Air Cadets celebrated their 74th Anniversary on Sunday with a special Church Service in Witney
For the first time in 18 years, the towns Air Training Corps Cadets have marked the anniversary of their foundation on Sunday 8th February 2015 with a civic service at St Mary’s Church. Joined by local dignitaries including the Mayor, parents and members of their Civilian Committee, the Cadets gave thanks for an organisation that provides them with opportunities such as flying and Adventure Training, and skills like communication, engineering and leadership which are useful in later life.
Attending the service, Cadet Nicole Norris of Madley Park, who led the Thanksgiving prayer for the Corps, said; “This was my first Air Training Corps Sunday parade and I had to read the most important prayer of the service; I was really nervous but I’ve been much more confident since I joined the Air Cadets with my brother and we both love going on the exciting adventures.”
Squadron Commanding Officer, Flight Lieutenant Mike Caffrey praised the Cadets and looked to 2016:
“The Air Cadets today have proven themselves as excellent ambassadors of an organisation of 43,000 people. Established in 1941, the ATC has kept pace with time and is constantly evolving to provide an interesting and varied training program centered on our three objectives, aviation, adventure and good citizenship. Next year we’ll be celebrating the 75th anniversary of this fantastic youth organisation and we hope that it will be a year of significant change and training enhancements for the Witney group.”
Witney Air Cadets continue to train and encourage the next generation with a wide range of training and skills that are beneficial to all walks of life. Being an Air Cadet offers the chance to take part in exciting activities including summer camps at RAF Stations, Sports, Adventure Training, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and of course, flying and gliding.