2Lt Ros Whyall کو ACCT UK ایوارڈ ملا
Every year the Army Cadet Charitable Trust (ACCT UK) gives excellence awards to the most outstanding adults and cadets in the categories of Music, First Aid, Sport, Community Service, Fundraising and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE). On Friday 13th June, Second Lieutenant Ros Whyall received the adult DofE award in recognition of her outstanding success as Cambridgeshire County DofE Officer, in which capacity she oversaw extraordinary numbers of Cambridgeshire cadets completing the qualification.
Ros joined Surry ACF in 2012 and transferred to Cambridgeshire in 2014. She served as Detachment Commander at Longstanton before being appointed County Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Officer in 2019, a role which she took on with dedication and enthusiasm. For the next five years, she led a team of colleagues who transformed DofE in the County, ensuring the qualification was undertaken by as many cadets as possible. She tirelessly visited Detachments to promote the award, led expeditions and obtained relevant expedition qualifications to ensure she was in the best possible position to lead the County’s DofE effort. During the Covid lockdowns, Ros helped to ensure DofE could continue, supporting and encouraging cadets as they volunteered in the community and took part in physical challenges. This dedication resulted in Cambs ACF winning the Quaich Cup for best DofE County in 2021 and repeatedly being one of the top three performing counties nationally. More than 300 cadets have completed the award under her leadership, including 20 at the highest level, the Gold Award. She was awarded the Commandant’s Coin for Excellence in 2022 and became a Commissioned Officer the following year, before leaving her County DofE role at the end of last year, becoming a Detachment Instructor at Cambridge Regional College. She continues her DofE work by additionally serving as DofE Officer for No.4 Company.
Ros said: “DofE builds on all the other things cadets do and achieve. It places cadets in challenging situations which improves resilience and self-reliance, and rewards them with an internationally recognised qualification.”
The ACCT UK awards ceremony was sponsored by BAE Systems and involved a lunch and ceremony at The Carpenters Hall, London. The awards were presented by actress and presenter Joanna Lumley, who has a long relationship with the Armed Forces inspired by her father’s distinguished service as a senior Army Officer during the Second World War. Ros said: “I told her how much I appreciated her being there, and she said she was really pleased to have met so many incredible people.”
Ros said: “It is incredible to be nominated and to win, and to be recognised nationally. Our DofE results have very much been a team effort, and I’m very grateful for all the people that have given their support, and to SSI Paul Dowling who now leads our County DofE effort with great enthusiasm and is continuing to achieve great results.”
Our Commandant, Colonel Deacon, who also attended the ceremony said: “It was fantastic to be able to attend the ACCT award ceremony and to witness 2Lt Whyall get this award. DofE changes lives, and Ros’s contribution to it has been amazing. She greatly deserves this recognition and the whole county is proud of her.”
Cadets and adults can be nominated for an award یہاں.