News
July 16th 2019
Adult Volunteer ‘can’t imagine life without the Army Cadets’
Derbyshire Adult Volunteers on Annual Camp
A Cadet Force Adult Volunteer from Derbyshire has explained how she couldn’t imagine her life without the Army Cadets and is now encouraging other women to see what opportunities the Cadets can offer.
Captain Sarah Shergold, aged 27, first joined the Army Cadets at the age of 12 when she went along to see what it was like which turned into 15 years of incredible experiences.
Sarah in Belgium as a Cadet
Sarah said: “It has given me confidence, organisational skills and social skills, as well as the ability to work with people from all backgrounds and abilities in whichever setting I find myself in.
“I became an Adult Volunteer because being a cadet had been such a big part of my life, my Adult Volunteers played a part in bringing me through my childhood and I had really enjoyed my last few years as a senior cadet, being able to use my skills by teaching other younger cadets.
“It is so rewarding and worth the hard work and effort that we all put in, I’m so proud to be a role model to the Cadets and honestly I couldn’t imagine my life without Cadets. There is no better feeling in the world than seeing the smile on the face of a cadet achieving something they never thought they could”
Sarah at an ACF dinner
Sarah has had a lot of experiences in the Army Cadets that have helped her grow in confidence and given her skills to take into her job as a Senior Pharmacy Technician at the Queens Medical Centre Hospital in Nottingham. The Trust are very supportive of my volunteering and award me a few extra days holiday leave each year to use for cadet activities.
Sarah explained: “The Army Cadet Force can provide you with lots of unique confidence building situations. I’ve been in front of local dignitaries as a Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet representing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, been Parade Commander on Remembrance Day, passed through the Army Officer Selection Board at Westbury and so many other opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible without the Cadets. Leading me on to this year being selected to be the Training Officer for an Overseas Expedition to British Forces Cyprus for 48 of Derbyshire’s cadets.”
Sarah with Long Eaton Detachment as a Cadet
Sarah also wants to encourage other women to spend their spare time supporting the Army Cadets.
She explained: “It’s so rewarding and worth the hard work and effort that we all put in. The more volunteers we have, the more we can offer to our young people.
“You will make friends for life, help change young people’s lives and will be a part of making so many incredible memories for so many of them.
“I am really pleased with the steps forward both the Armed Forces and the ACF are making towards Women being fully included in all aspects of military training and life. Having no women in senior positions is finally becoming a thing of the past. We have a national Adult Volunteer Ladies group online and the stories celebrating women achieving the senior ranks and role are becoming more and more frequent. It is refreshing and inspiring to read!”
To find out more about joining the Army Cadet Force as an Adult Volunteer visit: https://armycadets.com/volunteer-with-us/
“It has given me confidence, organisational skills and social skills, as well as the ability to work with people from all backgrounds and abilities in whichever setting I find myself in."
