Council backs cadet forces
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
27/01/2009
H&F Council is promoting uniformed youth services to their schools
H&F Council is promoting uniformed youth services to their schools and encouraging Heads to invite cadet force leaders to come to a school assembly or open evening to share information with young people.
The Council works hard to provide all sorts of opportunities for young people in an effort to provide constructive and positive paths for development. Local cadet forces provide an alternative to other opportunities such as youth clubs and sporting activities.
Cadet forces allow young people to work towards awards and provide an outlet to use their leisure time in a constructive, disciplined way. In a very real way they can help fight against the risk of young people falling into anti-social behaviour or, worse still, criminal activity.
Cllr Greg Smith, Cabinet Member for Crime and Street Scene, said: “Cadet forces offer a safe and educational engagement with stimulating and thrilling experiences – which might otherwise be sought in less congenial ways. Not all of the children that get involved with cadet forces go on to join one of the forces, however some will use their cadet experience to go on to fulfilling careers in the Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.”
H&F Council are promoting uniformed youth services to their schools and encouraging Heads to invite cadet force leaders to come to a school assembly or open evening to share information with young people.
Councillor Antony Lillis, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “The cadet forces offer young people the chance to acquire new skills, experiences and to work towards the Duke of Edinburgh award and other achievements, including some with formal national accreditation such as City and Guilds qualifications. For some young people the cadet forces can even offer weekends out of the city and the chance to see other parts of England and Europe.
“I was particularly struck by one young man who wrote extensively about how the cadet forces provided him with self confidence, a mentor and a safe environment when as a young black man he grew up in a single parent family on a west London estate. Whilst some of his peers were drawn into drugs and crime he grew up and became a youth worker and community activist.”
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