His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Professor Dame Hilary Chapman DBE, officially appointed the 2026-27 Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets of South Yorkshire. She also presented Lord-Lieutenant’s Awards to individuals for exceptional commitment to services in the cadet and reserve forces.
The ceremony was held on 22nd October at Manor Top Training Centre in Sheffield and was organised by the Reserve Forces and Cadet Association for Yorkshire and the Humber.
The event was attended by The High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, Sughra Begum DL, and The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Sheffield and Lady Mayoress, Councillor Sue Alston. Also in attendance were The Worshipful the Mayor of Barnsley, Councillor Liam Hardcastle, The Mayor of Doncaster, Councillor Ros Jones CBE, The Civic Mayor of Doncaster, Councillor Jackie Dudley, and the Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Haroon Rashid.
About the Lord-Lieutenant’s Awards
The Lord-Lieutenant’s Award recognises cadets, cadet force adult volunteers, reservists and military civilian support staff for their extraordinary efforts. It supplements honours bestowed by His Majesty the King in the New Year and Birthday Honours Lists.
Cadets who receive the award become one of the Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets of their county, supporting the Lord-Lieutenant at many ceremonial duties throughout the year. Duties can range from Royal Visits to services such as Remembrance Day. To receive this, cadets must be of the highest standard, with excellent bearing, good interpersonal skills and the ability to interact with others. Recipients should hold the rank of at least Able Cadet or Cadet Sergeant and should have been a cadet for at least two years.
This award is the highest honour a cadet can achieve and offers opportunities unique to the cadets recognised as Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets. The award is also given to adult volunteers of any rank serving in the reserves and cadet forces, as well as military-civilian support staff, for their work in the forces, specifically recognising exceptional service.
Deepest gratitude
HM Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire said:
“I am delighted to present these awards to individuals recognised for their exceptional commitment to the Armed Forces and their local communities, from the reservists who balance demanding civilian careers with military service, to the Cadet Force Adult Volunteers whose tireless work develops the next generation of young people. These remarkable individuals embody the spirit of volunteering that is so vital to South Yorkshire.
“I am particularly pleased to appoint the new Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets for 2026. These young people have shown great maturity, confidence and dedication throughout their time in the Cadet Forces, and I have no doubt they will be excellent ambassadors for both the Cadet Forces and South Yorkshire. They will have the opportunity to support me at ceremonial duties throughout the year, and I look forward to seeing them grow in confidence and experience as they take on this important role.
“I congratulate every recipient most warmly and look forward to working with the new Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets in the year ahead.”
South Yorkshire award recipients: full list
The following individuals were recognised for their outstanding service:
Reservists
- Captain Piers Jennings, 37 Signal Regiment, 64 (City of Sheffield) Squadron
- Warrant Officer Class 2 Charles Moore, Yorkshire Officer Training Regiment
- Warrant Officer Class 2 Raymond Owram, 102 Force Support Battalion REME, 146 Field Company
- Warrant Officer Class 2 Simon Thompson, 4th Battalion, The Royal Yorkshire Regiment, Burma Company
- Warrant Officer Class 2 Jason Whitehead, 37 Signal Regiment, 64 (City of Sheffield) Squadron
Cadet Force Adult Volunteers
- Captain Jane Lees, Humberside & South Yorkshire Army Cadet Force, D Company, Barnsley
- Captain Louise Gillott, Humberside & South Yorkshire Army Cadet Force, C Company, Doncaster
- Flight Lieutenant Nigel Jackson, 1384 (Askern) Squadron, South and West Yorkshire Wing
Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets
- Able Cadet Niamh Hammond-Kaye, Training Ship Sheffield
- Cadet Sergeant Riley Dalton, Humberside and South Yorkshire Army Cadet Force, Darfield detachment
- Cadet Warrant Officer Frederick Tuffrey, Air Training Corps, 1053 (Armthorpe) Squadron, South and West Yorkshire Wing
Statements from the Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets
Able Cadet Niamh Hammond-Kaye:
“To me, being the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet means that I can have a platform to promote the cadet corps and influence young people. It means that my voice carries weight and that I can use that weight to encourage people to achieve as much as they can by setting a good example.”
Cadet Sergeant Riley Dalton:
“Being a Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet is such an accomplishment. I feel a real sense of pride to be appointed and represent the Army Cadet Force in South Yorkshire.”
Cadet Warrant Officer Frederick Tuffrey:
“Receiving the Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet appointment is both the proudest achievement of my cadet career and a milestone I have been working towards. It is uniquely meaningful to me, as it honours a tradition set by my mother, who was a Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet herself.”