Over the past weekend, seven Cadets and four Staff from 1094 Squadron, City of Ely, Air Training Corps have been participating in the first of five planned Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme expeditions.
As part of the Squadron’s Covid Secure return to face to face cadet activities, 1094 has been focusing on outdoor activities and The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is just one of those outdoor pursuits and is divided into four sections:
Skills and Interests
Voluntary Work
Physical Recreation
Expedition
In the past, before Covid restrictions the cadets have taken part together, as a unit in weekly PT Sessions and community based voluntary work including “Guerrilla Gardening”.
Over lockdown, the Squadron’s cadets have had to think outside the box to complete their Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme sections.
For their Physical Recreation Section, instead of weekly Squadron circuit training PT sessions, the cadets have taken up a wide range of individuals sports and activities.
With Covid restrictions, the cadets had to think of ways to continue with their voluntary work section safely within the community. Whilst some have taken on gardening for their elderly neighbours, others delivered shopping to those shielding whilst other cadets joined Ely’s army of lockdown litter pickers in keeping Ely tidy. One cadet -Christian Montoya- even gave up his free time throughout the summer to help medical researchers and identify abnormal cell activity online by examining high resolution images of human cell tissue and assist with a vitally important medical research project.
With in excess of 30 Ely cadets waiting on just their expeditions to complete their Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards and a small group working on their Gold; This weekend’s expedition saw the first seven cross the finishing line and achieve their Bronze badges.
The expeditions this year have had to be tailored to suit Covid19 restrictions. The cadets have not camping out and sleeping in their tents overnight as normal.
They have been carrying thier tents, clothes food and cookers as normal but pitching their tents and cooking their meals at the campsites before sleeping at home and then returning to the campsite to cook breakfast and set off on foot to the next campsite covering 7-9 miles on each of the three days.
Congratulations to Corporal Scarlet Minchin, Senior Cadet Jay Carter and Kida Western, Leading Cadets Danielle Doblados, Davis Russellcook, Christian Montoya and Harry Talbot on completing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.
The Royal Air Force Air Cadets are now recruiting for adult volunteers right across the Country.
1094 Ely Squadron have just recently taken on 28 new recruits but are allowing young people aged 12-17 to join the waiting list for our next intake of new recruits:
Please click on the link to find out more from your local Squadron no matter where you live: https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/want-to-join/
Press release from 1094 Ely Squadron Royal Air Force Air Cadets
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