2023 Review
Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force has had yet another very successful year, with both cadets and adults developing their skills and experiencing new and exciting opportunities with Army Cadets UK.
The start of the year saw First Aid awards galore, with the county reaching 143 awards by the start of the year, and earning it’s 150th award by February. Also in February, Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadets scored the goals in the regional football, with Senior Girls and Boys teams taking the gold in Colchester and securing a trip to Altcar for the Nationals. March saw former 4 Company Cadet Elise Packwood being nominated for the CVQO Westminster Award. Now renamed the Cadet Vocational Collage, The CVC Westminster Award is an annual competition aimed to recognise young people who have made a difference in the lives of those around them. The County got sporty again with the Rugby this time, again in Colchester, with Cadets going on to play in the Nationals. March also saw the Royal Navy Attract Team visit Hertford for a STEM evening, and 2 Company Cadets taking a trip to Winchester to the Rifles Museum.
April saw no fools as Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force continued to achieve in sport, with Cadets forming a part of the Eastern Regions Rugby teams with Essex, LNR and Suffolk Army Cadet Forces. Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadets continued with ceremonial roles, such as providing guard of honour for the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Mr Robert Voss CBE CStJ as he held his British Empire Awards Ceremony at County Hall in Hertford. Cadets continued to push themselves, with 3 Company Cadets travelling up to Wales to the Cadet Centre for Adventurous Training (CCAT) and other Cadets attending Chicksands Detachment for Netball, an activity they haven’t done since pre-Covid. May saw Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force Cadets and Adult Volunteers join the nation and embrace the Kings Coronation celebrations, attending all manner of events, from local community fairs and fetes to Church and Cathedral services. Keeping in the Royal theme was 2Lt Taylor from 3 Company who attended Buckingham Palace to celebrate his Gold DofE Award, along with several Cadets who volunteered to marshall the event to work towards their own awards. May came to an end with the Regional First Aid competition and the Herts County Show.
June showed no sign of slowing down for Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force, beginning with the appointment of new Cadet RSM, Cadet Sergeant Major Miller of Bedford Detachment. The County returned to Wales, this time for the Gold DofE Practice expedition. New beginnings took place after East Anglia RFCA worked hard to provide new buildings for detachments. Cadets and Adult Volunteers braved the hot weather to attend the Kings first Trooping the Colour. The County took on the famous Flitton Potato Race with 2 Company winning the relay. June also saw the ACCT UK Excellence awards, with 1 Company’s Colour Sergeant Whitelegg being awarded a First Aid Award. As well as taking part in the National Athletics, Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Cadets also had the chance to experience scuba diving. Back out in the community, they took part in various Armed Forces day events across Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire.
July saw Cadets work hard on company weekends and training days preparing for the year's main attraction, Annual Camp. A little more community work, this time at the Harpenden Highland games and then it was off to Pirbright for Annual Camp. Two weeks of Annual Camp followed, with Cadets and Adults enjoying a varied programme of activities, from Shooting and Paddleboarding and Kayaking to Motorcycle riding and Mountain biking and expeditions.
After a break, September saw Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force jump straight back into action, with Cadets and the Corp of Music attending the Royal Anglian Regimental Day at Duxford Museum. Two Cadets from 1 Company also won scholarships to Sandhurst, opening the doors of opportunity to them for a great career. September saw the official opening of the Ware detachment, opened by the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire and his new 2023 Lord-Lieutenants Cadet. Quickly September ended and October began with Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire cadets taking part in the Rifles Cadet Cup. 1 Company Cadet Cordwell made headlines after being awarded a British Citizen Youth Award for his unwavering dedication to caring for his wheelchair-bound father, supporting a local disability sports charity, and excelling in the Army Cadet Force.
October also saw the official opening of both the Leavesden Green Detachment by the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Mr Robert Voss CBE CStJ and the Biggleswade Detachment by Deputy Lord Lieutenant Andrew Wallis MBE. Then it was back to County Hall in Hertford to assist with further British Empire Medal Awards. The end of October saw the Adult Volunteers have their evenings, with the Sergeants Mess Dinner at Letchworth Hall Hotel and the Officers Mess Dinner held at the Guards Museum and attended by Garrison Sergeant Major Vern Stokes. October also saw three Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadets take part in Exercise Keynan Cub. November saw all cadets and Adult Volunteers take part in the annual Poppy Appeal and Remembrance parades and events across the region, with everyone looking smart and representing the County to the highest standard. The month ended with Cadets and Adult Volunteers taking part in Christmas community events and Company Christmas camp weekends as we moved into December and although winding down for Christmas, Cadets still finished the year in sports with the National Swimming Competition.
Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force ends a very successful 2023, this is just a snapshot of activities and opportunities enjoyed. Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Army Cadets have achieved so much, with the County currently standing at a total of 192 First Aid awards since 2016 and 318 DofE Awards (Bronze, Silver and Gold) since 2018. We all look forward 2024 and the new year’s Cadet Experience.
Fancy making 2024 the year you give Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force a go? Then pop along to www.armycadets.com for more information and to enrol online.
