jamie Toms are celebrating after receiving their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award last night, presented by the 51 (Orton) Sqn’s new Commanding Officer Flt Lt Andy Mason. Both cadets completed their final expedition with Flt Lt Andy Mason along with other cadets from 2430 Holbeach Sqn.

For Andrew and Jamie to receive the Bronze Award, each cadet completed 6 months of Volunteering, plus 3 months of commitment to learning a new skill and improving and physical skill. In addition to this they under took a two day expedition, 1 night camp. Both cadets said: “Having achieved the first level of this prestige award, we are now keen to start tackling the Silver”.

by: CI Natasha Robinett Sqn MCO 51 (Orton) Sqn - B&C Wg

08 Nov 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Silver Success at 104

Cadets from 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn have continued to increase the number of Duke of Edinburgh’s award holders on the squadron as seven cadets have gained a silver award.

Cdt Cpls Julie Nash, Alex Rose, Adam Brown and Cdts Poppy Saunders, Ben Bullman, Freya Priestnall and Catherine Watson have achieved their silver awards. They can now proudly wear the badges on their uniform as the begin working towards the next level of the award.

Cdt Cpl Alex Rose said: “Completing my silver Duke of Edinburgh’s award was a real challenge from start to finish but was very rewarding. I am proud that I can now wear my silver badge on my uniform and inspire the junior cadets to partake in the award.”

CWO Jess Bradshaw added: “The squadron has been really focusing on developing the award for the cadets on the unit. Bronze DofE is free to all Air Cadets and is a valuable life skill for a young person to have on their CV. So far this year we have been on 3 bronze expeditions and 2 silver.”

by: CWO Jess Bradshaw Sqn MCO 104(City of Cambridge) Sqn B&C
 

08 Nov 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Gold Expedition In The Lake District

A Duke of Edinburgh’s Award group from 1220 (March) Sqn recently completed their Gold Expedition in the Lake District. The expedition involved journeying on foot for four days covering a distance of over 50 miles and carrying all of the equipment they required for the journey.

The team of five started near Shap on the M6 in Cumbria and spent the first part of day one walking along the edge of Haweswater Reservoir. While walking in this area they kept their eyes peeled for sight of the Gold Eagle that is reported to nest there. After leaving the lake they turned uphill to climb Kidsty Pike before descending to Angle Tarn where they spent the night. For some this was the first time they had camped wild and they found it to be a liberating experience.

Having had a beautiful evening by the lake they woke up on day two to persistent rain. Fortunately their route for day two was low level; having descended from their wild campsite they followed the edge of Ullswater to their campsite beneath Little Mell Fell. Spirits were low as the weather had sapped all their enthusiasm, fortunately the campsite they had chosen had a shelter they could use to cook under and get a short respite from the rain before spending their second night under canvas.

Day three was a better day, brighter weather and good teamwork helped them complete the route over the old coach road into St John’s in the Vale. On this day the team found a stray dog that appeared to have lost its owner. They were worried that the owner may be in trouble but the dog turned out to be a hound that had become separated from the pack the previous weekend and would eventually find its own way home. Apparently it’s a regular occurrence.

On their last night the team enjoyed eating as much of their food as possible so they would have less to carry on the last day. Having heard a weather report for the following day they planned to get an early night and start as soon as possible the next day to try and beat the poor weather due the following afternoon. They also elected to take their alternative route rather than tackle the summit of Hellvelyn.

The final day took them underneath Hellvelyn along Thirlmere and the up to Grisedale Tarn. From here they descended to Ruthwaite Lodge, a climbers hut owned by Outwood Bound where they met their assessor. On the way down the poor weather came in and they found themselves in the middle of a thunderstorm and heavy rain. Reaching the lodge was very welcome as they were soaked through. They spend fifteen minutes having a bite to eat and chatting with their assessor before completing the final two hour descent to the finish in Patterdale.

The team comprised of three staff members Plt Offs Charlotte Bone 2524 (Oakington) & Max Avard 2461 (Sawston) Sqns, Sgt (ATC) Megan Saunders from 1220 (March) Sqn, as well as two cadets from 1220 Squadron, Cdt Sgt Katie Dickson (17) and Cdt Cpl Alex MacRae (16). For Charlotte, Megan and Katie it is the final section of the award they needed to complete and once their final admin has been completed they should be invited to St James’ Palace to be presented with their Gold certificate.

Sgt Megan Saunders said: “I’m really proud of my achievement, I also feel more confident in training cadets for their Bronze Award as I feel that I can draw on my own experience and empathise with them. Our expedition had some really miserable points, particularly day 2 but on the last day the rain didn’t matter anymore because we knew we were sleeping in a dry Youth Hostel that night. That and the thought of eating fresh fruit spurred us all on to finish.”

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - B&C Wg

19 Oct 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Sandy Complete Bronze Expedition

Cadets from 22 (Sandy) along with 2065 (Biggleswade) Sqn, recently completed their final Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition, walking over two days through Bedfordshire.

Starting on Saturday 29th September, the cadets set off in three teams, navigating their way to the campsite. Throughout the day the cadets kept each other’s moral high, with a little help with some sweets, and games along the route, such as eye spy.

At the campsite the cadets set up camp, cooking dinner in their teams and relaxing before their final day of walking. In the morning the cadets packed up camp after breakfast and headed for the finish. At the end of the weekend the cadets felt like they had achieved something special, after being totally self-sufficient for the two days and working together in their teams.

Cdt Cpl William Clubb (15) said: “It was a challenging weekend that required a lot of effort, but was well worth it, and I’m very much looking forward to doing the Silver expedition.” For a number of the cadets the expedition marks the completion of their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award which comprises four sections, including the expedition.

Image: Cadets stop for a photograph at Broom

by: CI Jeffrey Henshaw Sqn MCO 22 (Sandy) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

09 Oct 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Autumn Bronze Expedition Success

12 cadets  from 115 (Peterborough) Sqn spent the weekend of 29th and 30th September completing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition. The expedition consisted of the cadets hiking a pre-planned course to their overnight campsite and then finishing at Ferry Meadows on the Sunday afternoon, all tired but very happy to have completed the route.

After months of training and route planning, the youngsters were eager to complete their assessed expedition after completing their practice expedition in June.

As the sun shone on Saturday morning, the cadets were in high spirits as the set off on their route to Sacrewell farm. Throughout the day, they spent time recording the flora and fauna along the route and will be expected to complete an evaluation of their expedition online to complete their Bronze Award.

After an overnight camp, the cadets headed back to Ferry Meadows to be greeted by parents. Throughout the weekend, the cadets completed four hours of walking per day and three hours of nature studies, taking them through Ferry Meadows Country Park. The predicted rain which was due to hit Peterborough on the Sunday, managed to hold off until all of the youngsters finished.

Cdt Andrew Cook was one of the youngsters who completed the weekend, he said: "It was much better than the practice expedition as we knew that this was the assessed weekend and had to ensure that everything was completed fully. We have been working on this for several months now and it is a great feeling to have finished the route."

The cadets will continue working on the other elements of their Bronze Award, such as community service, sports, skills and project work.

by: CI Karen Barfield Sqn MCO 115 (Peterborough) Sqn - B&C Wg

03 Oct 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Just Keep On Walking

Ten cadets from 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn are celebrating after completing Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award Practice Expeditions sections following an expedition in Thetford.

Seven cadets completed their Bronze Award and three cadets completed their Silver Practice. They were joined by cadets from 2524 (Oakington) and 51 (Orton) Sqns for the two day expedition around the area of Thetford. The expedition was supported by staff members from the three squadrons and the Wing Duke of Edinburgh Officer, Flt Lt Rob Bradshaw, who was assessing the groups.

The expedition was the culmination of a lot of hard work from the cadets who had completed training sessions and a practice expeditions along with continuing to take part in the other elements of the Award; volunteering, physical and skill. During the expedition the cadets navigation was tested and the on and off wet weather tested their morale and team spirit.

Cdt Cpl Ben Wisbey said: “Completing the expedition part of my Silver Award has been very challenging and I am really pleased to have completed it and can now look forward to completing the rest of my award and wearing my badge with pride.”

Expedition assessor Flt Lt Bradshaw added: “The team should be very pleased with what they achieved. They navigated well and above all worked together as a team to ensure they all completed the route safely. Congratulations.”

by: CWO Jess Bradshaw Sqn MCO 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

02 Oct 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

A Fine Weekend for DofE in Wolvey

15 cadets from 163 (Coventry Phoenix) Sqn recently joined cadets from 8F (1st City of Coventry) Sqn for their bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions. Their meeting point and base for the weekend was Villa Farm campsite at Wolvey.

The cadets met at the campsite on Saturday morning, rucksack packed and ready to walk. The sun was shining and the forecast was for a glorious weekend and before commencing their expeditions, they were swapping their jackets for sun-cream! The good weather bought good spirits and after meeting their groups, sharing the tents and being issued their maps, the three groups were ready to walk.

The sunshine, so welcomed early on, soon became an enemy for the groups as the heat reached 25 degrees and the cadets soon learned that water was their best friend! The conditions became quite difficult for some as they were concentrating on their navigation skills, for some it was the first time they had walked with a rucksack and struggling with the heat but it was so encouraging to see teamwork come to the fore as motivation became key to completing the walk.

Three exhausted groups finally arrived back at the campsite and quickly put up their tents, eager to get their evening meals cooking. They were soon revitalised after a shower and food and they became the evening entertainment as they were debriefed by the staff and gave amusing accounts of their day from their well maintained diaries.

There were many tired faces emerging from the tents on Sunday morning, (including some of the staff). They were again greeted by blue skies and sunshine which made everyone feel brighter. Once they had enjoyed their breakfasts and their rucksacks were packed, they set off for day two of their expeditions. Another successful day resulted in the two assessed groups successfully completing their expeditions and the cadets in the third group being signed off as ready to embark on their assessed expedition, early next year.

Wolvey is an excellent location for Bronze level D of E and the Villa Farm campsite is a great base, with very well maintained facilities. The conditions were difficult this weekend, especially for some of the cadets who have little experience of walking and navigating and it was great to see their progress throughout the weekend. There were some great characters amongst the groups who really kept the teams motivated and it was encouraging that some of the successfully assessed cadets were immediately asking about continuation to their silver award.

by: Mandy Sinfield Sqn MCO 163 (Coventry Phoenix) Sqn - W&B Wg

16 Sep 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cadets Go For Gold!

Four cadets from 115 (Peterborough) Sqn completed a gruelling four day expedition in the Bavarian Alps last weekend to complete their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Cdt FS Matt Purcell (17), Cdt Sgts Jess Danells (16) and Abbie Brooks (16), along with Cdt Cpl Jordan Ash (16) left Peterborough on Friday 24th August to embark on their adventure. Once they had arrived at their start point of Altstaden, they prepared themselves mentally and physically before they officially started the expedition. There were 35 participants in total completing the expedition, with cadets from the Combined Cadet Corps, the Army Cadet Corps as well as the Air Cadets.

Planning for the trip had started 10 months previously when the four cadets from Peterborough Squadron were invited to take part in the expedition. Normally, the cadets would venture to the Lake District or the Peak District to complete the Gold expedition. This was an opportunity that could not be missed.

Fundraising started immediately after the four individuals were offered a place, with them completing bag packs at the local Sainsbury’s supermarket and selling cookies and hot chocolate to the cadets on parade nights. The cadets were fortunate enough to have a very generous donation from the Peterborough branch of RAFA which helped them to reach their target.

Once the cadets were acclimatised, they started on their four day, three night expedition, which took them through the stunning scenery of the German/Austrian Alps. In total, they covered over 72 kilometres over the four days and finished their journey in Bad Hindenburg on Friday, returning to the UK on Sunday morning.

Cdt Sgt Jess Danells explained: "The most memorable bit for her was experiencing the amazing scenery throughout the expedition – it was breathtaking. The opportunity to complete this expedition overseas was a once in a lifetime chance and I am so glad that we put all the months of planning, preparation and fundraising into being able to complete it."

Cdt FS Matt Purcell was: "So proud to have completed this journey and experience – it is not all about the expedition, that was the icing on the cake but we have also had to complete all of the other sections of the award, such as skills, volunteering and sports before we were able to even think about the trip."

by: CI Karen Barfield Sqn MCO 115 (Peterborough) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

09 Sep 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

To The Mendips For The Silver Expedition

Cadets from 2028 (Southam) Sqn recently travelled to the Mendips for their Silver actual D of E Expedition.

The cadets and staff left the squadron on the Tuesday to travel down to the Camp site at Broadway Park in Cheddar. The cadets had been told by those who had been to the Mendips before that they would be camped on a Holiday Park so they couldn’t believe their luck when they found proper Shower facilities. But reality dawned when they arrived in the Mendips about midday and were told to prepare for their first navigation walk.

They soon got into the navigation realising that the first day’s route would take them back to their camping site for the night so the inspiration to get it right was overwhelming! Once at the camp site the cadets found the pitch and set up camp. Everyone then had a good meal, cleaned up and spent the rest of the evening chatting and resting ready for the next day. The weather on the first day was settled and dry but just after they set up camp it began to rain.

The Wednesday dawned with cloudy skies and no sooner had the cadets got ready it started to pour with rain, after all it wouldn’t be D of E without some rain! So after everyone had a cooked breakfast and hot drinks they prepared for what would be a full day’s navigation. The cadets set off on their first navigation at a steady pace and grabbed their lunch near Warren Farm whilst it was dry on the other side of a wood near to the farm.

After that they found themselves taking a small detour along the wrong footpath and then on realising their error found they were heading in the wrong direction so they took another diversion, down a steep hill of mostly mud but after some thought and checking the map managed to regain their route and moved on. At that point nature seemed to give them a reminder of the time by beginning to rain fairly heavily. After stopping for lunch everyone set off once again, reaching the highest point in the county where the cadets had a 10 minute break to admire the view. The walk was quite long and difficult on all the Cadets and they finally arrived back in camp and after a meal seemed to fall asleep unusually quickly!

The cadets woke up to a better day on the Thursday which turned into a mainly dry and sunny day. It took a little time for them to motivate themselves after their exertions of the day before and the bad weather. But with the tents and kit packed away and a good breakfast they set off at a good pace but were surprised how long it seemed to be before the first check point.

The cadets were clearly relieved and really happy that they had made it. The weather for the day was actually quite nice, with the worst that happened was being fairly windy on top of the biggest hill they navigated near to ‘Crooked Peak’, a big rock on top of a hill which protruded out slightly to the side like a wizards hat. They got back to the Mini Bus and began the long journey home, most of them falling asleep almost as soon as the bus moved off!

Everyone agreed that the expedition was a great success, with the occasional navigational error and heavy rain keeping everyone focused. The result of the weekend was an achievement for all by qualifying for their Silver Expedition through sometimes physically demanding and mentally difficult situations. The combined efforts of teamwork and spirit of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award produced yet another excellent result.

Flt Lt Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron commented: “The cadets have worked really hard again this year to reach this stage so achieving a ‘pass’ in the Mendips is great news for all of them. They certainly put in a tremendous effort to gain their Silver Expedition in what was a typical British Summer with rain one minute and sun the next.”

Images: The Group – Cdts Brooks, Skerratt and Brooksbank, Cdt Cpl Van Kesteren and Cdt Storer at the back with Cdt Cpl Ognjanovic and Cdt Wade at the front.
 

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

05 Sep 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Southam Cadets Achieve Bronze At Wellesbourne

Four cadets accompanied by staff from 2028 (Southam) Sqn recently took part in a Qualifying Bronze D of E Expedition weekend at Wellesbourne near Warwick.

The weekend was organised by the Squadron Learning and Development Officer WO (ATC) Storer-Rogers. The weather during the weekend was dry and mainly sunny. Saturday was quite warm with mostly cloudy skies all the way, Sunday started dull but although the sun made an occasional appearance during the day it remained dry and quite warm. With the temperatures holding up but never too hot all weekend it was ideal for walking, although the cadets maintained their water intake. The cadets had gained experience over the earlier D of E weekend in April and worked hard to achieve their goal of qualifying for their Bronze Expedition.

With weather being kind it was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate their navigational skills over routes which were completely new to them with a base camp they had not used before. The geography of the area is challenging and was not quite as ‘flat’ as the cadets might have anticipated when they arrived to set up their camp site. The camp site had washing facilities and toilets but being adjacent to an active airfield with both incoming and outgoing flights of light aircraft and helicopters buzzing around during training flights, the skies above never really became quiet until the dark hours! The cadets working as a team and always cheerful managed to maintain a good pace and on both days and came in ahead of schedule each day.

2028 Squadron continues to be successful with D of E results, with most cadets on the squadron having achieved either Bronze or Silver so this latest group will boost the numbers already achieved in 2011. With constant training and preparation for the next level the cadets can be inspired to achieve all they can in the D of E Award and watching this latest group their skills and initiative as a team were second to none.

WO Rogers commented: “I was extremely impressed with the cadets who worked well as a team and even though they were tired, they maintained excellent morale within the group, not for the first time, it was a pleasure assessing them.”

Flt Lt Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron commented: “We continue to do really well in D of E and this year is continuing that theme and it is great to see that the new cadets want to follow on from those who have achieved such success at all levels in the D of E Award Scheme. They and the Staff know how committed I am to maintaining our results. It also gives me an opportunity to look at future leaders within the squadron.”

Images: 1. Cdts Cave, Bishop, Easton and English; 2. The cadets checking their map and during their navigation.

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

05 Sep 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Gold D of E Practice at Llanbedr
A Cadets Account!

Five cadets from 2028 (Southam) Sqn recently travelled to 163 Sqn HQ to join the Wing transport to Llanbedr Training Centre. The week long camp in North West Wales, run by Wing Staff is designed to get cadets through either their Silver or Gold practice or actual Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions.

