CADETS TAKE TO THE ROADS WITH RFCA NI SPONSORSHIP

The introduction of RFCA NI’s driving licence scheme has enabled a number of senior cadets to obtain their driving licence at no cost. The scheme was introduced fully in 2016 and since then 47 cadets have now achieved a pass and are driving their parents mad, but with a licence as a reward for their exemplary service. The idea for the scheme was a simple one – to offer a reward for the cadets’ perseverance and performance over a number of years (some joined from the age of 12, others slightly later); it also allows parents to gain some benefit, having supported the cadets throughout the same period, often in conjunction with busy lives and acting as the ‘taxi-driver’. The requirement on the part of the cadet and their family is simply to possess a provisional driving licence and to obtain a pass on the Theory test.

Cadet Colour Sergeant Rachel McIlwaine from the 1st (NI) Bn Army Cadet Force (pictured above) is one of the latest cadets to gain a licence and was delighted when she passed her test saying “I would like to thank RFCA for this wonderful opportunity in giving me the chance to get a driving licence. I have had such a wonderful time and done so much as a cadet but this is the best”.

There are no restrictions on what their future career intentions are; we have cadets who have gone on to join the Armed Forces equipped with a licence and we also have students who are now driving around universities in Northern Ireland as well as on the Mainland and further afield; parents are also extremely pleased with the outcome of the scheme (although one did complain that they had lost the use of the family car as a result)!

The scheme will shortly be widened to allow cadets from other organisations and the CCF schools to participate and applications will be requested through the various cadet headquarters.