Meet the 20 young army cadets whose ski dreams came true – thanks to the RFCA’s professional cadet support staff.
The teens were due to head to the Alps on a ski trip to Austria last month. But when Covid forced cancellation, the RFCA team stepped forward and pulled out all the stops to rearrange an alternative break, this time to Scotland.
And, though snow was far from certain, the cadets from Humberside and South Yorkshire Army Cadet Force’s Beverly-based A company struck lucky and were greeted by snow-covered mountains.
Cadets learning to ski
“All our cadets were skiing well by the end of our time in the Cairngorns,” said their commanding officer Major Richard Lenton who put his skiing expertise to good use to help his cadets master the skills they needed to enjoy their time on the slopes.
“It was great watching their confidence grow as they transitioned from novices to competent skiers and none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for the RFCA team that supports the Army Cadet Force (ACF) in the county.”
Cadet support teams
The RFCA has two specialist cadet support teams – one serving Humberside and South Yorkshire ACF and the other serving Yorkshire (North and West) ACF..
Their remit covers administration, recruitment, training, safeguarding and health and safety.
So when the trip to Austria was cancelled, it was up to the RFCA team to see if they could arrange alternative accommodation, catering and transport to Scotland instead.
Overcoming setback
“We worked closely with cadet force adult volunteers to ensure cadets got their ski trip despite the Covid setbacks,” said cadet executive officer Tim Atkinson.
“We always hoped they would get snow and couldn’t be happier that the weather turned out in their favour and they got the time on the slopes they had wished for.”