By Major Andy Pilling, Company Commander, No 1 (Minden) Company
On Friday 16 June, the Army Cadet Charitable Trust UK (ACCT UK) held their Annual ACCT UK Excellence Awards at the impressive Carpenter’s Hall in London.
ACCT UK are a charitable organisation, who can trace their formation to the 1920’s and over the years have provided millions of pounds to help both cadets and adult volunteers around the UK and to this day still provide millions of pounds to help.
The Excellence Awards celebrate the achievements of Cadets and Adults in the Community, First Aid and Music.
As a guest at the awards, it is a humbling experience to hear about some of the achievements that cadets and adults have done in 2022.
Former Cadet Company Sergeant Major Nicole Pennington, from Bury Detachment and the Greater Manchester ACF Corps of Drums was awarded the Excellence Award for Music.
Now 18 years of age and has left the ACF, Nicole started her cadet journey aged 13 years. A quiet and shy cadet over the years she grew in knowledge and confidence. One of the original members of the Corps of Drums, she had no musical knowledge, but hard work and perseverance paid. This combined with her other ACF training, which was stopped for 18 months due to COVID lockdown she rose to become the Cadet Company Sergeant Major, the second highest rank a cadet can achieve. But she also became the Corps of Drums Sergeant Major. With her training she attained the highest music award.
Her music journey reached a pinnacle when she was awarded the prestigious National Drum Major. Selected over all Drum Majors in the UK.
Although Nicole has completed her Cadet experience she will have the memories of her personal journey, with its up and downs. She has said that the ACF has given her life skills and given her the confidence she could not have gained from anywhere else.
ACCT UK offer and give amazing opportunities for cadets and adults. To find out more about ACCT UK please click here to look on their website
