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The Commandant's Page |
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Colonel
Andrew Blowers is the Commandant of Surrey Army Cadet
Force having been appointed to the role in 2004 after
serving for five years as Deputy to his predecessor.
In
addition to his role in Surrey he has been instrumental in
organising many national competitions and overseas trips and
events and he served, until recently, as a member of the
National ACF Recruiting Marketing Group before taking on the
role of Representative Commandant where he represents all
ACF Commandants at national level. Further external roles as
Chairman of the Independent Advisory Panel for the Army
Training Regiment in Pirbright and as a members of the
Surrey Committee of the Army Benevolent Fund ensure that he
is kept rather busy!
Out
of uniform his day job is in the insurance industry and he
is the Chief Executive Officer of Swiftcover.com. a
company that he founded two years ago having sold his
previous Company to Churchill Insurance.
When
time permits his hobbies include shooting, performance
cars and wine and he enjoys spending time with his wife
and their children. |
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Commandant's
Christmas Message - December 2007 |
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The
Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt,
has spoken recently of how far the military covenant has
been stretched and how often our soldiers are being asked
to do more with less in their service of our nation.
Whilst not part of the Army, but being sponsored and
under the “corporate” and safety governance of it, we
too in the ACF have seen our share of financial hardship
and, of course, with the much smaller level of funding
made available to us every little cut seems much more
serious.
So in many ways we’re sharing the pain of our “big
brothers”.
Justification for ACF funding is, of course, less easy than
it is for our Regular and Territorial Army. Our soldiers
are risking their lives on a daily basis and vehicles,
equipment, medical support and all of those other things
essential to the maintenance of the defence of our nation
and the well being of our armed forces must of course have
greater importance than financial support to the ACF.
However the ACF must not be forgotten as it is a part of the
future of our nation. Our young people, some of whom will
undoubtedly join the services (although many will go on to
equally rewarding careers including, as many do,
employment in the front line of
public service), are undoubtedly vital to the
support of the nation in years to come. All too often past
governments have neglected youth and social issues and
lived to rue the day and in many ways the current and oft
quoted “yob culture” is prime evidence of this.
The ACF provides the challenge, opportunity and stimulus to
our young people so frequently lacking in their daily
lives and it is this that drives them to achieve and to
become better citizens. We abandon support of this at the
nation’s peril!
And like our Regular and Territorial “big brothers” the
ACF too has been doing more with less. Our volunteer
officers and adult instructors continue to give
unstintingly of their time and energy to support Cadet
activities and not just in terms of the training and
competitions that we engage in as part of core activity
but in the wider support of their communities and service
charities.
Some
few weeks ago I attended a Remembrance Day service, the
like of which was being replicated throughout the County
and, indeed, the Country. I felt that this year the
remembrance was even more poignant than in previous years
with so many of our young soldiers having recently made
the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their Country. It
was fitting the ACF played such an active part in these
ceremonies throughout our local communities and I’m
delighted too that so many of our Cadets and adult staff
have assisted in raising much needed funds for the service
charities to provide support to our service men and woman
and their dependants. Indeed one Detachment alone has
recently raised over £5,000 for the Royal British Legion.
So
as we rush headlong into the season of goodwill once more
I am confident that Surrey Army Cadet Force is “doing
its bit” to support our soldiers and local communities
and in the core activity of continuing to provide what is
probably the best and undoubtedly the most challenging
environment in which our young people can safely grow and
develop their skills, morals and appetite for achievement.
I wish all our staff and cadets a very Happy Christmas and
fruitful New Year and I’m convinced that we are in the
best possible shape to cope with the undoubted challenges
that will come our way in 2008.
Colonel
Andrew Blowers
Commandant
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Commandant's
Post Camp Message - 31 August 2007 |
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Annual
Camp is often seen as the end of the last Cadet year and the
start of the new.
And
what a year it’s been…a year including some real
“firsts”!
Shortly
before Camp we welcomed back Cadets from overseas visits to
Australia and Canada on exchanges and from Germany and
Holland respectively from a parachute course and the
Nijmegan marches. These visits represented both huge
personal achievements on behalf of the Cadets attending and
some dedicated commitment from the Officers and Adult
Instructors who planned and executed the trips.
Next
year we have begun early planning for an Australian return
exchange and trips to Brunei and a diving trip to the Red
Sea are also on the cards.
Some
stunning results have also been achieved in various
Divisional and National Competitions with another ACF win
the 4 Division Military Skills Competition and an almost
‘clean sweep’ in the National Orienteering Championships
to mention but two.
We’ve
had ACF Certificates of Good Service awarded to both SMI
Stacey and SMI Peel and I’m delighted that the stalwart
hard work of our Medical Officer, Major David Williams, has
also just been recognised by the award of a Lord
Lieutenant’s Certificate of Meritorious Service.
Achievements
aplenty!
