Page 52 - Cadet Review Spring 2025

 HSY ACF
remembered and shared with future generations.
The project will be a rolling project, and over the
coming years cadets who are engaging in the Duke
of Edinburgh’s Award will be able to participate in
the project as part of their volunteering section. Each
one will have contributed to the preservation of not
just the graves, but also the rich histories of those
who gave their lives for their country. Through their
efforts, the legacy of the fallen soldiers will continue
to live on, honoured by the young volunteers who
have dedicated themselves to keeping their stories
alive.
The partnership between HSY ACF and the CWGC
is just beginning, and there are plans to expand the
project in the future. This pioneering collaboration
demonstrates the power of youth engagement in
preserving history, while also instilling values of
respect, responsibility, and community service
among young people.
As the first official EOHO Volunteers in the UK, the
cadets of Humberside and South Yorkshire ACF have
set an inspiring example for others to follow. Their
dedication to ensuring that the sacrifices of the fallen
are never forgotten is a testament to their character
and commitment to honouring those who have come
before them.
Detachment Commander, Endcliffe Detachment,
SSI Rebecca Montgomery said: “It really restores
your faith in humankind when you see teenagers
caring enough to spend their valuable spare time
cleaning the headstones of someone they don’t even
know. I am incredibly humbled by the cadet’s efforts
today and look forward to hearing what they find out
in the research project.”
Assistant Commandant and Head of Engagement
for HSY ACF, Major John Lomas said: “It’s a fantastic
opportunity for us as a County to work with the
CWGC as volunteers in our own right after partnering
with the Victoria Cross Trust previously. I am
extremely proud that the team led by Captain Brooks’
It really
restores
your faith in
humankind
when you see
teenagers
caring enough
to spend their
valuable
spare time
cleaning the
headstones
vision got this project off the ground after two years
of proving the concept works and we are leading the
way for ALL youth groups in the UK. Hopefully they
will look to follow in our footsteps and help keep
their names alive.”
For more information about the EOHO programme
and the work of the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission, please visit https://www.cwgc.org/
our-work/volunteer
52 CADET REVIEW SPRING 2025