by Rebecca Finlay, Year 11
As well as attending St Thomas More Year 11, I am also a member of my local Sea Cadets corps. In Sea Cadets we do a range of activities both on and off the water. We can gain qualifications that are useful outside of the corps such as Duke of Edinburgh and RYA (Royal Yacht Association) instructor’s awards. There are also many opportunities to go out to sea with the offshore fleet of power vessels, yachts and a square rigged sailing ship. With these you can travel around the British Isles as well as the north coast of France.
On Tuesday 5th February, my Sea Cadet unit had its annual awards evening. This is a chance for cadets to be recognised for their efforts throughout the previous year.
I was awarded three trophies; the first two were the Smartest Cadet and the Sports Award, which recognises someone who has competed in district, area and national competitions. I have competed in Kayaking and Sailing at national level. The final award is Best Cadet, which is given to the cadet who does the most community events, the most competitions and gains the most qualifications as a whole.
I was also honoured to have been made the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet for the following year. The Lord Lieutenant is the Queen’s representative in the county. She is appointed a cadet from each of the cadet forces, so for the next year I will represent the Sea Cadets, assisting her in her duties, which include royal visits and important business events.
