This was another successful expedition weekend for 1228 (Louth) Squadron
Thanks to UlyssesTrust support, we were once again able to make this happen at minimal cost to parents/carers – in an area of high financial deprivation this has been critical to providing equity of opportunity ensuring that all those that were eligible completed the weekend.
Over the weekend, which was spent in the Lincolnshire Wolds, we were able to qualify 7 new cadets with their Bronze NNAS with one additional cadet joining us who had previously completed the qualification. Over the 2 days the cadets covered nearly 20km, building their navigation skills to a very high standard. The weather was kind this year with dry clear days and the only rain falling overnight on the Saturday.
Also serving as a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition, the cadets were all signed off for camp cooking as well as proving their camp craft – 6 out of 8 cadets in attendance had never spent a night in a tent before this weekend. By the end of the weekend, every cadet successfully completed the requirements of NNAS, finishing with smiles on their faces (and a lot of sun-screen on their clothes!) and critically had the ability to lead their peers in a real-world environment.
We were also joined by the OC of another unit who was so impressed that we now plan to run 2 weekends a year together, building on this success and expanding the offer to more cadets.
As one cadet said,
“I enjoyed having responsibility for my own equipment and cadets”.
Another said,
“I really enjoyed this trip and found that I didn’t know as much as I thought”
It’s hard to overstate the continued impact of the Ulysses and RAF Charitable Trusts’ support. The tangible achievements speak for themselves and, more importantly, the Squadron continues to grow. Thank You.
The Ulysses Trust also wish to thank the generosity of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust for supporting this expedition. www.rafct.com
