Page 70 - Bugle Autumn 2023

CENTRAL
Colour Party on Herefordshire Coronation Cadet Review
Year 8 Cadets
LUCTON SCHOOL CCF
Yet again, the year seems to have flown
by, with so many different activities, competitions, and camps it seems amazing that we have managed to fit in lessons as well!
At the Contingent’s Annual Dinner awards and promotions were made to the cadets, including Best Cadet to C/Sjt Hershel Snook, Best Recruit to Cdt James Pennell and OC’s Special Award to LCpl Kiara Pohl. The occasion was also used to present The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medals to Lt Col Craig Derrigan, Major Chris Nicholls, Sqn Ldr Debbie House and WO2 Rich Brown.
We continue to participate enthusiastically in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. In 2023 our cadets won the impressive total of 32 Bronze Awards, 12 Silver Awards and 5 Gold Awards; a 75% pass rate for the school.
In First Aid, this year has seen all of
Year 8 achieve their Heartstart Award and Year 10 complete the First Aid Youth Award, which culminated in a highly successful examination weekend. Our First Aid teams yet again became Regional First Aid CCF champions and, having qualified for the National Competition, representing the Army,
70 RIFLES The Bugle
finished in a very respectable third place. Two of our cadets also put their first aid skills to the test for real - Cdt Georgia Oertel saved
a motorcyclist’s foot after a traffic accident and Hayden McLaren saved his father from choking during a family meal.
We are lucky to have Sennybridge Training Area nearby and have taken advantage of its facilities by running two fieldcraft weekends there this year. The younger cadets found the night exercise particularly exciting,
with flares adding to the drama and some enthusiastic staff playing the enemy. It was
a good time to put into practice many of the skills learned throughout the term; although casualty evacuation may need a little work – dropping them off the stretcher isn’t massively conducive to a speedy recovery!
Other notable events this year included
Cdt RSM Sameer Rai becoming the Lord Lieutenant’s CCF Cadet for Herefordshire at
a ceremony held at Burton Court in March, where our very own Maj Chris Nicholls was also awarded a very late Cadet Force Medal. The contingent also had the honour of providing the Parade Commander and a Guard at the Hereford Cadet Coronation Review. A
it seems amazing that we have managed to fit in lessons as well!
total of 32 immaculately turned-out cadets and our contingent staff paraded in review order in front of HM Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire and local dignitaries including General Sir Peter de la Billière, the High Sheriff and the Lord Mayor.
Once again, the Contingent has received excellent support from the Brigade Cadet Training Team, the Board of Governors, and
the Headmaster. The cadets have worked immensely hard this year and their enthusiasm and drive to succeed is an inspiration to us all. Thanks are due to all our Contingent staff and, in particular, to SSI WO2 Rich Brown.