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Somerset ACF reveals what it's like to be a Lord-Lieutenant's Cadet.

ALord-Lieutenant's Cadet is a representative of the cadet forces to the British Royal Family and acts as an aide to the LordLieutenant of their county. To find out more about what the role entails, we caught up with 17-year-old Cdt RSM Hope Relph from Taunton who is a Lord-Lieutenant Cadet in Somerset.

Tell us about your Army Cadets career?

I joined when I was 12 years old. My dad was (and still is) a CFAV and my brother was a cadet and I wanted to get involved. I’ve now passed the whole syllabus. I’ve done my Bronze and Silver DofE Awards and I’m currently doing my Gold. I’ve done adventurous training and fieldcraft training courses too. When I turned 17 last year I became RSM, which means I’m in charge of the whole of the Somerset

ACF, which is approximately 600 cadets. If there are any problems, I sort them out. I also go on visits to different camps. It’s a really busy job and involves lots of planning, but I really enjoy it.

How did you become a Lord-Lieutenant's Cadet?

Last September I was told I’d been put forward by my Company Commander for the position of Lord-Lieutenant's Cadet. It was a complete surprise. I was so honoured and it felt like all the hard work I’d put in over the years had paid off. It’s such an amazing opportunity. I had to go to the Lord-Lieutenant’s office for an introduction with the other nominated cadets, and we then had our investiture in October.

What are your main duties in the role?

I assist the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset at civic and military occasions and represent the cadet forces to the British Royal Family. In Somerset we have five Lord-Lieutenant's Cadets in total, one from each cadet force.

One of my first events was Remembrance Day. I joined other local dignitaries like the mayor and the chief of police. More recently, I went to the British Empire Medal ceremony in Taunton. The Lord-Lieutenant’s office usually emails me a few months in advance of an event and asks if I’d like to attend. I think I’ve been to every one they’ve invited me to, because I really want to make the most of the experience. I’m lucky that my dad is happy to drive me to most events, as I don’t yet have my licence, and college allows me to leave classes early if there’s somewhere I need to be.