WALES

Wales is part of the United Kingdom mainland and is bordered by England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south and the Irish Sea in the north and west. It has a population just over 3 million, making it the 2nd smallest of the countries that are part of the United Kingdom.

The first settlements on Welsh land are thought to have been around 230,000 years ago. After the Romans left Britain in the 5th century, Britain divided into several different cultures which spoke their own languages. Wales was the largest of these settlements and began to be known as Wales.

Since 1282 the heir apparent to the English monarch has been known as the “Prince of Wales”. During the 15th and 16th century the Welsh launched several revolts against the English, which were all unsuccessful. In 1707 Wales become part of the Kingdom of Great Britain, and then in 1801 they became part of the United Kingdom retaining much of their culture under this new ruling.

Wales covers a substantial 8,023 square miles with large sections of the landscape being largely mountainous terrain. The English counties that border Wales are Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.

The regions that are particularly noted for their mountain ranges are Snowdonia (Pictured - where you’ll find the highest mountain in Wales, which is Mount Snowdown at 914m), Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons are also National Parks along with the Pembrokeshire Coast.

Cardiff is the capital of Wales and is the largest city in the country. There are five over cities in the country; Bangor, Newport, St Asaph, Swansea and the smallest city in the United Kingdom, St Davids with a population of just 2,000 people.

The largest town in Wales is Wrexham closely followed by Barry, both with populations of over 50,000 people.

The main road that runs through Wales is the M4 which crosses into Wales from England via the Second Severn Crossing and then runs through the south of the country before ending at Port Abraham. Before the opening of the Second Severn Crossing the main access used to be via the Severn Bridge which is still operational today. The two main roads that provide access in the north of the country are the A55 and A494. The A483 and A470 link the north and south of Wales passing through the centre of the county.

Wales has two airports with Cardiff providing services to other UK airports and international destinations, while Anglesey runs two return flights daily to Cardiff. There are 923 miles of mainline railway in Wales and these provide a vital link to a number of rural destinations along with the major towns and cities.

With its own language, customs and iconic flag, Wales is a fascinating country which boasts a wealth of culture to see and discover. The country is symbolised by its vibrant flag, which features a red dragon and Tudor colours, once used by Henry IVV during the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

Other symbols that are linked to the country include the daffodil and leek. The use of the daffodil was encouraged by the politician and statesman David Lloyd-George in the 19th century, while the association with the leek dates back even further to the 16th century. The leek once featured on British Pound Coins.

The Welsh language, which stems from the Celtic languages, is still spoken in Wales. However, in the 2011 census less than 30% reported that they were able to speak Welsh. The country also has its own mythology which was passed orally through generations by early poets.

The list of people below all have links to the country after having been born here or living in Wales for a sustained period of time. •Catherine Zeta Jones (Actress) •Gareth Bale (Footballer) •Christian Bale (Actor) •Tom Jones (Singer) •Ryan Giggs (Footballer) •Roald Dahl (Author) •Anthony Hopkins (Actor) •Timothy Dalton (Actor) •Bonnie Tyler (Singer) •Shirley Bassey (Singer) •Charlotte Church (Singer) •Katherine Jenkins (Singer) •Rob Brydon (Actor) •Tanni Grey-Thompson (Olympian) •Joe Calzaghe (Boxer) •Dylan Thomas (Poet) •Gareth Edwards (Rugby player)

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COMBINED CADET FORCE The tradition of cadet units in schools goes back over 150 years to the 1850s.

In 1948, the Combined Cadet Force was formed, covering cadets from all three Services.

