Cadet150 gets the royal seal of approval
18 Feb 10
A group of young ambassadors kicked off a series of events, which will take place this year, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the launch of the cadet movement, with a visit to Her Majesty The Queen yesterday, Wednesday 17 February 2010.
Cadets visit 10 Downing Street in celebration of the 150th birthday of Cadet Forces in the United Kingdom
[Picture: SAC Craig Hunter/Air Cadets, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]
Cadet150 will see 150 events take place around the UK during 2010 which have been planned to reflect the spirit of fun, excitement, adventure and community service which is at the heart of the cadet movement.
The year of anniversary events honours the role the Cadet Forces play in assisting young people towards responsible adulthood through learning new skills and developing self-confidence, and celebrates the contribution the young people themselves make to their local communities.
As patron of Cadet150, the Queen kicked off the celebrations along with His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh yesterday when she greeted a group of 26 cadets from across the country at a special reception at Buckingham Palace.
As well as visiting the Queen, the 26 cadets also travelled to Downing Street. They also visited the Ministry of Defence to meet senior Service personnel.
Cadets visit 10 Downing Street in celebration of the 150th birthday of the Cadet Forces in the United Kingdom
[Picture: SAC Craig Hunter/Air Cadets, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]
One of the ambassadors, Air Cadet Lucy Scudder, said:
"Being a cadet is great. There are so many opportunities. You can do lots of different things such as adventure training.
"Before I became a cadet, I didn't have a lot of confidence, but now I am able to walk into a room full of people and I'm fine."
In the evening the cadets enjoyed a reception at Lancaster House hosted by the Ulysses Trust and the Council of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.
The Ulysses Trust exists to support challenging expeditions by cadets and reservists, and adventurer, explorer and world record holder Sir Ranulph Fiennes attended the event in support of the Cadet150 expedition to Lesotho later this year.
General Secretary of the Army Cadet Force Association, Brigadier Mike Wharmby, said:
"We are delighted to be celebrating 150 years of this fantastic movement. The Cadet Forces offer such great opportunities for thousands of young people across the UK. We are encouraging people to find out more through Cadet150 - come along and 'Live the Adventure'!"
Cadet150 events throughout 2010 will include a royal review of the Cadet Forces at Buckingham Palace in July; expeditions to locations as diverse as the Himalayas, Nigeria, the Italian Dolomites, Peru, the USA, Kenya and Nigeria; a special residential camp for cadets participating in The Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award; and the planting of 150,000 trees in partnership with the Woodland Trust.
With origins dating back to 1860, the cadet movement is one of the oldest and most successful voluntary youth organisations in the world. Today it numbers 131,000 young people, led by 25,000 adult volunteers, in well over 3,000 sites across the country.
The Cadet Forces are about fun and opportunity in a positive, structured environment that encourages the development of leadership and teamwork, initiative, self-confidence, self-discipline and a sense of responsibility. They welcome young people and adults from all backgrounds and abilities.
No cadets or adult volunteers will ever be called upon for duty with the Armed Forces, and whilst some cadets do follow a career in the Armed Forces, the Cadet Forces are not used as a recruiting opportunity.