Posted on 10th September, 2024

Some Trustees visited the S&WM(NS )ACF Annual Camp that this year was held at Warcop Training Centre in Cumbria. Their trip started with a Trustee’s Dinner to which they invited our Senior Army Cadet Force Officers as guests to show our appreciation for the great work they do as volunteers.

The following day started with a detailed briefing for the Commandant who outlined the intended outcomes for this camp. The rest of the day comprised back-to-back activities during which the Trustees took part in the training activities that the cadets were undertaking. It was fantastic to see the cadets enjoying themselves and to hear reports of how they were individuals developing the skills they needed and growing in confidence. We also saw for ourselves the cadets making full use of some of the equipment the Trust has purchased for them thanks to the financial support of our doners. The inclement weather didn’t seem to matter to any of them, or us for that matter! In the evening we were invited to the Officer’s Mess for a Curry Dinner with the Officers and Adult Volunteers who weren’t on duty with the cadets.

 

On the final morning, we enjoyed a demonstration of parade-ground skills and a traditional drum-head service. After this, awards, prizes and promotions were presented to individual cadets by our Patron and Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Mr Ian Dudson CBE KStJ. The final activity for the TRustees was to watch the Lord-Lieutenant take the salute as all of the cadets and adult volunteers marched past.

The general feeling from the Trustees was that this was the best camp we had ever been to and the Commandant reported that the outcomes he had set had all been achieved with many adult volunteers excelling.