We left 163 HQ at 9:30am and travelled to 492 Squadron and then 495 Squadron, to collect the other cadets. We then began the journey to Llanbedr, arriving at 3pm. The weather was pretty average as the cadets were taken inside to be briefed on the week ahead and settle into their dorms for the first night.

After being briefed by Sqn Ldr Isles, the cadets were then split into their walking groups, given their routes for their expeditions and set to the task of marking checkpoints. The five cadets from 2028 Squadron were all placed into one group with one other female cadet from Bristol and Gloucester Wing, as they were all completing their Gold practice expedition. Completing the checkpoint cards on the first evening, gave the cadets the chance to bond with their groups and make new friends, it also made them realise how far they actually had to walk! Between completing the cards, each group was taken by a member of staff for a kit check, this enabled each cadet to lose a lot of unnecessary kit and make their packs considerably lighter!

On the Sunday, we were taken into the hills with the staff, split into groups and given the chance to get to know the area and terrain and ensure our map reading skills were up to scratch. I found this morning incredibly useful, as it enabled us as a group to get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses before actually starting our expedition. Taken back to the centre for lunch, we had Sunday afternoon to complete the checkpoint cards and ensure kit was fully prepared for drop off at the campsites that evening. Each group was also given their aim of the expedition; this was to be completed during the expedition and was to be presented to all of the other cadets and staff at the end of the week. Our group’s expedition was ‘to compare the quality of each campsite’. After dinner on Sunday evening, each group was taken to their first campsite to begin their expeditions. Our group was taken to Cedris Farm, a nice, picturesque campsite with good facilities, but unfortunately we only got to sleep there!

On the Monday morning, leaving the campsite in good time, we were all feeling bright and fresh until we hit the 380m climb of a hill we had to do as the first part of our route. After the first climb, the hills weren’t too bad and the day went very well, completing around 15km. Our group finished in good time, arriving at Bwlchgwyn Farm, our second campsite. Here, we had a nice pitch and the view was breath taking.

On the second day of the expedition, we had the huge bridge at Barmouth to cross (about 3km) at the start of the route, normally a toll bridge, we hit lucky that day as it was the staff’s day off! Day two of our expedition was the warmest day, however, we still managed to complete the 17km route in good time, thanks to Sgt Caves’ excellent navigation skills. We stayed at Parc ISAF on the third evening with one other gold group and two silvers; we had a nice evening socialising as the warm weather in the day was maintained during the evening.

However, Wednesday morning was a different story; we woke to very strong winds, a completely different picture to the previous day. Staying at the campsites with the other gold group was useful as they were travelling the opposite way on the route to us, so we were able to share tips and advice. Day three was incredibly windy in the morning making it hard to navigate (and stand up!) but we still walked at a good pace. At around 11am the rain started and this rain didn’t finish until about 5pm, the bad weather brought moral down a little bit but we still kept walking. Wednesday’s route was around 17km too and despite the hideous weather we still made it to Ffridd farm, our final campsite at 5pm. Ffridd farm was by far the most ‘basic’ campsite of them all, with just one toilet and a rocky pitch, however, the views were spectacular and as a group we had a good evening.

Waking up on our final day, the moral was high in the group, despite the long 20km route ahead of us. It was misty in the morning, but the weather soon brightened up, we walked the first third of the route at a good pace. But we then hit a boggy patch and we were down to 1.5km an hour, this was hard and the moral lowered but it felt good when we finished that part. The moral was soon up after we completed a 3km stretch of the route in 30 minutes! Finishing the route on the Thursday afternoon and getting into the mini bus felt incredibly good! After a long expedition, with mixed weather and highs and lows we all finished in a good mood, full of energy to sing in the mini bus! The staff took us to the shop on the way back to the centre, where we all stocked up on chocolate, ice cream and fizzy drinks! After arriving back at Llanbedr we were given the afternoon to shower and chill, consisting of watching films and playing jenga and cards!

Friday was allocated for cleaning of kit and completion of our presentations to be shown that evening. It was tradition to try and make your group’s presentation the most entertaining, however, already knowing that another gold group were the camp comedians, we decided to do our presentation in the format of the television programme ‘May the best house win’. With Cdt Sgt Caves as the presenter and Cdt Cpls Dyern and Rackham, Cdt Howard and CWO Howard each with a campsite to big up and impress to the audience and myself as the assistant,

we used this format to compare the different campsites and get across what we had found out to the audience. Our presentation was successful and it got the audience involved. When all the presentations had been shown, we were given the evening to rest and to pack ready for departure the next morning. On the Saturday morning every cadet was roped in to help clean the building so that we could all get home as soon as possible! We left Llanbedr at 9:30am with five 2028 cadets having passed their Gold Practice expeditions and having had a very good week!

I found the Gold DofE incredibly good fun but hard work. I think our group worked very well together, as we included someone we had never met before, but we were all good friends by the end of the week. We had a laugh together, and functioned very well together as a team. With Sgt Caves leading the group as the best navigator (we did all know where we were going and we helped him!), Cpl Rackham, Cdt Howard and Cpl Dyer keeping the group smiling with their jokey bickering and the girls sticking together sorting them all out and looking after them all! I can’t wait to do my Gold Actual and hopefully I will have a group as good as I did for my practice.
 

The team - FS Mann, Sgt Caves, Cpl Dyer, Cpl Rackham and Cadet Howard

Image: Cdt FS Hazel Mann

by: Cdt FS Hazel Mann 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

24 Aug 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

A Step On the Wild Side

A group of cadets from Norfolk & Suffolk Wing recently attended the National Air Cadet Adventure Training Centre in Llanbedr.

30 Cadets including 7 from Gibraltar accompanied by 10 staff spent a week taking part in numerous activities at the centre and the surrounding area. The 7 Gibraltan cadets also took the opportunity to complete a Duke of Edinburgh Silver Expedition and even though the weather was challenging for them it didn’t deter their enjoyment.

Other activities on the camp saw the cadets put through the paces in canoeing and sailing, indoor and rock climbing, mountain biking near Beddgelert and even some skiing, albeit dry slope as the weather hadn’t deteriorated that much even for Wales.

Also as the week went on the cadets managed to achieve 14 Bronze and 8 Silver National Navigation Awards for recognition of their navigation abilities. Wg Cdr David Miller said: “We had an excellent group of cadets and it really showed in their determination and resulted with the awards they achieved.”

by: Flt Lt Jason Robinson RAF VR(T) Wing MCO - N&S Wg
 

24 Aug 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Crash Sites & DofE Awards

August saw 301 (Bury St Edmunds) Sqn embark on an arduous expedition in the Peak District when a total of 15 cadets and 7 staff made the long journey by minibus to the hilly ‘Dark Peak’ area of the Peak District. The trip was organised by the Squadron’s Commanding Officer, Flt Lt Mark Brett, to give cadets the opportunity to complete expeditions for their Gold and Silver Awards.

To allay any boredom, it was decided by the group that an aim of the expedition was to locate and gather information on aircraft crash sites – of which there are many on the Dark Peak generally due to atrocious weather conditions.

Starting at Snake Pass the group working towards their Gold Award relied on an OS map and compass to navigate their way along a section of the Pennine Way easily locating two aircraft crash sites along the way. The first night was spent at a campsite in the picturesque village of Hayfield, where it was discovered that a two man tent made for a less than comfortable night for three.

A highlight of the expedition came on day two when the group climbed to walk along Rushup Edge which offered fantastic views of the Vale of Edale as a reward for their efforts.

On Day 3, one of the crash sites proved a difficulty for the group to find until the group used a Google map printout to successfully locate the wreck of a Wellington Bomber! Up until this moment, the weather had been kind to the group with only a few small patches of drizzle having hindered the group’s progress to no avail. However, all was about to change as rain and mist descended upon Edale Moor. The group’s experience and training became useful as they had to act quickly to navigate the steep paths (which had more of a resemblance of rivers) down to their final campsite before the conditions worsened.

On the final day, the weary travellers carried their damp and heavy rucksacks for the last time. The expedition ended near the Derwent Dam which is famous due to aircraft whose flights were much more successful than their crashed counterparts. It is here where the group could finally relax and enjoy an ice-cream whilst reflecting on the past day’s events.

The weeklong trip to the Peak District proved to be a success with all of the 15 cadets passing their expeditions. Some of the Gold Award team now await their invitations to collect their certificates from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The cadets would like to pass their thanks to Flt Lt Brett and his team of staff for a great week away.

Image: CI Joanne Crouch, Cdt Sgt Sam Jackson, CWO Michael Barron and Cdt Sgt Josh Da Silva

by: Cdt Sgt Sam Jackson 301 (Bury St Edmunds) Sqn - N&S Wg
 

23 Aug 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Silver In The Sun

Cadets from 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn recently completed the expedition phase of their Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award along the sun drenched North Norfolk coast.

The cadets joined members of 2417 (Newmarket) and 2461 (Sawston) Sqns for the expedition which incorporated sections on the Norfolk Coastal path which is 45 miles long was opened in 1986 and covers the North Norfolk coast area of outstanding natural beauty. Cadets were able to experience the local wild and plant life that inhabits the vast beaches, salt marshes and sand dunes.

During the weekend the cadets were totally self sufficient and managed themselves, this was made very challenging due to the very hot and sunny weather. The cadets showed excellent teamwork, spirit and ingenuity especially in their decision to start walking early so as to avoid walking when the sun was hottest. Following the expedition the cadets delivered a presentation to their assessor about their expedition.

Cdt Ben Bullman said: “The expedition was tough especially because of the hot weather, the Norfolk coast was a really picturesque place to walk. We worked well together and it helped us complete the expedition along with our team spirit. ”

Fg Off Chris Cox added: “The cadets from all three squadrons worked really well together, the hot weather made the expedition a massive challenge but by working together they were all able to complete the expedition.”

by: Fg Off Chris Cox RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn - B&C Wg

21 Aug 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cadets Complete Silver Expedition

While the Nation celebrated the Queens Diamond Jubilee, six cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn spent the jubilee weekend on expedition in the Yorkshire Moors. The cadets are all working towards their Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s award and this expedition formed part of the award.

Having prepared well for the expedition the six cadets journeyed for three days through the Moors spending two nights under canvas. They carried all of their own equipment and were completely self-sufficient throughout.

On route they faced some navigation challenges as the paths were not always distinct and the weather brought patches of hill fog. Two of the cadets also struggled with their knees but they worked as a team and helped each other to get through the days.

Their second campsite was near Goathland which is also the fictional town of Aidensfield the home of Heartbeat. During the evening the cadets talk a short walk into the village to visit Scripps garage and check out the filming location.

Cdt Chanel Ogden (15) said: “I really enjoyed the expedition, I think we all worked really well together. Each of us had different strengths that we could rely on which made the weekend a success. We particularly enjoyed the fish and chips at the end though!”

Having completed their expedition Cdt Cpls Scott Goodall (17), Sophie Radley (16) and Cdt Matthew Ward (16) have finished their silver award. They should soon receive their certificates and badges.

Image: The expedition cadets

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - B&C Wg

11 Aug 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Silver Walk

Four cadets from 134 (Bedford) Sqn put their navigation, mountaineering and camp craft skills to the test on an expedition in the Peak District.

The expedition will contribute to Cpl Shawl, Cpl O'Neale, Cdt Beddoe and Cdt Nicholls gaining their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award. The cadets were responsible for planning all aspects of the route including staff availability, transport logistics and camp site bookings. Amongst navigation and teamwork skills, the cadets must also demonstrate that they are self reliant, covering three days of continuous activity of at least seven hours each day.

Day one commenced from the Church in Baslow and followed the River Derwent North past Hathersage to end at Bamford, just South of Ladybower Reservoir. The cadets set up camp from all the equipment carried that day and enjoyed a hearty meal to replenish energy. The second day took the team over the Hope Valley and across the Edale Moor. This route was more exposed and barren than the seemingly gentle first day. The camp site of choice for the evening was at the official start of the Pennine Way and, again, the team made very good time on their route card and used their time allocated to help preserve energy levels.

The final day was to take the team along the Pennine Way from Edale to the finish point on Snake Pass, near Coldharbour Moor. The route encompassed Jacob’s Ladder, Kinder Downfall Waterfall and Kinder Scout, the highest peak in the Peak District at 2087ft. The total distance covered over the three day expedition was approximately 46km. The cadets are looking forward to gaining their Silver Award and then progressing onto the Gold, where, upon the completion of all the Gold Tasks, a Royal Garden Party Presentation awaits each successful participant.

Flt Lt Murad, Officer Commanding added: "This is an excellent achievement for the cadets involved and provides the unit with a total of eight Duke of Edinburgh Silver Awards. The plan for those cadets eligible is to progress to the Gold level and for the next two Bronze Expeditions to provide the spring board to take up the opportunities for progressing through the DofE Scheme, for the younger cadets."

by: CI Chris Wiggins Sqn MCO 134 (Bedford) Sqn - B&C Wg

6 Aug 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Arden’s DofE Double

It was an exciting moment for 2286 (Arden) Sqn when the first two Duke of Edinburgh Awards for the year were presented to Cdts David and Robert Mason by WSO Sqn Ldr Martyn Harrison.

The two cadets achieved the Award level by improving their skills on ceremonial drill, undergoing football as their fitness and their cadet time as their service section, as well as expeditions at Elan Valley and Napton. The squadron is extremely proud of David and Robert’s achievement and are looking forward to helping them achieve the Silver Award.

Commanding Officer, Flt Lt Lovell, said: "The Duke of Edinburgh Scheme is a particularly important part of the cadet experience, both for helping them achieve their full potential and in giving them transferrable skills and qualifications. The squadron is currently working hard on helping all eligible cadets to achieve this Award and is looking forward to more award presentations throughout the rest of the year."

by: Fg Off Julie Seymour RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 2286 (Arden) Sqn - W&B Wg

16 Jul 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

209 Go The Distance And Do The Hours

Following their successful Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award practice expedition cadets from 209 (West Bridgford) Sqn struck out on the ‘live’ expedition. The five ‘silvers’ were joined by 4 cadets doing their live expedition for the Bronze Award and a further four cadets starting out on their Bronze practice.

The ‘silvers’ had to plan their own route which was different from their practice walk. Carrying all their own equipment, tents and food they covered 14Km on the first day, another 14Km on the second and 12Km on the third day. Their route took them around the Bakewell area of the Peak District.

The ‘bronze’ cadets expedition lasted two days and took them over Lathkill Dale and around Haddon Grove. One of the ‘bronze’, Cdt Laura Toplass said of her weekend: “The four of us really enjoyed the navigation exercise. The next part of my D of E award is the Skills section for which I’m going to make jewellery out of Re-cycled material.”

Image: Cdt Matthew Quayle, Cdt Cpl Stephanie Willett, Cdt Sgt Serena Linley, Cdts Dom Kay, Fajar Rizal & Navraj Boughan somewhere in Derbyshire in the rain.

by: Sgt (ATC) Richard Vincett Sqn MCO 209 (West Bridgford) Sqn - SEM Wg
 

17 Jun 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Glorious Weather for a DofE Expedition

17 cadets from 115 (Peterborough) and 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqns spent the weekend of 26th and 27th May completing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition. The expedition consisted of  hiking a pre-planned course to their overnight campsite and then returning to the Peterborough Sqn’s Headquarters in Westwood, Peterborough.

After months of training and route planning, the youngsters were eager to complete their assessed expedition. After their practise expedition was disrupted by the torrential downpours in April.

As the sun shone on Saturday morning, the cadets were in high spirits as the set off on their route to Sacrewell farm. Throughout the day, they spent time recording the flora and fauna along the route and will be expected to complete an evaluation of their expedition online to complete their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award.

After an overnight camp, the cadets headed back to their Squadron HQ. Throughout the weekend, the cadets completed four hours of walking per day and three hours of nature studies, taking them through Ferry Meadows Country Park.

Cdt Declan Liddle was one of the youngsters who completed the weekend, he said: "It was much better than the practise, a lot drier and warmer! We have been working on this for several months now and it is a great feeling to have finished the route."

The cadets will continue working on the other elements of their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award, such as community service, sports, skills and project work.

by: Karen Barfield Sqn MCO 115 (Peterborough) Sqn - B&C Wg

10 Jun 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Diamond Jubilee, Gold DofE!

Whilst the rest of Britain were at home celebrating the Queens Diamond Jubilee, ten cadets from 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn were struggling up enormous hills through torrential rain.

The cadets travelled to the dark peaks on the Jubilee weekend to undertake a practice for their Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. The practice involved the cadets walking 50 miles over four days and relying on their kit and themselves for survival.

This expedition challenged both the physical abilities of the cadets: their endurance and strength, and their mental ability: to stay motivated and enthusiastic despite the terrible weather and tough inclines.

Cdt Jordan Cooke (16) said: “We worked well as a team and the Jubilee spirit ensured we conquered some big hills and ridges (Kinder Scout and Jacob’s ladder).”

The cadets will be undertaking their final expedition in August this year. The award has many sections to it, and cadets have to undertake physical activity, volunteering, learn a new skills skill and go on a residential trip.

On completion of all the sections, the cadets will visit St James’ palace to be given their award by his Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh or Prince Edward. These cadets will then be part of the prestigious league of Bassingbourn Squadrons' holders of the Gold Award.

Image: The cadets scrambled up a rocky track to this summit with stunning views - Sam McKay (17), Kathryn Todd (17), Katherine Hanley (17), Robbie Lewis (17) and Jordan Cooke (16)

by: CWO Claire Kelly Sqn MCO 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

07 Jun 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Expedition to the Forest of Dean

During the period 5 May to 7 May, seven cadets and three staff from 2028 (Southam) Sqn travelled to the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire for their DofE Silver practice Expedition. The weekend began with the cadets travelling from Southam on the Saturday morning and setting up camp near Drybrook. The camp site was pretty basic but had toilet and washing facilities. The staff set up a ‘command tent’ which could be used if the weather turned bad.
 

