Page 12 - Cadet Review Autumn 2021

SWY Wing ATC Mirfield Air Cadets
– the New Normal
At the end of July, the Royal Air Force Air Cadets updated their guidelines on Covid restrictions, which means that we were able to open to all cadets and staff on both Tuesday and Friday evenings, for the first time since March 2020.
There were still some restrictions which we have to work with:
• Social Distancing – 1 metre + (this means we can accommodate approximately twice as many inside)
• Face Coverings – Required indoors, and outdoors for activities where 1m distancing cannot be maintained
• Canteen – Each person needs to sanitise their hands before being served and staff need to wear gloves to handle money
• The toilet facilities continue to be single occupancy
Some other requirements are still in force: the need to regularly sanitise hands (on entry and exit from the buildings) and to ensure 1m+ distancing. Also, if any cadets or staff test positive for Covid 19, or experience symptoms – they should not attend.
As before, there is no pressure on anyone to attend if they do not yet feel comfortable with the state of the pandemic.
As life began to settle down for the Squadron, we also went into the summer holiday period and so many face-to-face sessions tended to be once-off and ad hoc. Nevertheless, with a more regular attendance cadets began to achieve again in a wide variety of activities:
DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD
Sachen Pathak completed his Silver Award and Morgan Francis his Bronze. Also, a Certificate of Achievement (for completing all sections except Expedition and Residential) was completed by FS Rebecca Jagger (Gold) and Joshua Clark (Bronze)
FIRST AID
Cadets Kiyron Fisher, Gabriella Green and Emily Richards trained for and achieved their Blue Level First Aid badges, as among the last cadets to
There is no pressure on anyone to attend if they do not yet feel comfortable with the
state of the pandemic.
complete the British Heart Foundation HeartStart Award.
LEADERSHIP
Armaan Ali, Katie Ashford, Coen Fisher and
Jamal Hancocks all achieved their Blue Level Foundation Leadership badges following training and assessment of them leading two exercises.
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Following successful assessment of their respective presentations Joshua Clark and Thomas Powles have earned their Presentation Skills certificates.
PROMOTIONS
As a number of cadet NCOs have aged out, or moved on to new stages of their life during the Covid-19 pandemic some new appointments have been made: Corporals Ben Ayrton, Aiden Booth and Emelia Drake and Sergeant Daniel Green.
In addition to these ‘on-Squadron’ activities cadets have also engaged extra-mural activities such as five attending the National Aerospace Camp and three Gliding at RAF Syerston. With some further relaxation of the rules for external engagements cadets were also able to turn out in support of the Royal Air Force Association Wings Appeal – their first visible physical appearance in public for nearly two years, and for some the first time in their cadet careers.
Collecting for RAFA Wings Appeal - group
gathered together for the photograph only
Socially spaced Drill practice
Canteen queue – socially distanced and sanitised
12 CADET REVIEW AUTUMN 2021