Three teenagers chosen to be Mayor’s cadet for year

THREE teenagers have been chosen as cadets to the Mayor of Henley.

Army cadet Serjeant Callum Lee, 16, air cadet Sergeant Vitoria Melo, 18, and leading sea cadet Leon Corpin, 16, were officially appointed by Councillor Rory Hunt at an awards ceremony at the Drill Hall in Friday Street.

The cadets will accompany him at selected official engagements, including the launch of the Poppy Appeal and the Remembrance Sunday parade and service in Market Place.

They will also fly the flag for Armed Forces Day and attend the Battle of Britain commemorative parade.

To be chosen as a Mayor’s cadet, the trio had to demonstrate impeccable leadership skills and commitment to helping their units.

Councillor Hunt presented each cadet with a certificate and a badge which they will wear for their year of service. He said: “We should be proud that we have the cadets in this town and all the work they do. They are a real asset.

“I come from a military family and learned about having a sense of discipline and duty to the community or I wouldn’t be in the role I’m in now.

“The fact that there are more cadets now than there were pre-covid is absolutely brilliant. I would encourage any young children to get involved.”

Vitoria, who lives in Tilehurst and is a student at Reading College, said: “I’m feeling quite proud of myself because it has been a long time getting here. I’ve been in the air cadets for almost three years.

“Being a cadet is a big part of learning new life skills and I want to go into the RAF to be an engineer.”

Callum, from Benson, who is doing a carpentry apprenticeship at City of Oxford College, said: “I’ve been trying for the position of Mayor’s cadet for a long time.

“It didn’t know I was going to be getting it today, so it was a lovely surprise.

“I was inspired to join the cadets by my dad who used to be a cadet. I thought I’d give it a try when we had just come out of lockdown and ended up loving it.

“What I get out of cadets is seeing new people and making friends. We also get loads of qualifications as well as going on camps and expeditions. A lot of that builds our life experiences.

“I’ll keep using these skills for my future career as I hope to join the regular army as a vehicle mechanic.”

Callum’s mother Pamela said she enjoyed attending the ceremony.

“It’s good to see what he does,” she said. “We pick him up every week but don’t get to see that. It’s good to see him among his peers having a good time and being proud of what they’re doing.”

Leon, from Woodcote, joined the sea cadets four-and-a-half years ago and said he was “very happy” to be chosen.

“I never expected it,” he said. “I’m so excited to attend the events that come with it and being a guard of honour for the day is quite an interesting role.”

Colour Serjeant Matthew Case, detachment commander of the Henley Army Cadets, said: “For the cadets, it’s highlighting that they’ve got the competency to be a mayor’s cadet. It’s a good opportunity.

“I became a cadet in 2013 and aged out when I became 18. I was asked to come back as an adult volunteer and ever since I’ve absolutely loved it.

“I love looking after the cadets and teaching them. It gives me fulfilment, especially when it comes to the awards.”