The cadets had been warned about taking on lots of water and protecting against the expected sunny weekend. The weather throughout the Saturday was dry and clear but the expected sunny day never happened which everyone agreed was in fact a bonus. The group set out on their first navigation with great determination and they made it back to the camp site just before it got dark, all of them very tired from the first days walking. They all quickly set about preparing their evening meal and had a quiet evening eating and discussing the day and what Sunday would bring!

On the Sunday morning everyone woke up to a dry day again and most were still fatigued from the day before but after eating a hearty breakfast and clearing the camp site they set off once again to complete the second part of the navigation exercise. There was clearly a team spirit amongst the cadets and the weather was very similar to the Saturday with mainly clear blue skies, if a little windy at times. The cadets found their check points once again, with a few minor navigational errors which meant they got back to camp a little later than expected.

The last day was totally different from the first two with pouring rain and wind so the cadets set about their final navigation with a real need to finish and get home! On arrival at the pick-up point everyone climbed into the Mini-Bus for the journey home most of them quickly falling asleep.

The weekend was a complete success and overall, the cadets worked well as a team and those cadets who found it more difficult than others were helped by their team mates. They all found the right mentality required for the expedition demonstrating a real determination to succeed, even if there was the occasional map reading error and the realisation that the Forrest of Dean area is not entirely ‘flat!’

WO Storer-Rogers said after the weekend: "It was really great to see the seven cadets work so well together, the commitment to succeed on this practice expedition has been clearly evident throughout the weekend."

Flt Lt Daryll Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron commented: “As I have said on a number of occasions the idea of these DofE expedition weekends is to present the cadets with carefully controlled challenges of their spirit and skills. The cadets proved they are up for the challenge of achieving their Silver Expedition once again this weekend.”
 

Image: 7 Cadets in the rain!

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

18 May 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Coventry Cadets take on the Cotswolds

The last week of Easter holidays once again saw 163 (Coventry Phoenix) and 8F (1st City of Coventry) Sqns join forces to venture out on Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, and for the first time with a guest appearance of 2438 (Bishop Ullathorne School) Sqn.

The Friday saw the two silver groups having an early start and making their way over to embark on their first day’s walking, with the Bronze groups following behind mid afternoon. With their expedition not starting until Saturday morning, they had an afternoon and evening to fill – and with lots of energy and enthusiasm ahead of their first day’s walk, the group was split into their teams for the weekend and the games began!

The evening was filled with countless relays, races and games, using all kinds of props and objects in the process. As night fell, it was time for a bit of inter-squadron competition – so with 2438 joining 163 to even up the numbers, the relay was re-run – and with 12 competitors on each side there was plenty of time for the tension to build! In a tightly run race (until the ball being passed between them was dropped by 163, at least!) 8F came out victors and won bragging rights for the rest of the evening.

All the excitement and the cold of the night that Friday meant many cadets got up a bit bleary eyed on the Saturday as the day dawned for them to start their walks. After a warm breakfast, energy levels were on the up and the day began brightly for many. The day was clear and sunny, and was ideal for their first trip out into the land of Duke of Edinburgh – after completing their first day’s walking, they arrived back optimistic and enthusiastic to take on the second day and complete the first stage of their awards.

Before long, they were met in camp by the Silver groups, and some time was spent comparing stories and blisters between the teams. Once debriefed, showered and cleared up from dinner, after a long day and limited sleep the night before the camp settled down early as the cadets huddled into their tents to get some well deserved rest and keep warm as the temperatures dropped.

As they opened their eyes to Sunday, the realisation that they were most of the way there seemed to hit as they ate and packed quickly, despite the strong winds, to get going and complete the day’s walk. They worked excellently within their teams and as individuals, demonstrating all of the skills demanded by the award confidently, and arrived back at the camp very tired but pleased at their achievements.

The cadets will now look forward to their next joint expedition, where they will meet again in Derbyshire in September to complete the next stage of their awards, and catch up with their new found friends from this weekend. The positive attitudes and determination shown by the cadets always make these weekends both enjoyable and successful.

by: Katie Legge 163 (Coventry Phoenix) Sqn - W&B Wg

14 May 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

All the Seasons in One Day - Cadets Face It All

On a Duke of Edinburgh's Silver Award practice expedition in the Peak District over the May Bank Holiday weekend, eight cadets from 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn faced all the seasons in one day.

Finishing Saturday's initial 12 mile walk in grey over cast it started to rain whilst putting up the tents, as soon as they started to cook their food it started to hail then it snowed which settled. Once in their tents it rained again and the temperature dropped to below zero.

In the morning putting on every piece of clothing they had, they discovered that the rain and sub-zero temperatures had frozen the zip entrances to their tents solid. Eventually getting out they were meet by the surreal scene of frozen drops of rain and icicles over everything.

By 9am they were on their second days walk with the sun reducing the team to walking in T-shirts and by lunch time all were nicely tanned. By the finish on Monday afternoon the team had also been through thick fog and howling winds.

Despite this, all the cadets finished in high spirits and now are well prepared and trained not only by the squadron staff but also by nature for their actual expedition later this year.

by: CWO Claire Kelly Sqn MCO 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

09 May 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cadets From March - Expedition In Norfolk

The 1220 (March) Sqn cadets that are currently taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme recently took part in the expedition section of the award at Bronze level. Two groups took part. One team completed their final expedition and the other team were newer cadets that trained for their expedition later in the year.

The cadets all met at the squadron’s HQ in March. Before setting off a kit check was conducted and group equipment was issued and shared out. Each team made sure they had sufficient tents and cookers and that they had remembered to pack the food they needed for the weekend.

Once routes were finalised the cadets were taken to the Fakenham area to start the expedition. The five cadets completing their final expedition set off first and after a getting their rucksacks comfy were soon on their way. The weather wasn’t kind and they spent most of the weekend in waterproofs. This didn’t dampen their spirits though and after two days of walking and camping overnight the team finished on time.

Cdt Aleks Deaves (14) said: “Our practise last year was really useful and we were determined to learn from our mistakes so that we could enjoy our expedition. We had a lot of fun even though it rained."

The team under training walked a similar route. For the first part of their route they were accompanied by a member of staff to help them with their navigation and teamwork. Once the team had demonstrated that they were able to work together and make good navigation decisions they were left to complete their route.

On arrival at the campsite tents were pitched and the cadets prepared their own meals before settling down for the night. On the second day the training team completed the planned route. Cdt Katie Mowatt (14) said: “The training was really useful and I’m looking forward to completing my actual expedition later this year.”

Having completed her expedition Cdt Chanel Ogden (15) finished the final section of her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s award and she has already started working on the Silver level of the award scheme.

Image: The Bronze expedition group

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

06 May 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Awards at Cambridge

Six cadets from 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn are celebrating after completing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award following an expedition in Suffolk.

Cdt Cpl Robbie Neal, Cdt Cpl Lisa Perry, Cdts Jess Froggatt, Cameron Gibson, Rory Godwin and Joshua Howe joined cadets from 2417 (Newmarket) and 2461 (Sawston) Sqns for the two day expedition around the area of Glemsford, Hartest and Lawshall. The expedition was supported by staff members from the three Squadrons who were assessing the groups.

The expedition was the culmination of a lot of hard work from the cadets who had completed training sessions and a practice expedition along with continuing to take part in the other elements of the Award; volunteering, physical and skill. During the expedition the cadets navigation was tested and the on and off wet weather tested their morale and team spirit.

Cdt Cpl Lisa Perry said: “Completing the expedition part of my Bronze Award has been very challenging and I am really pleased to have completed it and can now wear my badge with pride.”

Expedition assessor Fg Off Chris Cox added: “The team should be very pleased with what they achieved in challenging conditions. They navigated well and above all worked together as a team to ensure they all completed the route safely.”

Image: The calm after the storm at the campsite

Fg Off Chris Cox RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

06 May 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Silver and ‘Fools’ Gold in the Snow

Eight cadets from 209 (West Bridgford) Sqn have completed their practice navigation exercise in preparation for their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award. The Silver DofE Award is made up of four parts including volunteering, skill, physical and expedition which requires a practice walk before competing the ‘live’ walk.

All the cadets assembled at Stanton Hall in Derbyshire on the Friday evening and then had to navigate their way to their campsite at Hadden Grove where they spent the night.

The following day was the main exercise. After preparing their own breakfasts the cadets walked a 15.7 km route they had planned before the weekend. Despite there having been some unseasonable snow all completed the exercise. Sunday involved a change of tempo with the cadets visiting the Mining Museum at Matlock Bath were they panned for ‘fools’ gold.

Cdt Cpl Barnaby Taylor (16) said of the weekend: “Walking in the snow was brilliant fun and we all managed to qualify for the ‘live’ walk latter this year.” 209 Sqns DofE Officer, Sgt Jade Brock (ATC) added: “All the cadets put in a tremendous effort in the snow and we can now look forward to the ‘live’ walk with confidence.”

Images: 1. Cdt FS Josh Lee-Taylor, Cdt Cpl Barnaby Taylor, Cdts Navraj Boughan, Fajar Rizal and Dominic Kay: 2 Cdts Fajar Rizal, Dominic Kay and Navraj Boughan

by Sgt Richard Vincett (ATC) Sqn MCO 209 (West Bridgford) Sqn - SEM Wg

01 May 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Water Water Everywhere for 485 and 84 Sqn’s!

Saturday 28th saw 10 cadets from 485 (Harborne and Quinton) and 7 cadets from 84 (Coventry Airport) Sqns set out on their assessed DofE Bronze expedition. The cadets, who had completed a practice expedition at the end of March didn’t know what they were letting themselves in for as they travelled to the Frank Chapman Outdoor Centre just outside Bewdley.

Saturday proved to be the best day of the week, although it was cold, there was no rain and following a comprehensive briefing, the cadets set out in three groups to tackle the first days walking. Due to the heavy rainfall during April, the ground underfoot was very soft and the cadets equipment was soon been tested!

The 7 cadets from 84 Sqn formed one team and they led the way as they put their heads down and they completed the route in a great time. The two teams from 485 Sqn however, decided to walk some 'leisure miles' before getting back on track! All the cadets arrived safely at the outdoor centre and soon set about erecting their tents and getting their food on the go. Pasta yet again seemed to be the favourite and all were soon tucking into their meals.

Part of the Bronze award is to have an aim for the expedition and the teams were looking at subjects such as the wildlife in the local area, and how they though global warming was affecting the landscape through which they were walking. The groups will then be giving their presentations to the squadronn staff in the coming weeks.

Saturday night into Sunday morning proved to a wild and stormy night for both the cadets and staff with the winds reaching up to 50 mph at one point. All the tents stayed put though, but there were a few weary heads as they emerged from their sleeping bags into a very wet Sunday morning.

Flt Lt Jennings, OC 485 Sqn commented: “Once again I would like to thank WO Richard Coates and CI Peter Coates for organising a fantastic weekend for both 485 and 84 Sqn’s. Despite the weather, the cadets got their heads down and completed the walks in good time. I have personally never seen so much mud on cadets, a lot of slipping and sliding was going on! The squadron looks like a Chinese laundry at the moment with all the tents hanging up to dry! Thanks also to Steve and Sarah from 84 Sqn for all their help this weekend.”

by: Flt Lt Simon Jennings RAF VR(T) OC 485 (Harborne and Quinton) Sqn - W&B Wg

29 Apr 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

More DofE at Rough Close

During the weekend Saturday the 14th to Sunday the 15th April 2012 six cadets accompanied by 4 staff from 2028 (Southam) Sqn took part in a Bronze DofE Expedition training weekend at Rough Close near Coventry.

The weekend was organised by the Squadron's Learning and Development Officer WO Storer-Rogers accompanied by Flt Lt Woan, Sgt Wildman and Flt Lt Moreton. The two days were designed to teach the newer cadets navigation skills and camp craft. The cadets had already had a ‘taster’ navigation training weekend in March of this year.

The weather throughout the weekend remained mainly dry with mostly sunny skies although the temperatures a little on the cold side. For most of the cadets taking part in the Bronze expedition training for the first time it was quite an experience but the staff remained close at hand to help with their map and compass work to develop their navigational skills. On the Saturday one of the senior cadets, Cpl Ognjanovic, came along to help with the training.

With weather staying mostly fine it was an ideal opportunity to learn the camp craft they needed and, of course, to cook their own meals. They were taught everything from putting up a tent, to how to cook a meal safely. On arrival on the Saturday the cadets immediately went out on their first navigation exercise with the staff monitoring them through the various check points.

They made very good progress throughout the day, only stopping to check their position and have their lunch, arriving back at the camp site in time to set up their tents before it got dark. The Sunday dawned very cold which was an inspiration to all to get a good breakfast before packing their tents and kit away ready for the second days navigation exercise. The morning became very sunny quite quickly and the day went well once again with everyone finishing in good time at Kenilworth Castle.

WO Rogers commented: "The new cadets are carrying on the strong tradition set by their predecessors; they are keen to learn the camp craft and navigational skills needed to succeed in their Bronze Actual Expedition later in the year."

Flt Lt Daryll Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron commented" "We have done really well in D of E over the last few years and it is great to see that the new Cadets want to follow on from those who have achieved such success in the D of E Award Scheme. They and the Staff know how committed I am to the D of E and my yearly goal of achieving results at all levels."

Images: 1. The six cadets at the last check point before Kenilworth Castle end point on the Sunday; 2. The cadets at the finish point at Kenilworth Castle.

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

17 Apr 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

485 and 84 Wander Along the Malvern’s!

cadets from 485 (Harborne and Quinton) recently joined forces with cadets from 84 (Coventry Airport) Sqn as they travelled to the Malvern Hills to take part in a practice DofE Bronze weekend.

8 cadets from 485 Sqn and 4 from 84 Sqn joined Fg Off Rosie Chapman, WO Richard Coates and CI Peter Coates for the trip down the M5 to Malvern. The cadets were soon being briefed on the expectations for the day along with a comprehensive safety brief.

The cadets were camping at the Malvern Outdoor Centre, an excellent facility which has been used many times by 485 Sqn. The cadets from 84 Sqn were soon putting their tents up, however, the cadets from 485 Sqn spent a slightly longer time in putting theirs up due to some problems with canvas and poles, enough said!!

The cadets were soon cooking their evening meals; it seemed that all the cadets had brought pasta to cook, so the outdoor centre soon smelled like an Italian restaurant!

Following a very cold night when the temperature went down below zero, the cadets were up and about making their breakfasts and then breaking camp to crack on with the second days walking. All the cadets acquitted themselves well and all now look forward to taking part in their actual bronze expedition at the end of April.

Flt Lt Simon Jennings, OC 485 Sqn would like to thank WO Coates and CI Peter Coates for once again organising a fantastic weekend for the cadets.

by: Flt Lt Simon Jennings RAF VR(T) OC 485 (Harborne and Quinton) Sqn - W&B Wg
 

15 Apr 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Joint 10km Practice Walk

Cadets from 504 (West Nottingham) and 1936 (Newton) Sqns recently joined forces to complete the navigational experience needed to be able to do their bronze Duke of Edinburgh award. So they went for a walk!

The walk covered a distance of 10km, going from St Mary’s Church in Arnold, up to Calverton, then back to the starting point. All the cadets got the chance to take lead and use the compass and map to find out which direction to go. This is a skill that is required throughout the various Duke of Edinburgh awards.

“Long, challenging and painful but very rewarding,” said Cdt Dooley. Afterwards, everyone was very tired and quite hungry despite large food stores at the start of the walk but proud of themselves for not giving up.

Cdt Yorke said: “It was challenging but very fun and it has made me look forward to my actual Duke of Edinburgh expedition”. His enthusiasm is shared by the rest of the cadets, who are full of excitement and slight anticipation regarding the actual expedition.
 

Image: Cdt navigation walk

by: Sgt Mark Blacknell (ATC) Sqn MCO 504 (West Nottingham) Sqn - SEM Wg
 

04 Apr 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Navigation Training At Rough Close

On Saturday the 3rd March 2012 12 cadets and 6 staff gathered at 2028 (Southam) Sqn's HQ to travel to Rough Close near Coventry for a 2 day navigation training weekend.

The morning was cloudy and overcast with a light rain falling so everyone knew it was a D of E Weekend! Most of the cadets were new to D of E so the weekend had been organised by the Squadron Learning and Development Officer WO (ATC) Storer-Rogers to teach them navigation skills and camp craft. The general weather forecast was for showers on the Saturday and more persistent rain on the Sunday.

Taking part in the Bronze expedition training for the first time was quite an experience for the cadets but the staff were always close at hand to help with their map and compass work to develop their navigational skills. They were taught everything from putting up a tent, to how to cook a meal safely. Preparing their own meals was a new experience for most of them which clearly showed on their faces when they came to taste their efforts!

The Saturday became dry and in fact quite pleasant in time for the cadets to erect their tents, learn the camp craft they needed and settle in before getting to grips with map and compass work and doing a controlled navigation with the staff guiding them through the check points through the day and at each stage ensuring they knew exactly where they were on the map.

Sunday the 4th became wet very early and remained that way throughout the morning to the point that with the temperature falling, the decision was made to finish early. The cadets had got to grips with the map reading on the Saturday and everyone agreed that overall the 2 days was a success with team building skills being learnt as well. The cadets can’t wait to do their first D of E Bronze expedition for real.

2028 Squadron has had great success over recent years with D of E results, with most cadets on the squadron having achieved either Bronze or Silver and at least five or more Gold awards. 2011 was yet another land mark with the squadron achieving the highest number of D of E awards in the Wing. Constant training and preparation for the next level is vital but the new cadets also need to be trained and inspired to achieve all they can in the D of E Award.

