Wantage Air Cadets SMILE!

Air cadets in Wantage are smiling after receiving a donation from a local business.

Infineum, a petroleum additive company based in Milton Hill Business Park, donated £500 to the Squadron through their community support project, SMILE.

Lynne Tregoning, a member of the SMILE committee, said: ‘It was our pleasure, we are always keen to help the local youngsters and the ATC clearly does very good work here’.

Flying Officer Nigel Furlong, who has recently taken over as the Officer Commanding at 1861 (Wantage) Squadron, said:

‘Infineum’s support of the Squadron and our Cadets is much appreciated, and their donation will enable us to buy new adventure training equipment which we’ll use to the Cadets out this year’.

‘We regularly do activities such as flying, gliding, shooting and fieldcraft, but we would like to be able to take the Cadets out to practice other skills that we teach, such as map reading, hill walking and camping. We also take part in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and qualifications such as the Btec First Diploma in Public Services. This donation from Infineum will help us to provide more opportunities for the Cadets, particularly those doing expeditions with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award’.

‘We try to give the Cadets, aged between 13 and 20 years old, as many opportunities and experiences as we can. The Air Training Corps motto is ‘VENTURE ADVENTURE’, and we are recruiting at the moment’.

The squadron, based in Ickneild Lane, meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, between 1915 and 2145. For further information, please email the Squadron at 1861@aircadets.org, visit www.aircadets.tv or telephone us on 01235 762079.