In July, a group of cadets from Q3 Academy CCF travelled to Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park for their adventurous training summer camp package. The themes for the camp were:
Physical and mental challenge; Resilience; Teamwork; Leadership; Communication
Stepping off the coach in Nant Gwynant, cadets were immediately met with their first challenge, a 1 mile walk with all of their kit to base camp at Plas Gwynant Outdoor Education Centre. For some of the young people from the Birmingham suburbs, this was to prove to be a shock to the system and they were blown away with the sheer scale of the landscape.
The goal of the expedition was to introduce cadets to a range of adventurous training activities and travel across the landscape using different modes. They canoed, climbed, walked, abseiled and scrambled their way across the Eryri landscape over the next three days, supplying them with mental and physical challenges by the bucket load. Cadet G, one of the junior cadets on the expedition said that:
“At first I was terrified to get into the water in the canoe, I was really worried I was going to capsize, but my corporal and the instructors talked me through it, so I felt OK. Then, I capsized anyway. At first I couldn’t swim, then I realised that my buoyancy aid was keeping me afloat. Once I trusted my kit, I could just get on with it empty the canoe and get back in to continue the journey.”
Later in the expedition, cadets were tasked with travelling along a river. It should be noted that Cadet G was the first to jump in!
Throughout the expedition, cadets were assigned to flights with responsibilities delegated via senior cadets allocated to each flight, giving them valuable experiences of practical leadership and communication following their leadership development program completed at the unit. This involved getting cadets to the right place at the right time with the right equipment, ensuring they were in good health, and fed and watered appropriately. Each JNCO was mentored by a SNCO or officer, giving them developmental feedback.
Corporal K led a group of more physically able cadets, who subsequently completed more difficult challenges in the expedition. She said that:
“I had to have the confidence in myself to persuade the others to complete some of the more difficult parts of the expedition. In particular, the abseil was hard for me because I don’t like heights. To get the others to trust that it was safe, I went first, and it was fine, so all of the others in my flight followed me with confidence.”
The instructors on the expedition were impressed with the cadets’ teamwork, leadership and communication throughout the expedition and commented on how well they all conducted themselves throughout. It was noted that not a single cadet refused to complete even the most challenging parts, which is testament to the resilience and confidence that they developed during it.
As contingent staff, it was our pleasure to see the development and growth of the cadets during the expedition. It has enabled us to really develop our young leaders, allowing them to apply their skills in a practical context which they don’t get to do to such a degree when in training at the unit.
Thank you to the Ulysses Trust for the grant that was provided. It enabled us to provide this opportunity to some of our more disadvantaged cadets, ensuring participation was as high as possible, allowing all to gain the full cadet experience.