WO Rogers commented: "All our new cadets are inspired from their first day on squadron to carry on our success at D of E and they very quickly become keen to learn the camp craft and navigational skills needed to take part in their first Bronze Expedition, unfortunately on this occasion the weather got the better of us and we don’t want to put the new cadets off so we finished early."

Flt Lt Daryll Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron commented: "My cadets and staff know how committed I am to maintaining our results at D of E, we have done really well over the last few years with 2011 being yet another milestone. It is great to see that the new cadets want to follow on from those who have achieved such success at all levels in the D of E Award Scheme."

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

01 Apr 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cadets Awarded Bronze Awards

Three cadets from 115 (Peterborough) Sqn, Cdt Cpl Joshua Faupel & Cdts Katie Hutchinson and Nadine Ward have been awarded their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh awards.

To achieve their award, the three Air Cadets had to complete a certain number of activities, in areas such as volunteering, physical, skill and completing an expedition.

For their expedition, the cadets were focusing on their adventure skills and did not need to venture far from home. Their course was to start at Ferry Meadows, Peterborough and plan their walking route to Sacrewell Farm where they completed an overnight camp before returning back to Ferry Meadows. This was completed over the course of a weekend.

The cadets were also one of the first to complete their awards purely on line, via the new EDofE website. Peterborough squadron was one of the first centres to trial this new online system and have found it very beneficial for both the cadets and staff.

Cdt Cpl Joshua Faupel said: "The on line system is great, it allows you to upload your photos that you have taken on your expedition and then add your commentary to produce a very professional report which is used in your assessment."

Image: Cdt Katie Hutchinson receiving her certificate from OC 115 Sqn Flt Lt Stephen Dalton

by: Karen Barfield Sqn MCO 115 (Peterborough) Sqn - B&C Wg

11 Mar 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Out For a Walk in The Woods

At 2417 (Newmarket) Sqn, Cdts James Fleming, Charles Dodd, and Barnabas Wilson undertook a navigational training walk over the past weekend in preparation for their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award expedition this coming summer.

They were put through their paces as they practiced their map and compass skills throughout the 11km walk.

by: Flt Lt Keith Hicks RAF VR(T) OC 2417 (Newmarket) Sqn - B&C Wg

28 Feb 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Local Gold at March

Four cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn were recently invited to a local ceremony held at Hinchinbrooke School in Huntingdon, to honour them for the completion of their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Following a review of what is required to achieve a Gold Award the cadets were presented with a certificate of recognition by the Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Hugh Duberly Esq CBE.

The 1220 cadets that attended were Cdt FS Alex Ogden and Cdt Sgts Lauren Arnold, Steven Pugh and Daniel Lowe. They were joined by other participants of the scheme from across Cambridgeshire who have also achieved their Gold standard.

The event was also an opportunity for the families to see them being recognised for their achievement in a local ceremony as the number of guests they can take to the St James’s Palace presentation is limited to just one.

Image: Back row Cdt Sgt Lauren Arnold and Stephen Pugh. Front row Cdt FS Alex Ogden, Cdt Sgt Daniel Lowe with Hugh Duberly Esq CBE

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

14 Feb 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Putting the Nine into 209

Nine cadets from 209 (West Bridgford) Sqn have received their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards for completing all four sections of the Award Scheme.

Each cadet had to complete an activity in each of the following, volunteering, physical, skills and expedition. They could choose what sport they did for the physical but had to show improvement over the duration of the Award. The expedition involved camping out overnight and completing navigation exercises.

209's DofE Officer, Sgt (ATC) Jade Brock, said of the Sqn success: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating this success. For nine of our Cadets to achieve their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award is outstanding. Each cadet had to volunteer, making a difference within their community, develop practical and social skills and keep active. This Award will add a widely recognised achievement to each cadet’s CV. We’re very proud of them and look forward to starting them on their Silver Award!”

The cadets who achieved the Bronze Award are Cdt Sgts Michael Disney (17) and Ryan Young (18), Cdt Cpls Sarah Bramley (17), Barnaby Taylor (16) and Stephanie Willet (16) and Cdts Adam Quayle (14), Navraj Boughan (15), Finn Wilkinson (16) and Fajar Rizal (15).

Image: 1. Cdt Navraj Boughan, Cdt Cpl Barnaby Taylor, Cdt Adam Quayle & Cdt Sgt Ryan Young; 2. Cdt Cpl Stephanie Willet, Cdt Sgt Michael Disney & Cdt Fajar Rizal

by: Sgt (ATC) Richard Vincett Sqn MCO 209 (West Bridgford) Sqn - SEM Wg
 

7 Feb 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cadets Awarded Silver Duke Of Edinburgh Awards

Two young cadets from 115 (Peterborough) Sqn have been presented with their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards in a ceremony held on Wednesday 25th January.

To achieve their award, the two Air Cadets had to complete a certain number of activities, in areas such as volunteering, physical, skill and completing an expedition.

With a dedicated team on the squadron, they had all of the help and support to guide them through the modules and even assess their work. Cdt Cpl Jordan Ash and Cdt Brookes were able to work on their awards along side their other cadet activities.

Cdt Cpl Ash said: "It is great that we have the staff on site to be able to help us progress and achieve these awards. The best bit for me is planning and completing the expeditions – it is great fun, builds team spirit and most of all, keeps you fit!"

by: Karen Barfield Sqn MCO 115 (Peterborough) Sqn - B&C Wg

29 Jan 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Two Go For Gold

Sgt (ATC) Marc Blackman and Cdt Sgt Carl Blackman recently went to St James Palace in London to receive their Gold DofE Award from HRH Prince Philip, a great honour for anyone, let alone two people with disabilities!

It was also a great honour to have our Commanding Officer, Flt Lt Mel Walker, there, handing our certificates to the VIP guest to give to us. It was a very proud moment for our whole family; both our Mother Julie Blackman and older Brother Plt off Paul Blackman were there to witness us getting our award and meeting HRH Prince Philip.

Both Marc and Carl have disabilities although they do vary in severity. Their 4 day journey took them across the North Yorkshire Moors starting at Mount Pleasant and finishing in Hutton-La-Hole, the total distance of 33 miles. A great achievement let alone for four disabled people of which two where in wheelchairs.

The wheelchairs that we used were all terrain chairs on loan from RGK; these chairs had been used in a BBC program called 'Beyond Boundaries'.

Each day the group had new challenges ranging from navigating over grown narrow paths, all the way to getting up a hill which was a 1 in 10 gradient!

Cdt Sgt Blackman said: “Although the four days were the hardest of my life, they were well worth the pain! To think that I have achieved something that most able bodied people don’t achieve.”

Sgt Blackman added: “The four day expedition felt like four mates having a walk, this made the time go quicker and also made the team moral a lot higher."

Image: Plt off Paul Blackman, Sgt (ATC) Marc Blackman, Cdt Sgt Carl Blackman, Miss Sophie Brooks, Flt Lt Mel Walker, Mrs Julie Blackman

by: Staff Cdt FS Carl Blackman Assistant MCO 2160 Sleaford Sqn - Trent Wg

18 Jan 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Basssingbourn Cadets Get To Gold

Five cadets from 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn are in high spirits after joining with a range of young people across Cambridgeshire to celebrate achieving their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The Gold Award presentation was held at Hinchingbrooke School and had a range of honorary guests including the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire. Cdt FS Claire Kelly was among three other participants who gave an account of what they had done in order to achieve their award, she said: “It was great to share my experience of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme with others and in return to see what they had achieved as part of their awards."

Martin Goddard, the D of E officer at 2484 squadron also commented: “The evening gave all the Gold participants a chance to reflect on all the hard work and effort they put into achieving their award and they should be proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

The prestigious D of E award is highly valued at the squadron and 2484 encourages all of its cadets to partake. In the last few years alone, cadets at Bassingbourn have achieved around 45 bronze and 35 silver awards. The total number of Gold awards on the squadron is 10, with 20 cadets participating in this higher level of the scheme in 2012/13.

Every cadet at Bassingbourn joins the D of E scheme at the age of 14 and is encouraged to reach the highest level. Not only is the scheme great in developing the skills and abilities of young people, but it is also recognised by many employers and universities. Bassingbourn Squadron is hoping to help many more young people achieve this award; giving them great experiences and helping them with their future.

by: Cdt FS Claire Kelly Sqn MCO 2484(Bassingbourn) Sqn - B&C Wg
 

15 Jan 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cambridge Golds

Two cadets from 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn have been honoured at a recent ceremony for completing their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

CWO Jess Bradshaw and Cdt Cpl George Metcalfe attended the event held at Hinchingbrooke School near Huntingdon in which the Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Hugh Duberly Esq CBE congratulated them and identified the range of activities they had taken part in.

To complete her award Jess worked in the community, sung in her local church, completed the Nijmegen marches in Holland, expeditions in the Brecon Beacons along with attending a leadership course at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. George undertook a sports leadership course, studied aviation, learned martial arts, completed a weeklong camp on a Royal Air Force Station and his expeditions in the Black Mountains in Wales.

CWO Jess Bradshaw said: “It was a real honour to be recognised for what we had achieved by completing the highest level of the Duke of Edinburgh’s award. I now look forward to guiding the younger cadets at the Squadron as they work towards their Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.”

Plt Off Chris Cox, the Sqn's DofE Award officer added: “These are the first Gold awards for sometime at City of Cambridge Squadron, we have over forty five cadets currently enrolled in the scheme at all levels so look forward to more awards in the near future.”

Image: Cadet Corporal George Metcalfe with the Lord-Lieutenant.

by: Plt Off Chris Cox RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn - B&C Wg

14 Jan 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Five For Gold!

The streets of London were paved with gold recently as five cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn attended St James’s Palace to be presented with their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.

Cdt FSs Alex Ogden and Simon Foster along with Cdt Sgt Lauren Arnold found themselves in the magnificent setting of St James’s Palace - a fitting conclusion to the hard work, determination and perseverance required to achieve this award. They were joined by Daniel Woods and James Lyttle who completed their awards with 1220 but have since left.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh was at the ceremony and took time to personally chat with many of the participants. Their awards were presented by Katharine Carpenter, BBC London news reporter and presenter.

Each of them undertook a number of tasks to achieve their award covering Volunteering, Physical achievement and learning a new skill as well as a 5 day residential section.

Their 4 day 3 night 'wild country' expeditions took place in the magnificent setting of the Lake District a very distinct contrast to the flat Fens of Cambridgeshire. The route, covering some 20km each day over rocky, mountainous terrain took them across such notable peaks as Helvellyn along the way.

Five will soon become seven as Cdt Sgts Daniel Lowe and Stephen Pugh have now completed the awards and are awaiting their invitations to St James’s.

Image: James Lyttle, Cdt Sgt Lauren Arnold, Cdt FSs Simon Foster, Alex Ogden & Daniel Woods

by: Fg Off Colin Arnold RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 1220 (March) Sqn - B&C wg

9 Jan 2012                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

DofE at Deeping

It was a warm weekend without any weather surprises that allowed ten cadets from 2534 (Fakenham) Sqn to complete their Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze Expedition.

At Deeping caravan site the cadets enjoyed a cooked meal they prepared themselves then slept as per the awards requirements in tents they pitched themselves.

Cdt Brendan Fairbrother (15) ably led one group, consisting of himself, Cdt Sgt Lewis Johnston (16), Cdts George Buck (14), Bryn Jones (14), Cdt Cpl Eliosa Nash (14 , whilst the other was led by newly promoted Cdt Cpl Bradley Nobbs (14) with team members, Cdt Sgt Tom Clifton (16), Cdts Paige Williamson (16), Becky Frost (16) and Cdt Cpl Geldard (14).

Neither group found the expedition out of their skill level while both groups said it was a challenge and physically demanding but an incredibly enjoyable adventure.

Cdt Sgt Lewis Johnston said of the expedition: "It was great fun. I think all young people should do it as it’s an amazing thing. I did walking as my physical challenge and won a medal recently whilst doing the 12 hours of walking I needed to do. I also have been studying aircraft in the Royal Air Force to complete my skills level in aircraft recognition. I just have a few more hours to do to complete my service commitment. I am also fund raising for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund."

Image: Laden down with kit. Cadets from 2534 (Fakenham) Squadron get ready commence their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Expedition. From left to right, Cdt Cpls Jack Geldard , Bradley Nobbs the group leader, Cdts Becky Frost, Paige Williamson and Cdt Sgt Tom Clifton.

by: James Baldwin 2534 (Fakenham) Sqn - N&S Wg
 

1 Dec 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Orton Flight Sergeant Receives Gold

Cdt FS Rebecca Navarrete of 51 (Orton) Sqn joined other members of the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme to receive her Gold Certificate at St James Palace, the award being presented by the Duke of Edinburgh himself.

The DofE Award includes four categories of highly practical, cultural and adventurous activities. To full fill these sections Rebecca included for her Skill the Young Enterprise scheme with her old school. Of course Rebecca’s Service element was the Air Cadets and she followed the DofE sports and personal fitness.

The final two elements were the residential which once again was completed through the Air Cadets at Windermere with the Expedition being completed on the Isle of Arron.

Rebecca said: “I am very pleased and happy with myself for achieving the Gold award. It must have been one of the hardest things I have done, but at the same time one of the best things I have done. I am so proud that I did it.”

by: Tasha Robinett Sqn MCO 51 (Orton) Sqn - B&C Wg

22 Nov 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Silver Expedition To The Mendips

During the weekend Saturday the 22nd October to Monday the 24th October cadets from 2028 (Southam) Sqn went on a Silver DofE Expedition to the Mendips.

The cadets and staff left the Squadron at 0900 hours on the Saturday to travel down to the Camp site at Broadway Park in Cheddar. The cadets couldn’t believe their luck when they heard it was a Holiday Park with proper Shower facilities and close to the Cheddar Gorge. But reality dawned when they arrived in the Mendips about 1 pm and were told to prepare for the first navigation walk.

They soon got into the navigation realising that the first day’s route would take them to their camping site for the night so the inspiration to get it right was overwhelming! Once at the camp site the cadets found the pitch and set up camp. Everyone then had a good meal, cleaned up and spent the rest of the evening chatting and resting ready for the next day. The weather on the first day was settled and dry.

The Sunday dawned at 7am and after everyone had cooked breakfast they prepared for what would be a full day’s navigation. The cadets set off on their first navigation at a steady pace up a steep inclining hill; by the time they were halfway, some of them were already tired and wanted a break but everyone managed to reach the top of the hill! From the top of the hill the Cadets navigated slightly off course but managed to get back on track.

As the day progressed a good pace developed. After lunch everyone set off once again, reaching the highest point in the county where the cadets had a 10 minute break to admire the view and have a snack. Once again everyone set off at a good pace and did good time for the last 5-6 kilometres. The walk was quite long and difficult on all the Cadets but once they reached the top of the yet another hill they grabbed a quick break and carried on, this time steeply down hill. The cadets feet began to hurt but they carried on and seeing the staff thought it was all over, only to be told there was one more hill to go before they finally finished.

Monday was a cloudy but mainly dry day and with the tents and kit packed away the Cadets started walking at the same pace as Sunday but were surprised how long it seemed to be before the first check point. The cadets were clearly relieved and really happy that they had made it, with a few hiccups along the way! They then began the long journey home, most of them falling asleep almost as soon as the bus moved off!

Everyone agreed that the expedition was a great success, with the occasional navigational error keeping everyone focused. The result of the weekend was an achievement for all by qualifying for their Silver Expedition through sometimes physically demanding and mentally difficult situations. The combined efforts of teamwork and spirit of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award produced an excellent result.

Flt Lt Daryll Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron commented: “The cadets have worked really hard over the last few weeks and months to reach this stage so achieving a ‘pass’ in the Mendips is great news for all of them. They certainly put in a tremendous effort to gain their Silver Expedition.”

Image: 1. Cdt Cpl Colvin, Cdt Sgt Mann, Cdt Cpls Rackham and Justice; 2. Cdt Cpl Dyer, Cdt Sgt Caves and Cdt’s Howard and Thomas

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

19 Nov 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Cadets Tackle the Dales

The 22nd October was a very early start for cadets from 29F (Rugby) and 198 (Hinckley) Sqns who met at the squadron at the unearthly hour of 6:30am in preparation to travel to Matlock in Derbyshire to complete their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Actual Expedition.

Half asleep, the cadets loaded up the minibus and set out for the Dales. The weather for the weekend was cool but mostly dry. The terrain here was rather different to what the cadets had completed on the Practice and training walks, but everyone took to the challenge with full commitment.

The cadets camped in Birchover, a small village high up on the hills which overlooks Matlock. The cadets were all eager to complete their Expedition and were awake, cooking their breakfast before the sun had fully risen. Once it was completely light, the cadets set out for their second day of walking.

Flight Sergeant (ATC) Lee Ison commented: "It is a pleasure to see the cadets enjoy completing their expedition, many of whom will go on to complete the silver award."

Image: Lunch Time in the hills

by: Flight Sergeant (ATC) Lee Ison 29F (Rugby) Sqn - W&B Wg

13 Nov 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Expedition Season Comes To A Close

Cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn recently brought the units Duke of Edinburgh’s Expedition Season to a close. Two groups travelled to Wansford to take part in the award at Bronze level.

One team completed their final expedition and were assessed by a Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme accredited assessor. Their journey took them from Ferry Meadows in Peterborough to camp overnight at Sacrewell Farm just of the A47 near the A1 junction. The next day they continued their route underneath the A1 and onto circular route finishing in Wansford. Each day they conducted 6 hours of planned activity, most of which was walking their route. This planning had been conducted at the Squadron HQ prior to their expedition.