Annual
Camp has been another real landmark. Breaking all previously
recorded records we took a total of 348 Cadets to Camp and
our Three Star Cadre numbers were at an all time high with
43 Cadets undertaking the training.
Longmoor
is always a good venue for Camp and, being close to Surrey,
allowed us to hold a Visitors’ Day on the middle Sunday
attended by nearly 500 parents and local Surrey dignitaries.
By
kind permission of the Commandant of the Royal Military
Academy at Sandhurst we were able to run a full and varied
adventure training package during camp which proved hugely
popular with all of our Cadets. Indeed many Cadets have told
me that the basic scuba diving course (one of the many
activities conducted at Sandhurst) even rivalled
“helicopters” as the best activity on Annual Camp.
I
am greatly encouraged too by the increase in numbers
participating in the BTEC scheme. This gives our young
people some real advantages and the award, being the
equivalent of four GCSE passes, allows those Cadets who
participate to gain real and valuable qualifications whilst
doing what they enjoy.
These
achievements matched by the ongoing dedication and
commitment of our team of volunteer Officers and Adult
Instructors have all served to make Longmoor a great success
and I would like to thank all of those who gave up their
time to make this possible.
Colonel
Andrew Blowers
Commandant
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Commandant's
Christmas Message - 9 December 2006 |
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It
is often said that one of the signs of getting old is the
speed with which time seems to pass. On the basis of this
theory I must be getting very, very old because it seems
as if it was only yesterday that we were packing up to
come home from Fremington Training Camp. Fremington was
undoubtedly one of our best annual camps in terms of the
quality of training, the large numbers attending and,
perhaps more importantly, the number of new challenges and
opportunities for fun that camp presented to our Cadets.
Two
weeks ago I was privileged to attend a Dinner Night
organised by our senior cadets and I was very moved by a
most insightful farewell speech delivered by CUO Chris
North on behalf of all of the senior cadets now finishing
their cadet service and off “out into the big wide
world” to pursue their careers. Several are going on to
university, some to service in the Regular Army and one to
the Police Force.
Now
it would be arrogant to assume that the Army Cadet Force
was the catalyst for their achievements and aspirations.
Certainly by joining the ACF in the first place each of
Cadets showed strong indications of their desire to
achieve and to be different, but I like to think that in
many ways the time spent by these individuals in the ACF
has in some small way equipped them to better understand
the challenges that they will face in life and perhaps
encouraged them to push themselves further to achieve.
They are a quite excellent group of young people and they
will be missed, but such is our lot in the ACF!
As
a part of his speech CUO North listed a number of the
opportunities and successes of our seniors in the last few
years. These included our Australian Exchange programme, a
(now ongoing and annual) parachute course for Senior
Cadets, various Military Skills competitions including a
win at Exercise Tiger Cub and, only a few days before the
dinner, another almost clean sweep at the National
Orienteering Championships. His list was too long to
mention here but, as he pointed out in his thanks to all
of the adults who make up Surrey ACF, none of this would
have happened without their serious hard work and
organisational input.
So,
we’ve done a huge amount in the last year and achieved a
large number of important milestones, many through the
strenuous efforts of our seniors, and it’s clear that
those following on behind have a tough act to follow.
It’s a task, however, that I’m sure, from my knowledge
of the next ‘generation’, to which they are certainly
equal!
Next
year sees one of the most active programmes ever. In
addition to the normal “business as usual” hard work
at Detachment and Company level there are many events
planned from Parachuting in Cyprus to another Australian
exchange. Two areas that really need our focus in 2007,
and I’ve recognised this by the appointment of two top
quality officers, is in the areas of shooting and Duke of
Edinburgh Award, where our performance has been for some
time uninspiring.
Our
Annual Camp next year is more local at Longmoor where we
have, in recent years, had a very successful camp and
we’ll be taking the opportunity to invite parents and
other guests to visit us to see what actually goes on at
annual camp. Major Newman, the Battalion Commander, has
promised me 400 Cadets at Longmoor and, by achieving these
numbers, we’ll beat all previous records since the
shrinking of the County boundaries many, many years ago.
In
closing I would like to take the opportunity to wish all
ranks a very Happy Christmas and to implore you all to
ensure that we make 2007 an even more successful year than
that now passing.
Colonel
Andrew Blowers
Commandant
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Commandant's
Post-camp Message - 27 August 2006 |
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A
message from the Commandant to all those Officers and Instructors
who attended Annual Camp this year.
Thanks
to all those of you who made our Annual Camp at Fremington
the huge success that it undoubtedly was.
I
believed that last year was one of the very best Camps
that Surrey had experienced for many years and, from
talking to our Cadets, I think that this one was even
better for the majority.
Our
‘all up’ Cadet total was 319 Cadets (some attending
for part of Camp only) a huge increase on the sub-200
figure of last year and a great testament to the hard work
done by everyone in their home Detachments.
