The briefing

News from across the detachments

THE BRIEFING

Cadet awarded prestigious medal

Corporal Tamara Telford, 17, of Cumbria ACF has been awarded the Order of Mercy Foundation Medal for Distinguished Service for Cadets.

Tamara received the honour in recognition of her outstanding contribution to her local community of Cleator Moor and for performing life-saving first aid. Just five of these medals are awarded each year.

Tamara is a volunteer and mentor to young teens and children as part of the Exchange Corner community action group. In support of the recommendation for the award, Michelle Denwood of Cleator Caring Moor said: 'Tamara makes every effort to support the older and younger generations in her local community, highlighting their needs to the charity group and ensuring these are addressed.' Tamara showed incredible bravery when, in May 2020, she performed life-saving first aid on a local man who had sustained very serious injuries and was in need of immediate help. The man, who suffers from mental health issues, had cut himself on the neck multiple times. Tamara took control of the situation and administered the first aid skills she'd learnt in Army Cadets.

Lieutenant Colonel Diss, Deputy Commandant of Cumbria ACF, said: 'Tamara’s volunteering efforts within her local area are outstanding and promote the kindness and hard work our younger generation put into their communities. We are very proud and pleased that she has been recognised nationally for her efforts.'

New role for CCF Colonel Cadets

Combined Cadet Force Colonel Cadets Anthony Lamb MBE DL VR has been selected as the new Head of Youth and Cadets in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the rank of Brigadier.

Stepping down from his role as Colonel Cadets (a position he's held since January 2019), Brigadier Lamb will now oversee the strategic direction of the five MOD-sponsored cadet forces: the Army Cadet Force, Royal Air Force Air Cadets, Sea Cadet Corps, Combined Cadet Force and Volunteer Cadet Corps. This comprises 150,000 cadets and 30,000 CFAVs.

Brigadier Lamb said: 'I am delighted and honoured to be appointed in this role and to lead the strategic direction of our five amazing MOD-sponsored cadet forces and ensure that policy and governance is in place to deliver it. These five organisations offer a second-to-none 21st-century youth development programme aimed at preparing young people for success and providing new opportunities and experiences to enrich their lives. 'This role represents the culmination of over 30 years working with young people, both in education and the Cadets, and gives me a unique opportunity to draw on my experience to help take this wonderful youth movement forward.'

The briefing

News from across the detachments

World Mental Health Day

Army Cadets' Healthy Minds campaign has led to great progress in the way counties approach and nurture mental health within the organisation. The campaign, which has been rolled out through national training programmes since September 2020, centres on breaking down barriers, reducing stigma and promoting mental health awareness. It's now an important part of the Cadet experience.

While CFAVs have already been learning how to deliver Healthy Minds Awareness courses at local level by taking part in the Healthy Minds Facilitators course at CTC Frimley Park, the organisation was also keen to offer a course for senior cadets.

In May 2022 the new Senior Cadet Healthy Minds facilitator course launched at CTC Frimley Park, enabling senior cadets to offer support to younger cadets.

SO1 Medical and First Aid Melanie Prangnell (pictured inset) says: 'As part of the Healthy Mind suite of qualifications which we deliver to our adults, we recognised that we needed to offer something to young people too, so we took the Mental Health Awareness course we developed for adults and adapted it for young people.' The Healthy Minds facilitator course teaches senior cadets how to offer support and guidance to younger cadets.

'It gives senior cadets the tools they need to support young cadets and ensures that they are resilient enough to deliver the content,' says Melanie. 'It can be quite emotive and raw for people who already suffer with their own mental health.

'Senior cadets in the organisation have the ability to help younger cadets because they can get alongside them and relate to their experiences. It also teaches senior cadets to lead by example.'

The course maintains a delicate balance between a senior cadet responding to a younger cadet's mental health concerns while not taking responsibility for those concerns themselves:

'One critical aspect of the course is that cadets aren't expected to take any responsibility for another person's mental health. Peer-topeer support is fantastic and we've seen how well it can work, but we want to make sure young people don't feel overly responsible for making sure other young people's mental health is OK.'

10 October

Lancashire ACF lead the charge

Healthy Minds national trainer Major Wenda Tyrer trialled the Senior Cadet Healthy Minds facilitator course during camp as well as offering a quiet room for cadets who felt overwhelmed.

She has also implemented new initiatives around mental health and wellbeing within Lancashire ACF (pictured above). These include a wellbeing garden at their training centre, plus running a wellbeing weekend retreat on a farm so cadets could feel the positive effects of being immersed in nature.

'The cadets in her county have benefited from the new measures,' says Melanie. 'It really shows a county trainer who is considering the cadet experience as a whole and has taken the Healthy Minds initiative and run with it.'

New vegan ration packs

It's World Vegan Day on Tuesday 1 November and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Vegan and Vegetarian Network is working on a project to make vegan operational ration packs (ORPs) available in the UK.

'Currently there's a waste of resources as people are breaking down vegetarian ORPs looking for the vegan elements,' says network committee member Lieutenant Gina Allsop (pictured) who is Sports Officer at Sussex ACF and a former member of the Royal Signals.

The MOD Vegan and Vegetarian Network was formed in November 2021 to build a community that supports and educates people about plant-based and vegetarian diets across the services.

Follow the Network on Instagram and Facebook under the handle MOD Veg & Vegan Network and using the hashtag #MODveg. THE BRIEFING

Army Cadets inspired artwork

Merseyside ACF cadet Rhea Robinson (pictured) created a colourful piece of artwork inspired by, and to show her gratitude for, Army Cadets. In the painting, Rhea included the quote: 'The memories we make, the friends we love, the family we choose' because 'It expresses the truth about what we all are under the uniform; we are a family stronger than anything.'

Commandant Colonel David Seddon said: 'Cadet Robinson's artwork sums up the Army Cadets environment, friendship, loyalty and commitment and it will take pride of place on the wall in our County HQ foyer.'