Each member of the team was responsible for carrying their own equipment for the duration of the expedition. They also planned their own menus & purchased their food which they then cooked and ate over the weekend.

This team completed their practise expedition earlier this year and it proved worthwhile as their walking & camping skills were much improved. They also found that they had learned what was good to cook and what wasn’t and their evening meal and breakfast were enjoyed more this time around!

The second team were completing their practise expedition and they walked a similar route to the first team. For part of their journey they were accompanied by recently qualified CI Megan Saunders, who supported them when they were unsure until leaving them towards the end of day one to complete the rest of their journey on their own.

Cdt Kalum Mueller said: "I really enjoyed cooking bacon rolls for breakfast, the taste was worth carrying the load. I’m not sure that I’ll do the same again at the next level though! I’m pleased I’ve completed the expedition and am looking forward to finishing the other parts of the award."

Other Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme news from 1220 Sqn is that Cdt Sgt Steven Pugh and Cdt Cpl Daniel Lowe have both completed their Gold award. Once final administration has been completed they should all receive badges and certificates confirming their awards. In addition, Cdt Adam Flack has recently completed his Bronze award and will receive his certificate and badge soon. Congratulations goes to them all.

Image: Cdts Kalum Mueller, Aleks Deaves, David Woods and Luke Barnes

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg
 

3 Nov 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze on the Midshires Way

This was the point that several weeks of preparation came to fruition for cadets from 198 (Hinckley) and 29F (Rugby)
Sqns as they set of for their DofE bronze expedition.

The start point was Middleton Top in Derbyshire, on the walk known as the Midshires Way. The weather was good although a bit windy but the cadets set off in good spirits, waving from a bridge to the staff as they departed. The cadets set off in three teams at 20 min intervals with various tasks and check points along the way. The route that had been planned was a 10 mile walk through some of the most wonderful scenery in Derbyshire.

The first day involved navigating along tracks and footpaths to reach such villages as Grangemill, Wensley and Birchover. This involved negotiating several small valleys and countless small hills. The cadets camped overnight at Barn Farm camp site just outside Birchover, where they got to practice their skills of using the stars to navigate.

Day two started with low cloud and a strong wind. The cadets broke camp at 8am ready to set off at 20 min intervals again. The teams set off in good spirit with maps flapping in the wind and once again a wave for the Staff. The days route would take them from Birchover through Elton, across Harthill Moor up to Youlgreave, through Lathkill Dale to the finishing point at Haddon Grove.

The cadets completed this walk at about 3.30pm covered up to their knees in mud, worn out, but happy. All the teams finished within 15 mins of each other. A good weekend was had by all.

by: Doug Hibbitt 198 (Hinckley) Sqn - W&B Wg

25 Oct 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Southam Cadets Achieve Bronze at Wellesbourne

During a recent weekend six cadets accompanied by staff from 2028 (Southam) Sqn took part in a Bronze D of E Expedition weekend at Wellesbourne near Warwick.

The weekend was organised by the squadron's Learning and Development Officer WO (ATC) Storer-Rogers. The two days were intended as a qualifying expedition. The weather during the weekend was dry and mainly sunny. Saturday was very warm with clear blue skies all the way, Sunday started very cold but although the sun made an appearance towards the end of the day it remained dry and quite warm. With the temperatures holding up all weekend it was good for walking, although the cadets maintained their water intake. The cadets had gained experience over recent D of E weekends and worked hard to achieve their goal of qualifying for their Bronze Expedition.

With weather being kind it was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate their navigational skills over routes which were completely new to them with a base camp they had not used before. The geography of the area is challenging and was not quite as ‘flat’ as the cadets might have anticipated when they arrived to set up their camp site. The only hick-up was on the Saturday afternoon when one of the legs had to be altered due to a mistake on the map. This was not the fault of the cadets navigation but the lack of a bridge over a river indicated on the map which just wasn’t there! The positive side was the camp site had washing facilities and toilets but being adjacent to an active airfield with both incoming or outgoing flights of light aircraft and helicopters buzzing around during training flights, the skies above never really became quiet until the dark hours!

WO Rogers commented: “I was extremely impressed with the cadets who worked well as a team and even though they were tired, they maintained excellent morale within the group, it was a pleasure assessing them.”

Flt Lt Daryll Moreton, CO of 2028 squadron commented: “We have done really well in D of E over the last few years and it is great to see that the new cadets want to reach their first goal of a Bronze Award. This weekend has put six of them on their way by achieving just that by gaining their Bronze Expedition.”

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

19 Oct 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Going For Gold (Well Almost)…Silver Actually!

Seven Cadets from 2070 (Glenfield) Sqn have recently completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition in the White Peak Area of the Peak District, Derbyshire.

Cdt Cpls Fielder, Forrester, Warwick & Cdts Holford, Allampalle, Davies and Hiom are now ready to complete their Qualifying Expedition.

The expedition began on Friday 23rd September with the cadets arriving at the train station bright eyed and bushy tailed, although it would remain to be seen whether their enthusiasm would remain throughout the duration of the expedition! The cadets averaged 15km a day across challenging terrain.

Each cadet took a map reading lead to put into practice some of the key concepts of navigation including how to orientate the map, how to take bearings, aiming off and handrailing. The practice expedition was also effective in identifying what the cadets had forgotten!

They had to demonstrate other skills such as sound camp craft, effective use of their kit and demonstrate an awareness of their surroundings whilst obeying the country code. CI Anderson commented: "It’s good to take young adults out of their comfort zone to really test them; this weekend did just that with a good time had by all involved.”

The weather was very much a mixed bag with sunshine on Friday, sunshine and gusty winds on Saturday and a good old drop of rain on Sunday. After all folks; if it isn’t raining it isn’t training! Jokes aside it is important to experience a range of weather conditions to ensure that the cadets understand the challenges they may face on their qualifying expedition in the Dark Peak area of The Peak District. So for now it is Silver, but it won’t be too long before 2070 is going for Gold
 

Image: Day 2 Lunchtime at Monyash, Peak District

by: CI James Brewster 2070 (Glenfield) Sqn - South & East Midlands Wg

11 Oct 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

DofE Achieved in Southam

This weekend 10 Cadets from 489 (Acocks Green & Olton) Sqn completed their Duke of Edinburgh Award in and around the Southam area, Warwickshire.

For five of the cadets this was their first 2 day expedition for which the Warwickshire countryside tested their ability in navigational team work and team building skills. For 2 days the cadets were self-sufficient with food and water, carrying everything they would need to survive.

Cdt Daniel Layton (14) said: "It was a great 2 days with great countryside, however it was demanding for my first time. I can’t wait to do it all again…"

by: Cpl Simon Watson RAF Sqn MCO & Service Helper 489 (Acocks Green & Olton) Sqn - W&B Wg
 

10 Oct 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Theory to Practice: Cadets Navigate around Rugby.

Cadets from 29F (Rugby) and 198 (Hinckley) Sqns took to the countryside around Lutterworth in Leicestershire on Sunday 25th September.

Using a circular route, the objective of the venture was to learn new navigational skills and to practice those learnt in the classroom. The day aimed to prepare the cadets for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award practice expedition.

The weather was pleasant and made the day enjoyable for all. The cadets were split into smaller groups and led around by a member of staff or senior Cdt NCO. Firstly, navigating was demonstrated to the cadets and then the cadets took the map and led the group. The cadets practiced a variety of skills, including: bearing, distances and pacings.

FS (ATC) Lee Ison, 29F Squadron's Adventure Training Officer commented: "It's good to see the cadets learn so much. Even though afterwards they are probably tired of taking bearings, they are well prepared for their expedition."

Image: On a bridge to nowhere

by: FS (ATC) Lee Ison 29F (Rugby) Sqn - W&B Wg

6 Oct 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Expedition for Beeston

The weekend of 1st and 2nd October saw 16 cadets from 1359 (Beeston) Sqn out on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions in Leicestershire. One group were completing their Bronze live and three other groups were doing their Bronze practice expedition.

All the groups had spent the last few months planning their routes under the watchful eye of Sgt (ATC) Will Baguley, the squadrons DofE officer. The routes were planned so that they met the DofE criteria for distance but also to ensure the safety of the cadets on the expeditions, so such things as busy roads were avoided.

The cadets had to carry everything they needed for the weekend with them. Drinks, food, clothes, sleeping bag, tent and all the other paraphernalia needed to get through the two days had to be loaded into their Bergen’s and then carried for the entire distance walked.

The final rendezvous for all the groups on Saturday evening was the John’s Ley Wood Scout site. Their first task was to get tents erected and then cook themselves some food before relaxing for a few hours before settling down for the night. At first light the next morning they were all up getting themselves washed and dressed and then cooking breakfast. Tents were taken down and Bergen’s re-packed and then it was back on the road following their routes for the day.

Throughout the weekend the Bronze live group were assessed to ensure they adhered to DofE rules and the other groups were supported by squadron staff and committee members who met them at various points along the routes to ensure they were on track and on time. The staff were also under canvas on the Saturday night to be on hand in the event of any emergency.

Sgt Baguley said: “The cadets worked really hard in the lead up to the weekend to make sure their routes were accurate and that they had everything they needed. There were a few sore feet on the Saturday evening but everyone pressed on during Sunday and all of them completed the expedition successfully.”
 

Image: Cadets Hayes, Turner and Woodcock pack their Bergens ready for day 2

by: CI Mike Hill Sqn MCO 1359 (Beeston) Sqn - South & East Midlands Wg
 

5 Oct 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Mission Accomplished !

Seven cadets from 115 (Peterborough) Sqn took a well earned rest after completing their Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze Expedition.

The 2 day expedition, which the cadets planned themselves, represented the final chapter in a series of challenges and tasks required to achieve the nationally recognised award.

Cdt Cpl Muesser Sirin a member of the expedition team explained: “You achieve your Award by completing a personal programme of activities in four sections - volunteering, physical training, a learning a new skill, and an adventurous expedition in the UK. We have been working really hard and this is the final task so we are really proud of ourselves.”

The cadets walked a planned route and camped overnight carrying all their equipment and food with them. Although monitored by qualified staff from a distance, the cadets have to test their navigation and camp craft skills on their own throughout the entire weekend to pass.

Flt Lt Stephen Dalton Officer Commanding Peterborough squadron, said: "The DofE Award scheme is just one of the many challenging activities we offer our young people but it can be one of the most rewarding with the award progressing through Silver to Gold which is a significant achievement and presented by a member of the Royal Family.”

by: Flt Lt Stephen Dalton RAF VR(T) OC 115 (Peterborough) Sqn Beds & Cambs Wg

27 Sep 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

First Steps Toward The Bronze Award

Cadets from 121 (Nuneaton) Sqn launched themselves into the first stage of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme when they took part in two immensely successful and enjoyable overnight Expeditions.

During the school holidays, fourteen teenagers from the Nuneaton based air cadets successfully completed both the Bronze Award level practice and qualifying expeditions

Both the practice and qualifying expeditions took place in the rural countryside of the Warwickshire and Leicestershire border, where the cadets spent a total of four days learning how to survive outdoors in tents by cooking their own food and refining their navigation skills and teamwork.

OC Nuneaton Squadron, Flt Lt Ian Crewe, said: "The cadets have worked extremely hard to get through their Bronze expeditions. I am really proud of all of them and would also like to thank all the staff that got them there. The whole team, staff and cadets, enjoyed both expeditions and we are now looking forward to seeing the cadets complete their Volunteering, Skills and Physical sections of the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.”

Image: Air Cadets during their practice expedition with D of E expedition assessor Fg Off Norma Easterlow

by: Flt Lt Paul Hincks RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 121 (Nuneaton) Sqn -W&B Wg

11 Sep 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

DofE Silver Expedition In North Yorkshire

Seven members of 1220 (March) Sqn recently travelled to the North Yorkshire Moors to complete the expedition section of their silver Duke Of Edinburgh’s’ Award. Six cadets and one CI took part in the three day expedition.

Base camp was established at Rosedale Abbey, between Pickering and Castleton from where the team set off early the next morning on a route that would take them across the moors to Ravenscar on the coast. The final leg along the Cleveland Way from Robin Hoods Bay to Ravenscar was the group’s favourite section not just for the views but it was the home straight!

The expedition requires them to be entirely self sufficient for the duration and so reliant on team work for all the navigation and camping aspects. The route was both challenging underfoot and to navigate at times but the weather stayed dry and the team rose to the challenge and successfully accomplished their mission.

Image: Celebrations begin as the group reaches the last few yards

by: Fg Off Colin Arnold RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg
 

5 Aug 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Wet Weekend for DofE in Wolvey

Last month cadets from 163 (Coventry Phoenix) Sqn joined cadets from 8F (1st City of Coventry) Sqn for a bronze practice Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition at Wolvey.

The nine 163 Squadron cadets met at the campsite on Saturday morning, rucksack packed and ready to walk, in very heavy rain. Despite the miserable conditions, they were in good spirits. After meeting the cadets from 8F Squadron, they were split into 3 groups, issued their maps and were ready to walk – still in very heavy rain! The staff almost felt guilty putting on their kettle in the 12x12.

The motivation in each team remained high throughout the day and when they arrived back at the campsite in the evening, there was some rest bite from the weather as the tents were erected and the cadets cooked their evening meals. Each group then entertained the staff with their diaries and were debriefed on the day’s venture.

A soggy campsite met some tired faces emerging from their tents on Sunday morning. One or two cadets required a little extra encouragement in the morning but once they had enjoyed their breakfasts and their rucksacks were packed they set off for day two of their expeditions. Another successful day resulted in all the cadets being signed off as ready to embark on their assessed expedition, planned for Derbyshire in September.

Flt Lt Mandy Sinfield, 163 Squadron DofE Officer said: “The conditions were difficult this weekend, especially for some of the cadets who have never been camping at all before so they all did very well. There were some great characters who really kept all of the teams motivated. I would like to thank 8F Squadron for organising and inviting us on this weekend.”
 

by: Flt Lt Mandy Sinfield RAF VR(T) 163 (Coventry Phoenix) Sqn - W&B Wg

5 Aug 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

12 Look For Bronze in Worcestershire!

Twelve cadets from 485 (Harborne and Quinton) Sqn accompanied by three members of staff, travelled to the Malvern Hills on 30th July to take part in their Duke of Edinburgh’s bronze expedition.

The cadets gathered at the Sqn headquarters on the Saturday morning and following a last kit check, all the cadets were transported to the start of the first days walking. The cadets were split up into two groups and following a full and detailed brief given by FS Richard Coates, the cadets started out on their first legs.

Saturday was very hot and the cadets were soon drinking copious amounts of water. The Malvern Hills were very busy with other walkers, but few of them were carrying the kit that the cadets were carrying, in fact most were just out for a gentle stroll!

The first days walk ended at the Malvern Outdoor centre which is situated in West Malvern. This excellent facility provided the cadets with all the facilities they needed for the night. The cadets were soon cooking their food on the stoves; I don’t think any Michelin stars were given out on the evening!

Sunday dawned and again it was a hot and sunny start to the day. Following breakfast the cadets broke camp and set out on their second days walk. The cadets all arrived back at the Sqn on Sunday afternoon and all were rather tired, to say the least!!!

Fg Off Simon Jennings, OIC 485 Sqn commented: “Firstly, I would like to thank FS Coates and CI Peter Coates for organising the weekend. The Malvern Outdoor Centre is a fantastic facility and I know it was a welcome sight to all the cadets on the Saturday night! Thanks also to CI Richard Mcgeachie for attending at the weekend, his help was greatly appreciated. Secondly, I would like to thank all the cadets for their performance throughout all of the weekend. There were no major map reading errors and everybody worked as a team. The weather was hot and it’s difficult to carry all the kit they needed, but FS Coates tells me that he has no problem in passing all the cadets in relation to this expedition.”

by: Fg Off Simon Jennings RAF VR(T) OiC 485 (Harborne and Quinton) Sqn - W&B Wg
 

4 Aug 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Tim Collects His Gold Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award

Cdt Sgt Tim Kightly (19) from 1220 (March) Sqn recently attended St James’s Palace in London, to be presented with his Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The award was presented to Tim by Phil Brown, 1980’s Olympic and European 4x400m relay silver medal winner and now Regional Director for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the Midlands. The presentation in the magnificent setting of St James’s is a fitting conclusion to the hard work, determination and perseverance required.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh was at the ceremony and took time to personally chat with many of the participants.

For his service/volunteering section, Tim took on additional responsibilities as part of the senior NCO team at March squadron. For sport, he chose to take up running – resulting in a personal improvement over time. For the skill section, Tim undertook additional radio communications training and has since become responsible for the delivery and supervision of communications training at the squadron.

The expedition took place in the magnificent setting of the Lake District. Tim was part of a team of four, two of whom have now also completed their Gold Award. The route, covering some 20km each day over rocky, mountainous terrain took them across such notable peaks as Helvellyn along the way.

Image: Tim Kightly outside St James’s Palace

by: Fg Off Colin Arnold RAF VR(T) sqn MCO 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg
 

2 Aug 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Completed

Two more cadets at 1220 (March) Sqn have been awarded their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Cdt Cpl Sophie Radley and Cdt Jacob Troughton received their awards from Flt Lt Rob Bradshaw, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Wing's BTEC and DofE Officer.

Both cadets have undertaken set periods of volunteering, physical education and learnt a new skill as well as undertaking a 2 day expedition to complete the award. Both Sophie and Jacob are already working towards their Silver award.

On the squadron all eligible cadets are working towards their Bronze award with a significant number working towards Silver and Gold.

Image: Cdt Cpl Sophie Radley and Cdt Jacob Troughton with Flt Lt Rob Bradshaw

by: Fg Off Colin Arnold RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

30 Jun 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze and Silver's Galore for Cambridge Cadets

Cadets from 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn have continued to increase the number of Duke of Edinburgh’s award holders on the Squadron as three cadets have gained bronze awards and one cadet gaining a silver award.

