News

January 9th 2018

Derby cadets presented with Gold Awards

A closer group shot

Gold Award winners with the Mayor and Mayoress of Derby

The Mayor of Derby, Cllr John Whitby, accompanied by the Mayoress of Derby, Mrs Juliette Whitby presented 26 members of Derbyshire Army Cadet Force (ACF) with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award in a special ceremony that was held on Saturday 6 January.

In order to achieve their Gold Awards the cadets needed to undertake a four day expedition, as well as develop a skill, a hobby and hold a voluntary role for at least 12 months.

Captain Jon Lang, the adult volunteer responsible for overseeing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards at Derbyshire ACF, explained:  “Cadets take part in a wide range of activities to complete the Award. Some of the recipients took music tuition and another who developed his expertise in science by designing and then creating a miniature wind turbine.

“The expedition element can be completed in a number of different ways and the cadets decide how they wish to complete it.”

In order to achieve their Gold participants were also required to take part in a residential element, with Cadet Lance Corporal Will Farrell (Eckington Detachment), spending four weeks volunteering with a charity group in Borneo in order to complete this component.

During this time he focussed on education by helping develop facilities in the local area and spent time teaching English to children.

The Mayor of Derby, Cllr John Whitby commented: “To gain a gold award clearly takes significant effort and commitment. Having met the outward looking, positive and confident young people, they have all been richly rewarded for their efforts.”

Each of the Award recipients are either cadets, Cadet Force adult volunteers or have recently left the cadets.

Jon Lang explained: “Over the last two years we have run two types of expeditions and allowed cadets to choose whether they wanted to walk or canoe.

“The canoeing expeditions were practiced for on the River Severn before undertaking the 120km journey over four days on the river Wye.

“Our walking expeditions in the last two years have trained in the Peak District before being completed in ‘wild country’, namely the Lake District and Snowdonia in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

“The Awards were presented in front of families and friends, we also had the honour of hosting some VIP guests and the 40 cadets who have just started to work towards their award in 2018.”

The Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award is considered to be one of most prestigious youth awards and is open to participants aged between 14 and 24 years.

Derbyshire ACF has 32 detachments across the county including Derby, Chesterfield, Long Eaton, Buxton, Glossop, Ilkeston, New Mills, Matlock and Chapel-En-Le Frith.

To find out more about volunteering in your area with the ACF or joining as a cadet contact 01332 772025 ext. 21 or email em-der-ao1@rfca.mod.uk.

To find out more about the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award visit www.dofe.org

“To gain a gold award clearly takes significant effort and commitment. Having met the outward looking, positive and confident young people, they have all been richly rewarded for their efforts.”