COULD YOU HELP LOCAL TEENS FLY HIGH

If your New Year resolutions about getting fitter and generally making your life more rewarding are already starting to flag, you are probably in good company. Hope could be at hand, however, in the form of a new campaign which seeks to recruit Adult Volunteers to support Air Cadets in Northern Ireland.

The search is on to find men and women ready for the challenge of working with local teenagers. In return they will benefit from opportunities to make new friends, learn new skills, and maybe even get fit – plus they will have the satisfaction of knowing they are making an important, and highly valued, contribution to their community.

Wing Commander Chris Hodges, Commanding Officer of the Northern Ireland Wing Air Training Corps, has enjoyed those benefits at first hand.

He says, “Our Adult Volunteers are a diverse lot, but we are all united in wanting to help teenagers in our community to learn how to work in – and to lead – a team; to help them grow in physical fitness and personal confidence and generally have fun and make friends within a challenging and friendly environment. That’s what we set out to achieve but, in doing so, we also find ourselves enjoying those same benefits!

“This is a great way for adults as well as kids to meet new, like-minded people and generally do something challenging and worthwhile with their spare time. It’s also a fantastic way to have fun and get fitter, for we all get to ‘have a go’ at the sports and outdoor activities which are high points of Cadet life, although we certainly don’t expect everyone to be Marathon-fit!
“Volunteering with the Air Cadets opens the door to an incredible range of opportunities, not least in terms of training and getting the chance to acquire new skills. Depending on your personal interests and the time you want to devote to the organisation, you could gain accredited qualifications through organisations such as St John Ambulance, the British Canoe Union, the National Rifle Association, the Piping & Drumming Qualifications Board, the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme … you may even get to take to the air and, although you will join as a Civilian Instructor, you can move up through the ranks as an officer or senior non-commissioned officer (SNCO). The qualifications and experiences you’ll gain will help you build your CV as well as your confidence and self-esteem. You’ll also put them to good use as you guide and support the young people in your charge.”

Adult volunteers play a vital role in all aspects of cadet life, organising activities, encouraging and educating cadets and helping the squadron run smoothly. Despite what outsiders may think, there is no requirement for new recruits to offer RAF, aviation, military or even youth work experience, for this is one arena which puts a high value on personal qualities such as patience, maturity, common sense and commitment.

Chris says, “Obviously if you have direct experience of working with young people, or any relevant skills such as flying or gliding, that’s a great bonus, but the right attitude is key. We support our new Adult Volunteers at every stage, taking them through safeguarding and first aid training and making sure they are fully equipped, confident and comfortable in their new role and, in those early stages especially, there will always be someone working alongside them.

“All kinds of people make up our volunteer staff, from a range of backgrounds and interests. Many get involved initially because their children are Air Cadets – they start off helping out informally at events and open days and their commitment grows in line with their interest. They themselves have been Air Cadets in their youth and want to ‘give something back’ to the organisation … and they all enjoy the craic and fun of working with energetic, enthusiastic kids who always keep us on our toes!

“These days we all lead busy lives, often holding down demanding day jobs as well as balancing hectic family schedules, so we’re flexible about the level of time commitment we ask for. You may feel you can spare just a few hours a week, or you may be up for a few weekends and even be prepared to join the one week Annual Camp which is a highlight of the Air Cadet year … whatever time commitment you can make, it will be appreciated.”
The Northern Ireland Air Cadet Wing is hoping to attract responsible adults, aged 20+, of any gender, from all social backgrounds, cultures and religions to find out more about what’s involved in volunteering with local Air Cadets and how they might fit into the picture.

Chris admits it isn’t for everyone, but says, “Teenage life today can be enormously pressurised and I think society is absolutely agreed on the importance and value of offering positive, active and exciting alternatives to spending too much time on social media with ‘virtual’ rather than real life friends.  The Air Cadet movement provides the perfect solution, providing physical and mental challenges in a supportive, fun- filled environment, but we need Adult Volunteers to make the magic happen.

“We already have some wonderful and highly committed Volunteers and brilliant, high achieving Cadets, but now we’re hoping to recruit still more Adult Volunteers so that we can not only answer demand, but actually grow our presence to bring still more opportunities to even more young people.

“Our Air Cadets deserve the best and we are confident that we can draw the best from this area. There’s no need to make an instant commitment, but potential volunteers will find plenty of information at www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/ call 02894 452023 or email [email protected] to find out more. Better still, we would welcome anyone who is interested at one of our Squadron evenings so that they can see for themselves who we are and what we do … and, when they meet our great, good-humoured Air Cadets, we know they’ll want to be part of this great shared opportunity!