Cdt Cpls Anna Ghosh, Mark Saberton and Rhuben Smith have been awarded their bronze awards whilst Cdt Cpl Tom Lawson has gained his silver. They can now proudly wear the badges on their uniform as the begin working towards the next level of the award.

Cdt Cpl Tom Lawson said: “Completing my silver Duke of Edinburgh’s award was a real challenge from start to finish but was very rewarding. I am proud that I can now wear my silver badge on my uniform and inspire the junior cadets to partake in the award.”

Plt Off Chris Cox added: “The squadron is really focusing on developing the award for the cadets on the unit. Bronze DofE is free to all Air Cadets and is a valuable life skill for a young person to have on their CV.”

by: Plt Off Chris Cox RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 104 (City of Cambridge) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg
 

30 Jun 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Practice In The Peak District

Cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn have continued their Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition training in the Peak District, during the recent bank holiday five cadets travelled to Edale in Derbyshire to undertake 3 days of hill walking in the surrounding area.

The first two days were spent practicing the techniques needed to undertake an expedition in such unfamiliar terrain and covered navigation using map and compass, kit preparation and gave staff the opportunity to assess their fitness levels prior to the real expedition later in the year.

Day one took in the start of the Pennine Way, Crowden Brook, up onto Kinder Scout, across to Kinder Downfall before
crossing the plateau and descending via Grinds Brook back to base. Day two added some tougher climbs by tackling part of the old pack route up Jacobs Ladder, visiting the ancient boundary marker of Edale Cross then crossing Brown Knoll and Lords Seat to Mam Tor. Finally descending via Hollins Cross to base. On both days the good weather was spoilt only by relentless strong winds , especially on the exposed upper sections.

For day three the cadets had to plan a route from base to nearby Castleton. They then put all their learning into practice and negotiated the route unaccompanied with expedition weight rucksacks being carried - as they will on the real expedition in July. The group performed well and took away some useful learning points as well as a few blisters from the weekend.

There was additional success for Cdt Adam Flack who completed his final navigation exercise and was awarded his Bronze National Navigation Award.

Image: Cadets on the bridge at the foot of Jacob’s Ladder

by: Fg Off Colin Arnold Sqn MCO 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

13 May 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Lets Head For The Hills

With the weather forecast giving cause for optimism, nearly a year in the planning and a great deal of preparation all came together over the extended Easter break for the cadets of 2160 (Sleaford0 Sqn.

Forty-four cadets and twelve staff headed for the North York moors for a mixture of outdoor pursuits and Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions. With expeditions and practice expeditions from Bronze to Gold level taking place keeping on top of the logistics of the event was a major exercise in itself.

Flt Lt Mel Walker said: “We began planning this event nearly a year ago but with changes of personnel along the way we have had to revisit the plan many times. We have been fortunate to have the assistance from qualified staff from the Northern Region to help with the out door pursuits element and their local knowledge has been vital.”

Over the three days of the expedition the cadets and staff covered some of the most attractive areas of the moorland. They passed by the early warning radars at RAF Fylingdales and crossing and re-crossing the North York Moors railway. As a contrast to the rugged splendour of the moors the party also spent some time in nearby Scarborough sampling the delights of this seaside resort.

Camping out was for many of the group the highlight of the event, although getting used to cooking and other domestic chores proved quite a challenge to be overcome. Some of the more hardy souls even tried one night of 'bivvying out', although an early morning frost made it a one off event for most!

Cdt Cpl Chris Clark said: “I went with a clear focus on completing my D of E gold practice expedition but found so much more working with my fellow cadets. In spite of the fact that we parade twice a week, it is only when you spend an extended period like this, in close contact with people, that you really get to know one another. This has been an amazing event.”

Time and a gain these sentiments were echoed by both staff and cadets; the experience of both self sufficiency and team work, along with a relaxed atmosphere ensured that all those taking part met the personal goals they had set for themselves in the planning phase.

Sgt Steve Pimlott (ATC) said: “This was one one of the first major events I have participated in as a SNCO,it really has brought home to me just what our young people get out of their membership of the ATC. I have watched our party start out as a large group of individuals who by the end of the event have become a real team”.

Image: Resting in the shade of the woods

by: Wg Cdr Steve Hullott RAF VR(T) (Retd) Sqn MCO 2160 (Sleaford) Sqn - Trent Wg

10 May 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bank Holiday in the Mountains!

Friday 29th April saw five cadets and one member of staff from 485 (Harborne and Quinton) Sqn travel from the Sqn’s headquarters in Harborne, to the Capel Curig Army Training Centre in North Wales for a weekend of adventurous training. Whilst the majority of the country was watching the Royal Wedding, the bank holiday day off meant that the cadets could travel earlier than normal to the Snowdonia National Park.

The 485 Squadron cadets and staff had been invited by Flt Lt Brendan O’Neill, OC 487 (Kingstanding and Perry Barr) Sqn to attend the weekend. 487 Sqn travelled to Capel Curig to take part in a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s award weekend and all the organization and paperwork had been completed by Plt Off Sarah Cotton, the Adjutant at 487 Sqn.

As a result of the early start, Fg Off Simon Jennings who accompanied the cadets to Capel Curig was able to get in some much needed map and compass training with the cadets. Reminders about grid references and taking bearings along with looking at the orientation of maps were all to bear fruit over the weekend. Later on Friday evening, the cadets were taught about pace counting and they were all able to count their own personal number of steps over a set 100m distance.

Following breakfast on Saturday morning, the cadets were given their route for the day. Along with Fg Off Jennings and CI Nicky Gallivan from 487 Sqn, they started out from the training centre and walked on footpaths to the village of Capel Curig. The cadets were able to put into practice all that they had learnt the previous day, particularly pace counting, which helped them arrive at a tricky crossing of footpaths deep in the woods near Capel.

Following a short break, the cadets were soon on their way to their destination point, Llyn Ogwen. On the way to Ogwen, Fg Off Jennings was able to help out a group of walkers who were looking to climb the Trefan mountain, without a map, (they were given a spare map that the cadet group had)!

On the Sunday, the cadets were transported to Llyn Crafnant and it was their task to walk back to the Capel Curig training centre. Again, some careful map reading was needed, but all the cadets performed really well.

Fg Off Simon Jennings commented: “Firstly, I would like to thank both Flt Lt O’Neill and Plt Off Cotton for inviting us to attend the weekend. It was extremely well led and organised by the officers from 487 Sqn. Both the cadets and I have really enjoyed the walking, and I know that the cadets have learnt some valuable lessons in terms of map and compass work. We go forward into the rest of the year with plans for our own DofE weekends and these particular cadets will have the upper edge when it comes to the tests ahead.”

by: Fg Off Simon Jennings RAF VR(T) 485 (Harborne and Quinton) Sqn - W&B Wg

2 May 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

A Golden Handshake For Nuneaton Cadet

Cdt FS Grant Robey gets a Golden handshake as he leaves the ATC to join the Royal Air Force.

Grant (18) who joined 121 (Nuneaton) Sqn at the age of thirteen, has always been at the forefront of his Squadrons activities, making a significant contribution to the Squadrons band, sporting and community service activities, but true to form he couldn’t end his cadet career without adding the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award to his extensive list of personal achievements.

Sqn Ldr Bryan Coats, Duke of Edinburgh Award coordination Officer for Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing said: “I am delighted to be able to present Grant with his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. This is a real achievement for any young person and it’s fitting that I have been able to give him what could be described as a golden handshake as he leaves the cadets to start his adult service career in the RAF.”

To qualify for the Gold Award Flight Sergeant Robey completed a four-day expedition, journeying 50 miles on foot across rugged terrain in Llanbedr, North Wales, he also attended a one-week residential course at sea aboard the tall ship TS Royalist. Grant said: “The expedition in Llanbedr was tough but for me the most daunting thing I did was being at sea, climbing the rigging up to the top of the mast on the Royalist, a breath taking experience I will always remember, with some amazing views.”

Grant also spent time helping to train many of his Squadron's younger cadets as part of the Service section of the award, took up horse riding for the physical section of the award and learnt to cook up some culinary delights in the kitchen under the skills section.

Grant said: “The Duke of Edinburgh Gold award requires a lot of commitment, willpower and determination to complete. It is more than worth it just for the fantastic chance to do some really worthwhile things that most people just never get the opportunity to do. I’m glad I have managed to complete my Gold award before I leave to join the RAF. I’m sure that everything I’ve done during my time in the Air Cadets including my Gold will stand me in good stead in my future career in the Royal Air Force”

Flt Lt Ian Crewe, Officer Commanding Nuneaton Squadron, said: “Flight Sergeant Grant Robey will be leaving the Air Cadets on 11th May to start his Royal Air Force basic training at RAF Halton. On behalf of all the cadets and staff I would like to wish him all the best in his future service career”.

Image: 1. Cdt FS Grant Robey gets a Golden handshake from Sqn Ldr Bryan Coats as he presents him with his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award; 2. Grant Robey, High up in the rigging of the TS Royalist.

by: Flt Lt Paul Hincks RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 121 (Nuneaton) Sqn - W&B Wg

1 May 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Worth Its Weight in Gold

A member of the cadet staff from 1211 (Swadlincote) Sqn is thrilled after recently completing his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Wg Cdr Nigel Dickinson presented Cdt Sgt Matthew Leedham with the award which was met by a standing ovation by fellow staff and cadets in recognition of the effort, achievement and distinction the award represents.

Sgt Leedham recalls: "It's taken a lot of effort and commitment to successfully complete the award, but it's been very worthwhile and I'm sure that adding this to my CV will open a few more doors in the future."

Squadron Commander, Flt Lt Alyn Thompson said of his high flying Sergeant: “We are all very proud of Matt who has become the 37th member of our Squadron to achieve this award which many potential employers regard as extra added value in the current recruitment climate.”
 

by: 1211 (Swadlincote) Sqn - South & East Midlands Wg
 

1 May 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Royal Trip For Golden Duo

Two members of 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn have recently attended a Gold Award Presentation at St James’s Palace to receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Certificates.

CWO Adam Kelly (19) and CI Martin Goddard (21) were invited to St James’s Palace to receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards in the presence of HRH The Earl of Wessex; Prince Edward, celebrities and special guests.

Both Adam and Martin spent a year working towards their Gold Award and between them have walked hundreds of miles over rough terrain in various areas of Britain as part of their expeditions. Adam also completed an expedition in Borneo in April 2010 as part of the residential section of the award. They also had to complete a period of volunteering, as well as learning a new skill that would develop them as individuals and taking part in a physical activity for a set amount of time.

The duo’s efforts were finally recognised when they received an invitation from the Palace to attend the Gold Award Presentation, hosted by HRH the Earl of Wessex; Prince Edward. Prince Edward spoke to each group of award holders in turn and then the certificates were presented to each award holder by celebrity guest, Dominic Byrne from Radio 1.

CI Martin Goddard said of the day: “The event was an exciting day out and a rare chance to mix with royalty. I am very proud my achievement and the trip to St James’s Palace rounded off the Duke of Edinburgh experience well.”

CWO Adam Kelly added: “The Award has definitely proved to be a challenging but rewarding programme of activities. Meeting new people and pushing myself to achieve new goals has taught me a lot about my personal strengths. The day at the palace was an enjoyable conclusion to the time I have spent completing my Duke of Edinburgh Award.”

Image: CWO Adam Kelly and CI Martin Goddard with their certificates at St James’s Palace

by: Sgt Gemma Cox (ATC) Sqn MCO 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg
 

20 Apr 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Peak Challenge

489 (Acocks Green & Olton) Sqn have been busy with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, with many cadets reaching new highs in physical stamina and navigational abilities.

New cadets to the squadron started their expedition phase of the Bronze Award with a 2 day expedition around the Derbyshire National Park, providing a challenging environment for the Bronze group.

Whilst the practice group found their new bearings, the Bronze actual group set out on foot amid the picturesque surrounds, navigating the long routes with ease. The groups also had chance to expand on their ability to adapt and overcome on several occasions.

The weekend also provided great staff training for several members of the squadron team who are working towards their Expedition Leaders Award and Duke of Edinburgh Award Assessor qualifications.
 

Image: 489 Cadets On Expedition

by: Cpl Simon Watson RAF Service Helper & Sqn MCO 489 (Acocks Green & Olton) Sqn - W&B Wg

13 Apr 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Rough Close

Six cadets accompanied by two staff from 2028 (Southam) Sqn recently took part in a Bronze DofE Expedition training weekend at Rough Close near Coventry.

The weekend was organised by the Squadron's Learning and Development Officer, WO Storer-Rogers, accompanied by Flt Lt Woan. The two days were designed to teach the newer cadets navigation skills and camp craft.

The weather throughout the weekend remained dry with sunny skies and temperatures which were just right for camping and walking. For most of the cadets taking part in the Bronze expedition training for the first time it was quite an experience but the two staff were always close at hand to help with their map and compass work to develop their navigational skills.

With weather staying fine it was an ideal opportunity to learn the camp craft needed and of course, to cook their own meals, a new experience for some of them! Once they had got to grips with using a map and a compass together, they did a controlled navigation with the staff guiding them through the check points and at each stage ensuring the cadets always new exactly where they were on the map.

2028 Squadron has had two very successful years with DofE results, with most cadets on the squadron having achieved either Bronze or Silver and at least three or more Gold results in the pipeline. Constant training and preparation for the next level is vital but the new cadets also need to be trained and inspired to achieve all they can in the D of E Award.

WO Rogers commented: “These new cadets are carrying on from where we left off last year; they are keen to learn the camp craft and navigational skills to take part in their first Bronze Expedition later in the year.”

Flt Lt Daryll Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron said: “We have done really well in D of E over the last few years and it is great to see that the new cadets want to follow on from those who have achieved such success at all levels in the D of E Award Scheme. They and the staff know how committed I am to maintaining our results.”

Image: 1. A close up of the Compass work training; 2. Cdts Ognjanovic and Wade with their meal.

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

31 Mar 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Fun in the Forest for Derby Cadets

Cadets from 126 (City of Derby) Sqn have spent a weekend working for the National Trust at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. The cadets were working with the National Trust as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award.

126 Squadron has been assisting the National Trust team at Hardwick for the last eight years. Every year, they give up their free time to support forest management activities on the Hardwick Estate. The volunteer work that the cadets complete counts towards the Service Section of their Duke of Edinburgh Award.

This year, the cadets were responsible for clearing hazel in a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) on the Hardwick estate. The SSSI has been identified due to the existence of a rare beetle called the Deadwood Beetle. The cadets cut down the hazel trees, stacked logs and burnt some of the smaller branches.

The twenty cadets worked extremely hard to support the National Trust. They split into three teams to get the work finished as quickly as possible. The National Trust Wardens were on hand to show the cadets how to light and manage a perfect woodland fire. They also showed the cadets how to build a woodland shelter. The Wardens were highly impressed with the teamwork and motivation of the cadets and rate them as the best volunteer group that they work with during the year.

All Cadets enjoyed their weekend at Hardwick. It is an opportunity for inner city cadets to help with conservation in the local area and learn about the plants and animals that will benefit from the work they are doing.

Fg Off Jackie Glover, Training Officer at 126 Squadron said: “The Cadets did a really good job this weekend. The Cadets learnt a lot about the woodland from the Wardens that were with us and the project has inspired some of them to get more involved in conservation work in the future.”

Image: Cdts Hennessy, Mitchell, Short and Perry

by: Fg Off Jackie Glover RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 126 (City of Derby) Sqn - South & East Midlands Wg

15 Mar 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

A Good Start to the DofE Expedition Season

Last weekend cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn kick started the Duke of Edinburgh’s expedition season when two groups travelled to Norfolk to take part in the award at Bronze level.

One team were undertaking their actual expedition and were assessed by a Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme accredited assessor. Their journey took them from Whissonsett to Little Massingham camping overnight at Coxford (near Fakenham). Each day they conducted 6 hours of planned activity, most of which was walking their route.

The group had to be self sufficient for the entire expedition. Each member of the team was responsible for carrying their own equipment for the duration of the expedition. As well as planning they activities along the route they also organised their own menus & purchased their food.

This team completed their practise expedition in September last year and it proved worthwhile as their walking & camping skills were much improved. They worked well together as a team taking time to listen to each other before making decisions.

The second team were completing their practise expedition and walked a similar route. For part of their journey they were accompanied by two Senior NCOs from 1220 Sqn who supported them when they were unsure until leaving them towards the end of day one to complete the rest of their journey on their own.

Cdt Adam Flack said: “I enjoyed the sense of freedom I had while on expedition and also liked being responsible for making decisions with the team. I am looking forward to taking part in my Silver expedition later this year.”

2011 has already seen several cadets complete their awards. Cdt Cpl Matthew Wilson and Cdts Alexander MacRae and Daniel Holder have been presented with their Bronze certificates and badges whilst Cdt Megan Doyle has completed her Silver award.

Cdt FS Alex Ogden, Cdt Sgts Daniel Woods and Simon Foster, Cdt Cpl Lauren Arnold and Cdt James Lyttle have now all completed their Gold award. Once final administration has been completed they should all receive badges and certificates confirming their awards. Congratulations to them all.

Image: The bronze expedition team

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg
 

11 Mar 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Gold Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award Presentation

Two cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn were recently presented with a certificate of congratulations for completing their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire presented the certificates at a special ceremony held at Hinchingbrooke School to Cdt Sgt Tim Kightly and Cdt Cpl Tom Ward.

The cadets were pleased to be able to receive the certificates in front of proud members of their family. Local award leaders were also present and representing 1220 Squadron were Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham and WO (ATC) Tammy Curwen who are responsible for administering the award at a local level and who also train and assess award participants in some of the elements of the award.