In 1859, the idea of cadet School’s armed drill contingent pre-dated the 1859 letter from the War Office. These early units were focused CCFs in state schools slowly grew - and for the first time girls were allowed to join. Today the Combined Cadet units in schools was developed by the Secretary of State for War, Jonathan Peel - who wrote to public schools and universities, inviting them to form units of the Volunteer Corps. Several schools took up the idea, and the first Cadet Corps in a school was formed in 1860 at Rossall School. Other units formed soon after at Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Hurstpierpoint and Felsted School - although Felsted on Army activities, and were usually associated with Rifle Volunteer Battalions for Home Defence, with cadets wearing the uniforms of their parent volunteer battalions. The Corps evolved over time, focusing on Officer Training - and during World War I and II, many of the young men who served in the units went on to serve their country in the Armed Forces. After World War II, the structure of the Armed Forces changed, including the cadet units in school, which became the Combined Cadet Force in 1948 - incorporating sections from all of the Armed Forces, the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force. Over the following decades, the focus of the group moved away from being a recruitment pathway into the Armed Forces, the number of Force contingents are very different to those early groups of young people. Although they are still based on the ethos of the Armed Forces - their focus is on helping young people to develop and reach their full potential by providing challenging, active, adventurous and fun activities.

"I’m really proud to have been promoted to Cadet Corporal just before we visited RAF Halton for our "summer camp.

Joining the CCF offers a number of opportunities to take on responsibility, and develop leadership skills. Find out more about the roles and ranks cadets and adults can hold in the organisation.

RANKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CADETS

As cadets progress through their time with the CCF, they are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and gradually for others. In the early stages, this will involve looking after their uniform and kit, and developing self-discipline and organisational skills to successfully complete their basic training. As they develop their own skills, they may also be given the opportunity to take responsibility for a small group of cadets as a Junior Non-Commissioned Officer (JNCO).

Cerys Bailey from Heanor Gate Science Academy explains how the skills she has developed through her time in the CCF have helped her rise up the ranks to Cadet Corporal, and also helped her outside of the CCF.

Cerys, aged 16, explained: “I’m really proud to have been promoted to Cadet Corporal just before we visited RAF Halton for our summer camp. ”

Cerys continued: “I have had much more responsibility on camp this year as I have been leading a flight of 12 other cadets, giving them commands and leading the drill squad. This has helped to continue developing my confidence too.”

“I’ve gained a lot out of being in the Cadets including improving my team working and leadership skills, as well as helping me to become much more organised. We run to quite a strict timetable in the CCF, especially on camp so we cannot afford to not be on time. For example we have to get up at 6am to have an inspection at 7am and then be out for breakfast at 7.15am.”

Cerys explained how the skills she has gained from Cadets are helping her in her everyday life. She said: “My organisational skills have helped me in school. I now prepare my school bag the night before and my school uniform in advance, meaning I am always on time.”

“We have learnt about the physics of flight in the CCF which has also helped me in my recent GCSE Physics exam.”

“I would encourage anyone with an interest to join their local Cadet group as I have gained so many skills that can be used in everyday life, and I’m sure my experience will help me in the future.” Find out more about the different ways CCFs have had a positive impact on others in their local area.

Although Combined Cadet Force contingents exist within schools, they also play an important role in the community. In many cases, CCFs will be the public face of the school at local events, such as summer fairs, county shows, mayoral engagements and Remembrance Day.

As well as being a positive representative of the school, we believe that CCFs can have a hugely positive impact on the local area, whether that’s through volunteering, getting involved in conservation or taking part in civic events. There are lots of positive examples of CCFs engaging with their local community - if your CCF has a great story to share, we’d love to hear it.

There are also many opportunities for established CCFs to support the next generation of school-based cadet units, by working with the new schools joining the scheme as part of the Cadet Expansion Programme.

The interim findings of an independent report, compiled by the University of Northampton, who undertook research across the entire cadet programme (including the CCF), has found that joining the cadets offers a range of benefits to individuals involved and the wider community.

CCF LOCATIONS

Combined Cadet Force contingents exist in schools around the UK, and are open to pupils at that school. If your school does not have a CCF contingent, but you are interested in finding out more about the cadets, there are Sea Cadet, Army Cadet and Air Cadet units in the local community, which are not tied to a specific school.