Air Cadets from 285 (Coulsdon & Purley) and 43F (Merton & Morden) Squadron’s joined other uniformed youth organisations for the launch of London Mayor Boris Johnson’s YOU Matter (Youth Organisations in Uniform) programme, held at the Merton Sea Cadet centre in Mitcham.
The Air Cadets ran a fun initiative exercise for Boris so he could have a hands-on activity to try. Reporting on the days activities is Cadet Warrant Officer Rachael Davis (19) from 285 (Coulsdon & Purley) Squadron:
First all of the YOU groups did a very brief drill session together with Boris calling out a few of the commands. This attracted quite a few laughs from both the cadets and the press, but the Mayor did put a lot of effort into it which made it very enjoyable. We then had an inspection during which Boris, he asked most cadets about what polished they used which again brought many laughs. I found that he was extremely impressed with the quality and presentation of our uniform. He asked me if I enjoyed being in the Air Cadets and I said "Well I’ve been in it for over 6 years so I must do!" Boris seemed extremely shocked by this and said "Well done, what has been your most memorable moment?", to which I replied "Getting the chance to go abroad to both Cyprus and Germany on camps." He said that that sounded like an amazing experience, which it was.
We were told that the Mayor could only spend 2-3 minutes with each organisation as he had quite a few to get through. Our initiative exercise involved getting a tennis ball into a bucket which was in the middle of a danger circle (that he could not step into), it was made simple to complete, so it would not take too much time. When he came over, I initially welcomed him and asked if he would wear our DPM jacket, "in order to feel a part of and get into the spirit of being in the Air Cadets", he immediately put it on, with no delay! I then explained what a SMEAC brief was and then Cadet Sergeant Dawson gave Boris the briefing on what he had to do. Cadet Flight Sergeant Bean did try to persuade Boris to have some cam cream put on his face, but as we expected he said he couldn’t. The Mayor immediately told the Cadet Siddle from 43F (Merton & Morden) Squadron to grab the other end of the ropes and pull them tight in order to roll the ball down to the bucket. We were very impressed with the quick thinking on the Mayor's behalf, as he had thought of the exact way that we would have completed the exercise. The press team tried to make Boris move onto the next organisation team waiting, but he kept telling them to quiet down as he was concentrating! He also kept shouting at Cadet Siddle for not doing what he wanted. (In a joking way) After around 10 attempts the Mayor completed the task and walked off with our jacket, to which we were very happy about. It was handed back at the end of the day, but we know it got in a lot of pictures!
Overall, it was a very rewarding and fun-filled morning. We all felt very privileged to have been picked to attend, to meet the Mayor and represent the Air Cadet Organisation. The programme launched is very important for the youth of today especially the focus on adult volunteers, which the Mayor paid particular attention to.
It will be an experience that myself and the other cadets will never forget.
YOU Matter is a £1.3 million programme run by the Safer London Foundation (SLF) - the Met Police’s official charity - who will work in partnership with the You London uniformed groups: Volunteer Police Cadets, St John’s Ambulance, Army Cadets, Air Cadets, Sea Cadets, Guides, Scouts, Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Brigade.
The programme is designed to give more youngsters the chance to join uniformed groups through opening new centres and crucially, recruiting more adult volunteers.
So far, one hundred new adult volunteers and 1,000 youngsters have already been recruited and by the end of 2014 this will increase to 1,000 volunteers, which will enable 8,000 young people currently on the waiting lists across the Capital to join uniformed groups.
Thirty-eight new uniformed groups will be opened over three years, two-thirds of them in boroughs with areas of high deprivation.
The initiative is being funded through Team London, the Mayor’s strategy to harness volunteers to deliver key projects to improve the quality of life and opportunities of Londoners.
Speaking at the Merton Sea Cadets Centre for the launch of the new scheme, the Mayor said; ‘Uniformed groups are a fantastic way for youngsters to get involved in a myriad of activities, which will help equip them with the skills they need to succeed in life.
“It’s a modern tragedy that so many of our young people are struggling to get a foothold in the jobs market and are drifting into crime.
“By instilling self-reliance, discipline and a sense of competition, young people can aspire to a better future.”
Rena Sodhi, chief executive of the Safer London Foundation, said; “Our projects are all about supporting young people and giving them the opportunity to approach their lives differently.
“We are proud to be leading on a flagship Team London project and working with the uniformed groups and our youth advisory board to encourage young people from some of London’s most deprived boroughs to access activities they would not normally have the chance to try.
“Adult volunteers are vital to the success of YOU Matter, as they mean new groups can be established and it is evident that Londoners are rising to this challenge.”
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