Some of the activities Tim and Tom took part included volunteering at the Aviation museum in Wisbech, taking on responsibility for the training of junior cadets at the squadron, gaining a new skill by learning about aeronautics and radio communications and improving their fitness by attending a gym on a regular basis.

Together they completed a four day expedition journeying 50 miles on foot through the Lake District and studied the water features while there. They each attended a one week residential course, Tim spent a week at RAF Boulmer and Tom participated fully in a summer camp at RAF Shawbury.

WO Curwen commented: “It is really good that the Lord Lieutenant recognises the cadet’s achievements and presents them a certificate at a local presentation. This gives the family of the participants the opportunity to watch them receive an award as recipients have their Gold certificate presented to them at St James palace later in the year but are only allowed to take one guest.”

Both Tim & Tom will also be presented with a pin badge at 1220 Squadron’s annual awards evening later this month.

Image: Cdt Cpl Tom Ward and Cdt Sgt Tim Kightly with their certificates

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg
 

19 Jan 2011                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Gold Duke Of Edinburgh Award Presentation

On Saturday 8th January, Cdt WO Adam Kelly and Cdt FS Tom Pigott from 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn joined other young people from around the county to attend a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award presentation at Hinchingbrooke School in Huntingdon.
 

Cdt WO Kelly and Cdt FS Pigott were among twenty three Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award achievers and were presented with letters of commendation by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire Mr Hugh Duberly. The young people had all gained Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards during the last twelve months and their achievements were recognised at a presentation hosted by the Lord Lieutenant.

Award achievers, parents, leaders and distinguished guests attended the presentation which was organised by Cambridgeshire County Council and supported by Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Huntingdon District Council.

Guests heard speeches from some of the recipients which highlighted some of the activities they had took part in. Participants at the presentation had taken part in activities in Borneo, Croatia, France, India, Switzerland and Tasmania. Cdt WO Kelly and Cdt FS Pigott completed expeditions in Borneo in April 2010.

To achieve their Gold Award each of the participants had to take part in a physical activity, pursue a personal interest, spend 12 months giving voluntary service, undertake a 4 day expedition and join a residential experience.

The final stage is to receive their Gold certificates at a Royal presentation in St James’s Palace, London.

Image: Award recipients with the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire - Back row second from right Cdt WO Kelly & Back row fourth from right Cdt FS Pigott.

by: Sgt (ATC) Gemma Cox Sqn MCO 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

17 Jan 2011                                                                                                                                                                                    Back to top of page

Bronze DofE Weekend in Capel Curig

16 cadets and squadron staff from 487 (Kingstanding & Perry Barr) Sqn recently took to the hills of Capel Curig for a much anticipated Duke of Edinburgh expedition.

The cadets had been working within their groups for weeks prior to the walk to ensure that they had route cards, kit and expedition knowledge to get them through their practice expedition. Upon arrive al Capel Curig Army training camp, it soon became clear that the weekend was neither going to be easy or dry!

Yes, down the rain poured, for most of the Saturday morning. Though it did nothing to dampen the spirit or determination of the 487 cadets out in the low level hills in Snowdonia. Their first day’s walk was not only arduous under foot but tested their navigational skills to the limit. Carrying their equipment for the entire weekend, soaked through but still smiling, all cadets made it to the finish point on day 1, ready for a quick dinner of MOD’s finest ration pack food.

After successfully heating and eating their boil in the bag meals, everything was packed away into their tents and the cadets began a series of initiative and team building exercises under the command of Sgt Sarah Cotton. The cadets learnt some interesting facts about one another, valuable lessons in communication and teamwork and discovered that Cpl Daniel is indeed, the limbo king.

Sunday’s walk proved to be somewhat dryer than Saturday, making the walking a little easier tough no less tiring. Again, everyone made it to the end with a huge smile plastered on their faces, happy in the knowledge that their Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition was now complete!

Sgt (ATC) Cotton, Adventure Training Officer commented: “The cadets have worked exceptionally hard over the last few months to prepare for this expedition and I’m proud of the determination and dedication they have shown to get through this tough weekend. It was the very first time out walking in the hills for some of the cadets this weekend, and I’m sure it’s given them a good taste and some valuable lessons to take them further in their Duke of Edinburgh Award.” The Squadron plans to complete the actual bronze expedition early in the new year.

by Fg Off Simon Jennings RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 487 (Kingstanding & Perry Barr) Sqn - W&B Wg

18 Nov 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Alexa Collects Her Gold Award

Cdt FS Alexa Ferguson of 1220 (March) Sqn recently attended St James’ Palace in London for the presentation of her Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Accompanied by WO Tammy Curwen the presentation took place in the Picture Gallery at the Palace and after a brief visit and chat with HRH Prince Phillip, Alexa received her certificate from Jordan – a member of the dance group Diversity, winners of 2008 Britain’s Got Talent. Also at the ceremony to receive her certificate was Hannah Foad, an ex-Cdt Sgt from March squadron.

Another member of Diversity, Ashley, also gave out awards and gave an inspirational speech to close the ceremony. Alexa said: “It was a very pleasant day and I felt honoured to have been given this opportunity to achieve the award, and I’d like to thank all that made it happen. I hope my participation in the award will put me ‘a step up from the rest’ later in life.”

Back on the squadron, Cdt Sgt Tim Kightly and Cdt Cpl Tom Ward have just received confirmation that their Gold awards are now complete. They are now looking forward to their trips to London.

Image: Alexa with her certificate

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

17 Nov 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Training

A dozen cadets from 209 (West Bridgford) and 1936 (Newton) Sqns have spent a weekend working on their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

The cadets had to complete 7 hours of planned activity on both days and camp out overnight. The activities included hiking, navigating, map reading and tent building. All the activities had to be completed without supervision, the Adult Staff only being there to assess the Cadets performance.

Cdt Stephanie Willett of 209 Sqn said of the weekend: “It was good experience and we all got a lot out of it. It certainly helped to build up my stamina.”

by: Sgt (ATC) Richard Vincett Sqn MCO 209 (West Bridgford) Sqn - South & East Midlands Wg
 

9 Nov 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Rain, Wind and Freezing in the Peaks

Nine air cadets have braved rain, wind and freezing temperatures to complete their Duke of Edinburgh expedition in the Peak District.

Seven of the group were from 863 (Thurston) Sqn and were completing their practice expedition, whilst two were from neighbouring squadrons and came along on the expedition to complete their silver qualifier. The group were split into two teams, and as staff input has to be minimal, the cadets were able to benefit from each others skills and experience.

Their first day was a seven hour trek over Win Hill (462m in height) through driving rain carrying all of their equipment, including their tents, sleeping bags, food and clothing. Even freezing temperatures overnight didn’t dampen their spirits, and on day two they scaled Lose Hill (476m), working together to help each other through the arduous task.

Another freezing night followed but the cadets were on the home run the following day and completed the final leg easily.

by: CI Claire Marks Sqn MCO 863 (Thurston) Sqn - Norfolk & Suffolk Wg

9 Nov 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Sandy Cadets Complete their Bronze Expedition

Seven cadets from 22 (Sandy) Sqn recently completed their final Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expeditions, walking a total of 33 kilometres over two days.

The cadets set off in two groups from Little Gransden, walking the first 17 kilometres to the campsite at Bassingbourn Barracks. Despite walking through the rain and mud the groups managed to meet their checkpoints on time, making it to the campsite before dark where they set up camp and cooked the evening meals. As the night went on the temperature dropped and the cadet headed off for an early night.

The cadet were up in the early hours of Sunday morning in the cold and damp, packing away camp, and despite some aches and pains, headed for the finishing points 16 kilometres away.

Along the way moral was high, with everyone supporting and helping each other to make every checkpoint on time, and even having enough time for a cooked lunch. The moral was so high that one group even ran the last 100 metres of the expedition. At the end of the weekend the cadets felt like they had achieved something special walking 33 kilometres, having been totally self-sufficient for the two days.

Cdt Simon Parsons (15) said: “Even before the weekend I knew it was going to be tough and challenging, but at the same time rewarding. The expedition stretched my limits, but I really enjoyed the whole experience and I can’t wait to finish the rest of my bronze award so I can do the silver expedition.”

After finishing the expedition section, the cadets have only four more sections before completing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.

by: Cdt Simon Parsons 22 (Sandy) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

24 Oct 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Duke Of Edinburgh Expedition

1220 (March) Sqn brought their 2010 Duke of Edinburgh’s award season to a close last weekend with more cadets completing their Bronze Expedition. Ten cadets travelled to Essex to complete a two day route from Helions Bumpstead via Saffron Walden to Newport.

The cadets formed two groups, an actual expedition team and a practice group. The actual team were completely self sufficient and remotely supervised while they completed their route. They worked well together as a team and spirits were high throughout despite some challenging navigation and wet weather.

The practice group were accompanied for the first part of their route by Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham who provided further training before the team were let loose on their own. Having completed their practice these cadets hope to do their actual expedition next year.

During the weekend the 1220 team were joined by staff from other squadrons in Beds & Cambs Wing who were assessed on their ability to assess Duke of Edinburgh’s award expeditions. Having completed the assessment, Flt Lt Dave Suddards of 2430 (Holbeach) and WO Ron Buchet of 1094 (Ely) Sqns, will become accredited assessors enabling them to assess expeditions at Bronze and Silver level.

In 2010, twenty-six cadets from 1220 Squadron completed expeditions at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. They visited four National Parks and journeyed for over 700 miles between them.

Cdt Daniel Holder, a member of the most recent Bronze team, has now completed his Bronze award and is looking forward to working towards Silver. When asked what the high and low points of his expedition were he said: “I enjoyed the teamwork and camaraderie but didn’t like the rain.”

Image: The 1220 Squadron expedition group.

Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

15 Oct 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Expedition to the Forest of Dean

Cadets and staff from 2028 (Southam) Sqn recently travelled to the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire for their D of E Bronze Expedition.

The weekend began with the cadets travelling from Southam on the Friday evening and setting up Camp near Drybrook for the night so everyone could make an early start on the Saturday. This was not so easy as the Camp Site was a new one and took a little time to find in the dark and even more fun setting up the tents!

The cadets had been warned about taking on lots of water and protecting against the expected sunny weekend. The weather throughout the Saturday was warm but the expected sunny day never happened which everyone agreed was in fact a bonus. Although the group made a navigational error it did not dampen their enthusiasm and they made it back to the camp site just before it got dark, all of them very tired from the days walking. They all quickly set about preparing their evening meal and had a quiet evening eating and discussing the day and what Sunday would bring!

On the Sunday morning everyone woke up to thick fog and most were still fatigued from the day before but after eating a hearty breakfast and clearing the Camp Site they set off once again to complete the second part of the navigation exercise. There was clearly a team spirit amongst the cadets and the weather was a whole lot better than Saturday with clear blue skies, if a little windy at times. The cadets found their check points once again, with a few minor navigational errors. On arrival at the pick-up point everyone climbed into the Mini-Bus for the journey home most of them quickly falling asleep.

The weekend was a complete success and demonstrated the best use of Skills by the staff for the benefit of the cadets, whilst at the same time helping the cadets to improve their navigational skills. It was also another opportunity for the cadets to use the Squadron DofE Kit and the staff to use the 12 person tent recently demonstrated at the squadron ‘open day’ in September, which made the cadets a little envious, considering the amount of room it provided!

Overall, the cadets worked well as a team and those cadets who found it more difficult than others were helped by their team mates. They all found the right mentality required for the expedition demonstrating a real determination to succeed, even if there was the occasional map reading error.

WO (ATC) Storer-Rogers said after the weekend: "It was really great to see the cadets work so well together and succeed in achieving their DofE Bronze Expedition ‘actual’ qualification. The commitment they have all shown over the last 12 months has been clearly evident this weekend."

Flt Lt Daryll Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron commented: “As I have said on a number of occasions the idea of these D of E Expedition weekends is to present the cadets with carefully controlled challenges of their spirit and skills. The cadets who joined the squadron over the last 18 months have proved they are up for the challenge as demonstrated once again this weekend.”

Images: 1. Cdts Rackam and Colvin sharing a meal; 2. The full group who completed the Expedition

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

13 Oct 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Sandy Cadets Practice For Bronze

Seven Cadets from 22 (Sandy) Sqn recently spent their weekend undertaking their practice expeditions for the bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The cadets spent the first night at RAF Brampton, where they joined cadets from other squadrons in the area. Here they spent the evening preparing for the walk the next day, filling in route cards, plotting their route and doing any last minute equipment checks.

Saturday morning the cadets were dropped off at Grafham Waters, where they set off along their routes to St. Neots, requiring the cadets to do at least three hours journeying, plus any time needed for breaks and lunch. When they reached St. Neots the campsite was set up, and the meals cooked.

On Sunday morning the cadets planned their second days route, being taken back to Grafham Waters to start their second route, this time in the cold and rain, but this did nothing to lower the moral of the teams.

Cdt Simon Parsons (15) said: “The DofE practice weekend was challenging, and designed to take us out of our comfort zone, which it did. It was hard work, but it was also great fun and I was very proud with what I have achieved, and learnt. I am really looking forward to doing the final expedition.”

by: Cdt Simon Parsons 22 (Sandy) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

8 Oct 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Finding Gold In The Lake District

At the beginning of September five Air Cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn travelled to the Lake District to complete the expedition section of their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s’ Award. The aim of their expedition was to experience a wild camp and to visit lakes and tarns in the Lake District.

Starting south of Coniston they walked north parallel to Coniston Water and at the end of day 1 climbed uphill to Goat Water. Just underneath the Old Man of Coniston they camped wild close to the edge of the tarn. The cadets were the only people at that location and enjoyed not having to share the mountains.

Day two took them uphill to follow a ridge up to Swirl How and around to Great Carrs. On the way the passed by the crash site of Halifax Bomber. After this they descended into Little Langdale and walked around Lingmoor to camp at the end of the Langdale valley.

On day three the followed part of the Cumbria way and leaving the Langdale valley behind the crossed over Stake pass and walked into Borrowdale. Cpl Simon Foster commented: “Today was the best day’s walking I’ve ever had in the hills. It was beautiful and we were completely away from roads and the more popular routes for daywalkers.”

On their last evening of camping they enjoyed eating all of their extra food as the more they ate the less they would need to carry on their last day. The last day took them up to Honistor pass and then over Fleetwith Pike. From there they descended to Buttermere and followed the edge of Buttermere and then Crummock Water to the end of their route.

The assessor for the expedition was Flt Lt Stuart Dunnett, Officer Commanding 1030 (Whitehaven) Sqn, who stepped in at the last minute to assess the team as the Cumbria award panel were unable to provide an assessor. In his write up he stated that the team were well trained and highly motivated and to be congratulated on completing a challenging expedition.

The last evening in the Lakes was spent in a Youth Hostel where the cadets were able to get clean and relax. They reflected on their experience and their attention now turns to writing their presentations and completing the remainder of their Gold Award.

Back at home, Instructor Cdt Sgt Tim Kightly has recently completed the Physical Recreation section and in doing so has completed his Gold award. He looks forward to receiving confirmation of the award and looks forward to visiting St James’ Palace to receive his certificate.

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

5 Oct 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

2028's Expedition to the Mendips

Cadets from 2028 (Southam) Sqn recently went on a Bronze D of E Expedition to the Mendips.

The cadets and staff left the Squadron at 6.30 on the Saturday to travel down to the Camp site at Broadway House in Cheddar. The cadets couldn’t believe their luck when they arrived to find it was a Holiday Park with proper Shower facilities and close to the Cheddar Gorge. But reality dawned when they were told to prepare for the first navigation walk.

They soon realised that a D of E Expedition was not just a ‘walk’ in nice countryside but involved using a map and compass and dealing with fields, woods and hills. Some of the cadets had been on the previous weekend in July to the Black Mountains in Brecon and were eager to show they had learnt from the experience.

The Cadets set off on their first navigation at a steady pace up a steep inclining hill; by the time they were halfway, some of them were already tired and wanted a break but everyone managed to reach the top of the hill! From the top of the hill the cadets navigated slightly off course but managed to get back on track. As the day progressed a good pace developed.

After lunch everyone set off once again, reaching the highest point in the county where the cadets had a 10 minute break to admire the view and have a snack. Once again everyone set off at a good pace and did good time for the last 5-6 kilometres. Once back at the camp site the cadets found the pitch and set up camp. Everyone then had a good meal, cleaned up and spent the rest of the evening chatting and resting ready for the next day.

The Sunday was broken by one the cadet’s alarm going off. After everyone had cooked breakfast they started to break camp just as the heavens opened. With the tents and kit packed away the cadets started walking at the same pace as Saturday but were surprised how long it seemed to be before the first check point.

They carried on looking for a marked footpath but ended up walking about 1.5 kilometres too far. With the help from the staff who magically appeared, plus a quick fill up of water everyone regained their route. The walk was quite long and difficult for all, but once they reached the top of the yet another hill they grabbed a quick break and carried on, this time ,steeply down hill. Their feet began to hurt but seeing the staff thought it was all over, only to be told there was one more hill to go before they finally finished.

The cadets were clearly relieved and really happy that they had made it, with a few hiccups along the way! They then began the long journey home, most of them falling asleep almost as soon as the mini bus moved off! Everyone agreed that the expedition was a great success, the cadets learnt a lot about team-work, setting up tents, dealing with changing terrain and the occasional change in the weather but also helping those who found it more difficult than others. Everyone agreed they were looking forward to the next expedition.

The result of the weekend was an achievement for all by both qualifying for their Bronze Expedition but also learning a lot about team spirit and helping others through sometimes physically demanding and mentally difficult situations. The spirit of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the ATC combined to produce an excellent result.

