Page 16 - Cadet Review Autumn 2021

SWY Wing ATC
‘THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL’
2021 CVQO WESTMINSTER AWARD EXPEDITION IN CORNWALL
A personal reflection by Cadet Flight Sergeant Jacob Stockwell of 868 (Mirfield) Squadron, Air Training Corps.
“Think Global, Act Local”: the motto encom- passing two weeks of my life that saw me change as a person, into someone who is now more forthcoming with others, understands themselves far more deeply both in their role as a cadet, and as an average person, and someone who is far more aware of the environment, our ecosystems, and the impact of natural disaster upon those that live in them.
In July of 2021, I had the privilege of spending
2 weeks in Cornwall with the Cadet Vocational Qualifications Organisation (CVQO) as a part of the Westminster Award Scheme, a scheme they run to promote and recognise individuals and their talents from within all the cadet forces. Working alongside some incredible candidates, we spent the fortnight learning about the environmental and ecological effects we have on the world, how we can reverse this impact, and putting this knowledge into action through real work.
The trip began with team building exercises; apprehensive of our new peers, we were totally
...we spent the fortnight learning about the environmental and ecological effects we have on the
world...
unaware of the incredible bonds we would form in the coming 2 weeks of our lives. Our second day threw us into the deep end with a day of paddle boarding and kayaking on the Cornish coast out
in open water. We quickly learnt how incredibly difficult it is to manoeuvre 8 people floating around in the sea, but eventually got to grips with it; all for the best, as we would end up spending far more time in the water then I ever imagined - next day followed with coasteering and rock diving, activities that seriously pushed many of us out of our comfort zones (jumping 10 metres into ocean water is harder than it sounds). The following day featured rock climbing in a local abandoned quarry, and tight rope walking across it (much to the terror of the other candidates) at Via Ferrata near Penryn.
We walked around the south-west coast, on a route we had planned ourselves, learning about the historical significance of many buildings and ship wrecks, In addition to the geography of the local area and spent a day with the National Trust, removing invasive tree species from their grounds in order
to promote the growth of oak saplings, together
with carrying out further learning about the British ecosystem.
FS Stockwell flying the flag for CVQO
16 CADET REVIEW AUTUMN 2021