AWARD SUCCESS CONTINUES AT HITCHIN

Hard work by cadets from 1066 (Hitchin) Squadron is paying off with many recently completing their Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. In the last few months nine cadets have achieved their bronze awards, six cadets have completed silver and one has achieved gold.

Service sections have included uniformed youth service and fundraising. Skills studied have included music, marching band, driving, singing and marksmanship. Cadets have enjoyed improving their standards in sports such as dance, karate and physical achievement. Cadets doing silver and gold awards have worked really hard to complete expeditions in North Wales and the Breacon Beacons, where as those completing bronze have been a little closer to home, undertaking expeditions in East and West Hertfordshire.

Cadets who have achieved bronze awards are Cpl Matthew Woodward and Cdts Gary Pestell, Meredith Orman-Brown, Katherine Swift, Oliver Martin, Peter Bradford, Holly Somerville, Adam Philpot, Michael Barnes. Silver awards have been awarded to Sgts Benjamen Reed and Michael Page, Cpls Mariko Kemp, Douglas Johnson, Simon Moore and Cdt Dumal Welikala. The gold award has been achieved by CWO Christopher Moore who will visit one of the Palaces’ later in the year to collect his certificate.

Cpl Douglas Johnson (15) said ‘completing my silver award was a most rewarding and challenging experience and I am pleased to have been able to achieve it. It has definitely been great fun.’

After being awarded his bronze award Cdt Oliver Martin (15) said ‘I have realised that completing my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a great achievement and I was very pleased when presented with my award.’

All the cadets who have completed their bronze and silver awards have already started work towards their next award. They will travel to Wales in May to complete their silver and gold practice expeditions.