Flt Lt Daryll Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron said: “The cadets are all comparatively new to the Air Cadets and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, they learnt a lot from their experiences in the Black Mountains so achieving a ‘pass’ in the Mendips is great news for all of them. They certainly put in a tremendous effort to gain their Bronze Expedition.”

Image: 1 & 2 Southam cadets on the Mendip Hills

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

20 Sep 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Gold at the DFTC

This summer Cdt Sgt Rhiannon Bayliss of 489 (Acocks Green & Olton) Sqn has been busy completing her gold Duke of Edinburgh award.

Firstly, Rhiannon was given the rare opportunity to attend a gold residential programme at the Defence Fire Training Centre, Kent. The course was designed around conservation whilst meeting the needs of the scheme.

Rhiannon spent time recording the bird population on the defence estate, building and distributing bird boxes, building insect towers and practical bee keeping. On the final day of the course, Rhiannon and her course candidates presented the weeks finding to the Station Commander so he can then present them to the Defence Estates Conservation Committee.

After the residential, Rhiannon then attended the Wing's Gold Expedition camp at the National Air Cadet Centre in Llanbedr, Wales. This was Rhiannon’ Practice expedition across the physically demanding Welsh mountains, 4 days of demanding navigation whilst camping out for 3 nights. After the expedition Rhiannon had the chance to Go Canoeing and use the high rope facility at the Air Cadet Centre.
 

Image Cdt Sgt Rhiannon Bayliss engaged in practical bee keeping

by: Cpl Simon Watson RAF Service Helper & Sqn MCO 489 (Acocks Green & Olton) Sqn - W&B Wg

8 Sep 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Wing DofE in Llanbedr

44 Cadets from across Warwickshire & Birmingham spent a week out of their summer holidays completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, with many cadets reaching new highs in physical stamina and navigational abilities.

The National Air Cadet Centre Llanbedr hosted 7 Gold groups, providing a challenging environment for all participants. All groups set out on foot amid the picturesque Welsh mountains, navigating high mountains and long routes. All the groups had the unlucky opportunity to overcome the harsh climatic changes on several occasions.

On the last day of the week the cadets had the opportunity to go Kayaking on a nearby river or reach new heights by scaling the high ropes at the Air Cadet Centre.

Cadets were not alone in the Welsh countryside around Llanbedr as it was host to an array of staff from Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing. Squadron Commanding Officers, SNCO’s and CIs were all gaining either Duke of Edinburgh supported assessments or quality walking hours for Mountain Leader and Walking Group Leader qualification validity. Well done all…

Cpl Simon Watson RAF Service Helper W&B Wg

5 Sep 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

March Cadets Out For Silver In The Moors

Six Cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn recently travelled to the North Yorkshire Moors to complete the expedition section of their silver Duke Of Edinburgh’s’ Award.

Base camp was established at Rosedale Abbey on the evening of the 28th July and the cadets set of early the next morning on their 3 day expedition. Their chosen route took them across several moors, which despite being a challenge both underfoot and to navigate, were successfully completed safely and reasonably on time. Throughout the expedition, they came across numerous 'monuments' both ancient and modern, including the picturesque Blue Man-i'-Th'-Moss, and the state-of-the-art RAF Fylingdales.

The team were entirely self sufficient for the duration of the expedition reliant of team work for all the navigation and camping aspects. The team were particularly proud of their culinary expertise.

Day three saw the team’s safe arrival in the idyllic village of Robin Hoods Bay, where they were treated to fish and chips and a trip to the beach to round off what proved to be a challenging, yet rewarding expedition.

The teams are progressing well with the other sections of the award and are hoping to start preparations for the gold award very soon.

Image: Cadets at one of their checkpoints

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg
 

18 Aug 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Luke Collects His Gold Award

A cadet from 1220 (March) Sqn had a royal encounter recently when he travelled to London to receive his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Luke Goodall (17) was invited to St James' Palace last Tuesday to meet HRH the Duke of Wessex at a special ceremony to honour his achievement.

The Duke spoke to Luke about the award and the obstacles he faced completing it. Luke undertook various challenges to reach his goal, including a 50 mile expedition across the Lake District and a Gliding scholarship. Other aspects of the award found him helping at a Local aircraft Museum and improving his skill at model making.

Keen about anything to do with aviation, Luke is now training with BAE to be an aircraft avionics engineer but still finds time to help at the squadron.

Image: Luke with his award outside St James' Palace

by: Fg Off Colin Arnold RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

6 Aug 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Practice Expedition to Brecon

Cadets from 2028 (Southam) Sqn recently went on a long ‘qualifying’ Silver and Gold ‘practice’ expedition weekend to the Black Mountains in Brecon Wales.

The cadets and staff travelled down to the Camp Site early morning on the Friday. The cadets had prepared their kit so that on arrival at the camp site they would be ready to ‘walk.’ A number of Bronze level cadets also attended the weekend. In total 15 cadets attended, a real challenge for CI Rogers the Squadron D of E Officer, as one of the staff was to do his Gold Expedition as well!

Surprisingly, it being in Wales, the weather turned out to be quite good for most of the time, dry and quite warm but not too hot! Arriving at the Camp site on the Friday late morning both the cadets and staff had to establish the camp before setting out on to the Welsh hills for the first time.

They awoke on the Saturday morning to yet another fine day, amazing for Wales. After all having a good sleep, everyone had breakfast and started walking. The Bronze Group set off on one route whilst the six cadets doing their Gold ‘practice’ set off on a more challenging navigation exercise. CI Halford accompanied the Gold group as he was taking the opportunity to do the practice himself. So the cadets had to treat him as a member of the navigation team rather than an Instructor on this occasion.

On the Sunday morning everyone got up early and after having breakfast and breaking camp they started walking once again. The Bronze group determined to improve their navigational skills as they had experienced some difficulties up to that point. The Bronze group returned to Southam on the Sunday early evening a little tired and determined to do better next time.

This left the six Gold expedition cadets to complete their required number of days, before returning home on the Monday evening during the regular parade. The effort they had put in to the four days in Wales clear for everyone to see as they all lay in a group on the parade square discussing the ‘actual’ to come.

Any D of E weekend in Wales can be a real challenge for everyone; the weather on this occasion was good but all the cadets worked really hard by working as a team. They enjoyed some fine weather and got to experience some magnificent scenery. The six Gold ‘practice’ cadets worked really well together which has set them up for the coming Llanbedr Expedition where they hope to qualify.

It will be a busy period for the cadets at 2028 Squadron as they have also got a D of E weekend in the Cheddar Gorge and the Forrest of Dean planned for later in the year.

Flt Lt Daryll Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron, commented: “The Bronze group returned a little disappointed with their efforts but they learnt a lot about the spirit of the D of E Expedition. I look forward now to seeing my Gold Expedition cadets returning from Llanbedr with their qualification, if their practice in the Black Mountains is anything to go by they are ready.”
 

Image: 1. The Silver group; 2. the Bronze Group

by: Flt Lt Daryll Moreton RAF VR(T) OC 2028 (Southam) Sqn - W&B Wg

5 Aug 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bronze Finals for Wigston Cadets

Cadets from 1461 (Wigston) Sqn have been hard at work exploring the Charnwood area of Leicestershire during their final bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition.

The cadets, split into three teams set off and used their navigation training to guide their way through checkpoints to find their campsite at Johns Lee Wood. The cadets had put a lot of hard work into planning the expedition from what kit to take with them and what route to take.

Fg Off Mann, Sqn D of E Officer said: “I am very proud of all cadets and very pleased with the amount of work that they have put into planning their expedition. They have all enjoyed the experience and have worked so well together as a team”
 

With this expedition completed, a number of the cadets should soon be able to complete their award

Image: Cadets relaxing at Johns Lee Wood

by: Fg Off Tim Hargaves RAF VR(T) OiC 1461 (Wigston) Sqn - South and East Midlands Wg
 

13 Jun 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Triumph Against The Odds

A group of three disabled cadets and a disabled member of staff from 2160 (Sleaford) Sqn fought against the odds to complete their Gold Duke of Edinburghs award expedition in the North Yorkshire Moors.

The team consisted of two wheelchair users, Cdt Greg Johnson and Cdt Cpl Carl Blackman (both 17) and CWO Marc Blackman (19) as well as Sgt (ATC) Jason Beaumont (22), who both took the challenge on foot.

An uphill task was made even more taxing as the cadets had to plan the four day expedition themselves. Each day consisted of eight hours planned activity, four hours of which were spent journeying.

The whole event took place in the North York moors, with routes taking the team through the challenging terrain of Dalby Forest, through the picturesque surroundings of Pickering before finishing at the village of Hutton-leHole.

Every Duke of Edinburgh Award qualifying expedition must have an overall theme. The Sleaford team decided to focus on 'Disabled and less-abled access in the North Yorkshire Moors'.

They videoed themselves passing through various gates and crossing rough terrain in the area, making notes of all the good and bad points along their route.

On the last day the group were met by the Commandant Air Cadets, Air Commodore Ian Stewart, who walked with the team up the final hill of the expedition.

Impressed by the sheer willpower of the group he said: “The motivation and perseverance shown by these cadets exemplifies the qualities needed by young people today, they are a true inspiration to us all.”

Images: 1. The Sleaford team test the limits of accessibility; 2. Commandant Air Cadets with the Sleaford Team

by: Wg Cdr Steve Hullott RAF VR(T) Retd Sqn MCO 2160 (Sleaford) Sqn - Trent Wg
 

25 May 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Getting into Peak Condition

Cadets from 1220 (March) Sqn continued their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition training in the Peak District. During the recent bank holiday ten cadets travelled to Derbyshire and camped in the Edale valley.

The Gold and Silver training groups walked slightly different routes and were given further navigation training to help prepare for expeditions they plan to undertake later in the year. They were also able to work on their fitness and practise carrying expedition rucksacks on terrain that is challenging underfoot.

The different routes took in the start of the Pennine Way, Kinder Scout, Mam Tor and passing by the ancient boundary markers of Edale Cross and Hope Cross. On the last day the groups walked to the Derwent Reservoir and visited the dam that was used by the Dambuster squadrons when preparing for the raids during WW2.

Both groups are now ready to start preparing for their expeditions and will be planning their routes and filling in route cards at the Squadron HQ in Gas Road, March.

Four other cadets. Luca Heighton, Aimee Houghton-Newman, Daniel Anderson and Brett Ray, were recently presented with their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award Certificates and badges.

Image: Cadets at the top of their Journey (Kinder Low 633m)

by: Flt Lt Kirsty Burnham RAF VR(T) OC 1220 (March) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg

19 May 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

There’s Silver In Them There Hills

Members of 42F (King’s Lynn) and 1894 (Swaffham) Sqns were recently in the Shropshire Hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty for both practice and assessment of their Duke of Edinburgh Award Silver expedition skills.

Setting off on Wenlock Edge they followed their route maps over Ragleth Hill to their first overnight camp at Little Stretton. That night the temperature dropped to minus 2 degrees, but camp breakfast and the warming sun soon raised their spirits for the second leg of the expedition which saw a further two days of strenuous back packing up onto the Long Mynd and eventually down into the Carding Mill Valley and on to Church Stretton.

The cadets were observed from a distance by 42F’s CO, Flt Lt Pauline Petch and CI Chris Barrett as they traversed terrain that encompassed open pasture, woodland, high moorland and deep valleys.

CI Barrett said: “I was really impressed right from the start by the way the members of the two squadrons gelled and encouraged each other when the going got tough. The route they planned gave us the opportunity to observe them from afar. They worked well together; this was a very good expedition.”

At the end of the three days, King’s Lynn’s Cdt Sgt Ed Barrett and Cdt Cpls Josh Whisker and Ryan Walker had successfully completed this section of their D of E Award. Cdt FS Dan Parker and Cdt Sgt Ryan Duke from Swaffham together with Cdt Cpls Chloe Sainsbury and Daniella Schulte-Wilke from King’s Lynn completed their practice expeditions.

Images by CI Chris Barrett:

by: Mike Lister Sqn MCO 42F (King’s Lynn) Sqn - Norfolk & Suffolk Wg
 

18 May 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Minus 10 in the Carneddau Mountains

Over the May bank holiday, 2030 (Elmdon & Yardley) and 479 (Rubery) Sqns embarked on an advanced navigation course on the Carneddau mountains in Snowdonia National Park.

The weekend was attended by seven cadets and two staff. It was an early start as the day involved the long drive into Wales with a full days walk. Weather conditions were changeable resulting in frequent changes of clothing. Navigation required cadets to pinpoint their position on the map to within 25meters on the ground. Briefings before and after the leg were required involving the cadets to give distance, height gain, eta, bearing, backstop and a description of route.

The route was physically demanding with some 600meters of height gain simply in the afternoon leading upto the saddle between Carnedd Llewelyn and Foel Grach. Conditions on the peaks rapidly turned less favourable. Cloud cover moved right in reducing visibility down to 10-15 meters with the temperature rapidly dropping.

The original plan was to drop down to Dulyn Bothy to pitch camp but in light of the lateness of the day and the weather's variability, the decision was made to set up camp outside Foel Grach's mountain shelter. Cooking and the days de-brief took place inside the shelter before a well earned early nights sleep was had by all.

Overnight temperatures dropped to -10 degrees C and saw wind speeds of upto 50mph meaning a cold start! After breakfast and when the tents had came down, the walk to the top of Carnedd Llewelyn began. It wasn't long to the top and after 90 minutes the top had been scaled. Weather had greatly improved which saw a sedate descent throughout the remainder of the day.

On the way down we witnessed an RAF Sea King rescue up close, which highlighted the dangers of mountain walking if not properly prepared. A demonstration of how to do a river crossing was also covered before returning to the minibus.

The weekend ended with a relaxed stop at a public campsite for the night before returning back to Brum on the Monday. The weekend was very useful in all aspects of navigation and mountain walking which will further help the future success of the cadets Duke of Edinburgh scheme participation.

by: CI Norman Wakeman 2030 (Elmdon & Yardley) Sqn - W&B Wg

12 May 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Bassingbourn Cadets Learn Fire Safety

With the help of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, cadets from 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn have been learning about the role of the modern fire service and fire safety as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Cadets at both bronze and silver level have been learning about various aspects of the service thanks to Watch Manager John Kitchener and the fire fighters at Gamlingay fire station.

The course is designed to raise cadets awareness of the importance of fire safety covering areas such as fire safety in the home, electrical safety and road safety. The cadets also learnt about the changes that have occurred within the service to bring it to where it is today.

Alongside some classroom work cadets have learnt about the equipment that is carried on fire engines and had the opportunity to see it being used in various displays. One display in particular showed the work fire fighters do when attending a road traffic collision or RTC. This gave a powerful message about road safety and in particular wearing a seatbelt.

This is the second time that the course has been run, with it proving popular with all cadets and staff who attend.

Cdt Olivia Strong said: “I really enjoyed the Fire Service Course because I thought it was really useful and fun. I learnt a lot of things like what to do if someone is on fire, what to do if you find a fire, road traffic collisions and about fire extinguishers. I think it was really good that we went on the Fire Service Course.”

Watch Manager John Kitchener said: “The cadets were once again well behaved and really enjoyed the course.”

Squadron DofE Officer, CI Martin Goddard added: “The course run by WM Kitchener has been a fantastic learning opportunity for our cadets and has been great fun for all involved. Our thanks go out to all at Gamlingay fire station for all the effort they have put in.”

Image: Cadets watching an RTC demonstration on how the Fire Service extricate people from vehicles

by: CI Gemma Cox Sqn MCO 2484 (Bassingbourn) Sqn - Beds & Cambs Wg
 

10 May 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Wigston Bid for Bronze

Cadets from 1461 (Wigston) Sqn hit the trails of Leicestershire in a bid to complete their Bronze DofE practice expedition.
 

The cadets had already under taken some classroom work to prepare their route and plan their menus for the entire weekend. The cadets put their training into practice and set off towards Ullesthorpe Scout campsite in South Leicestershire.

The weather was kind to them and all the cadets managed to complete the expedition, which was a little bit daunting to beginning!

Sgt (ATC) Joe Bentley, said: “This has been a great weekend to get so many cadets through their practice expedition. The final qualifying is planned for later in the year, and things are looking good for some record achievements for the cadets.”

Image: One of the teams relaxing

by: Fg Off Tim Hargraves RAF VR(T) OiC 1461 (Wigston) Sqn - South East Midlands Wg
 

9 May 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page

Alice’s Silver Award Pushes Total Into Double Figures

When Cdt Sgt Alice Hartopp of 121 (Nuneaton) Sqn received her Silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award, she and the rest of her Squadron definitely had something to smile about.

Not only had she managed to achieve her own personal goal of completing the Silver Award programme but she also managed to push the Squadrons Silver Award total into record breaking double figures.

Over the last year a total of 10 Nuneaton cadets have completed the Silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award. During the challenging 6 month Silver D of E programme of activities designed to test their teamwork, perseverance and confidence the cadets all had to complete 4 sections, Volunteering, Physical, Skills and a 3 day (2 night) Expedition.

Flt Lt Ian Crewe, Officer Commanding Nuneaton Squadron said: “This is the first time the squadron’s annual total of silver awards has ever broken into double figures. We had 12 Bronze awards last year and thanks to the outstanding efforts of the cadets involved and indeed the supervising staff we have successfully managed to convert a record breaking 10 of them into Silvers. We now need to keep the momentum going over the next 12 months and see if we can convert these Silvers into Gold Awards.”

Image: Cdt Sgt Alice Hartopp, all smiles after receiving her Silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Fellow Silver Award holders Cpl Scott Mainwairing, Cdt FS Sasha Dowdall and Cdt Cpl Grant Robey line up to congratulate her.

by: Flt Lt Paul Hincks RAF VR(T) Sqn MCO 121 (Nuneaton) Sqn - W&B Wg

2 May 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to top of page