Aaron's royal seal of approval

Fifty teenagers have been selected across the UK to serve as ambassador cadets for the anniversary year and cadet petty Officer Aaron Boyce is one of four to achieve the honour in Northern Ireland.

One of his first duties took him to London to join in the official launch of Cadet150, a year of events and activities planned to reflect the spirit of fun, excitement, adventure and community service which is at the heart of the cadet movement.

The Cadets travelled to Downing Street to meet Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement, Dawn Butler, and Under Secretary of State for Defence, Kevan Jones. Together with Ambassador Cadets from across the country she also visited the House of Commons and the Ministry of Defence to meet senior Service personnel. In the evening they enjoyed a reception at Lancaster House hosted by the Ulysses Trust and the Council of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.

The Ulysses Trust exists to support challenging expeditions by cadets and reservists, and adventurer, explorer and world record holder Sir Ranulph Fiennes attended the event in support of the Cadet150 expedition to Lesotho later this year.

General Secretary of the Army Cadet Force Association, Brigadier Mike Wharmby, said: "We are delighted to be celebrating 150 years of this fantastic movement. The Cadet Forces offer such great opportunities for thousands of young people across the UK. We are encouraging people to find out more through Cadet150.”

The year of anniversary events honours the role the Cadet Forces play in assisting young people towards responsible adulthood through learning new skills and developing self-confidence, and celebrates the contribution the young people themselves make to their local communities.

Congratulating the Larne schoolboy on his role as Cadet Ambassador, Brigadier Ed Smyth-Osbourne, Commander 38 (Irish) Brigade, said, “Aaron has already shown himself to be a high achiever within the Cadet movement and I know he will fulfil this latest role with his customary enthusiasm and commitment. He epitomises the best of the Cadet movement across all three services and demonstrate the truth of the old adage, ‘the more you put into something, the more you get out’. I hope he will inspire others to follow his lead.”

With origins dating back to 1860, the cadet movement is one of the oldest and most successful voluntary youth organisations in the world. Today it numbers 131,000 young people, led by 25,000 adult volunteers, in well over 3,000 sites across the country. The Cadet Forces are about fun and opportunity in a positive, structured environment that encourages the development of leadership and teamwork, initiative, self-confidence, self-discipline and a sense of responsibility. They welcome young people and adults from all backgrounds and abilities.

No cadets or adult volunteers will ever be called upon for duty with the Armed Forces, and whilst some cadets do follow a career in the Armed Forces, the Cadet Forces are not used as a recruiting opportunity.