The
Cadres, AT and activities were well organised by dedicated
staff and well supported by the Quartermastering and
Messing functions. In fact, I was delighted to be told by
the Camp Commandant that Surrey ACF was the smartest and
best disciplined County that he had seen at the Camp (and
this despite a few administration problems in the early
part of Camp that might have biased his opinion
otherwise!).
Additionally
the Camp’s Permanent Quartermaster who spends much of
his day out around the Camp made the comment to me that
the quality of instruction that he witnessed was quite the
best that he had ever seen!
These
remarks from unbiased external observers are hugely
encouraging as were the positive comments of the many
senior officers who visited us throughout the first week.
But
more important indicators of a successful Camp were also
much in evidence. We had fewer Cadets go home through home
sickness (showing the high level of pastoral care from
all) and fewer visits the MI room than in the last two
years, despite an over 50% increase in numbers attending
Camp. The number of APC passes was also quite the highest
for sometime.
Perhaps
the best indicator however was the happy smiling faces of
our Cadets and this is the true testament of the hard work
done by all.
Very
well done and thank you for the part that you played in
making Fremington 2006 such a successful Annual Camp.
Colonel
Andrew Blowers
Commandant
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Commandant's
Easter Message - April 2006 |
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What
a fantastic start to the year!
It
really hasn’t stopped; the Detachment Annual Inspections
are well and truly on us and the first few reports to come
back have some very encouraging grades and comments.
Annual
Camp is just around the corner and we look like having
higher numbers attending than we have for many years. This
is a great reflection of all of the hard work going on in
the Companies and Detachments.
In
addition to the usual full Calendar of Events with Company
Exercises and Training Days and Weekends we’ve just
about had time to fit in a number of the additional
activities that can be seen reported elsewhere on the
site.
There
has been considerable involvement in the local community;
Horley Detachment were, once more, awarded the trophy for
winning the Lord Lieutenant’s Poppy Appeal Competition
(and raising nearly £3,000 for the Royal British Legion!)
and a ‘star-studded cast’ turned out a few weeks ago
to recognise the stunning achievements of SMI Cooper and
Walton Detachment in their Youth and Community Project in
Walton which has brought vandalism and graffiti to a full
stop locally. Early next month will see Farnham Detachment
piloting a supermarket collection for the Army Benevolent
Fund and raising money for needy ex.servicemen and their
dependants.
On
13th April a party of 28 all ranks from Surrey
ACF under the Command of Major Alan Mulder were privileged
to attend the Maundy Service at Guildford Cathedral with
Her Majesty the Queen and to assist in helping attendees
to their seats and in the forming of a Guard of Honour.
Add
into this mix a very successful Battlefield Tour, the
opening, by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, of our
completely rebuilt Detachment at Leatherhead and a
challenging selection weekend for our potential officers
and the ACF really does live up to the slogan “A life
full of adventure”.
And
despite the lead up to our Annual Camp there is more still
to come with forthcoming Adventure Training and Signals
courses, the Divisional Military Skills Competition and
another Outreach programme to name but a few.
I’m
also personally very excited that Surrey ACF will once
more be sending senior cadets overseas on a parachuting
course and perhaps more so because the party will be led
by AUO Paice who attended the first course that I ran some
twelve years ago as a Cadet!
The
area of Adult Training has not been neglected either, in
addition to the excellent Potential Officer Selection
Weekend mentioned above we are shortly to begin a new
Adult Induction Course and through the superb efforts of
our Chief Clerk, Jo Bentinck, we have managed to secure
more places on courses at the Cadet Training Centre at
Frimley Park than ever before – and, very pleasingly,
our staff are getting some excellent grades with many
being asked back as Assistant Directing Staff.
That
all of this has been possible is due, as ever, to some
quite phenomenal efforts from both our volunteer and
permanent staff. In the increasingly litigious and rule
based society in which we live organising stimulating
activities for our cadets becomes more and more difficult
and time consuming and the fact that we have nearly one
hundred and sixty Officers and Adult Instructors in the
County who are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to
get the job done speaks volumes for the volunteer ethos!
Thank you all and keep up the good work. |
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Commandant's New Year Message
- Jan 2006 |
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2005
was a year of consolidating on a number of changes to our
structure and saw a positive move forward in terms of the
development of training and organisation.
By
October we had reached the stage, due in no small part to
the national marketing campaign and the following efforts
of the Company Commanders and Headquarters staff in
exploiting this, where we were nearly fully recruited for
adult instructors. There remains a large shortfall in
terms of officers and this can only come in time as
members of adult staff are selected to attend the new ACF
Commissioning Board at Westbury. I make no apology for
this being our immediate focus above all else as the
number and quality of our adult leaders have a direct
bearing on the quantity, quality and variety of the
training that we are able to deliver to our cadets.
The
year also saw a sustained focus on ensuring that our adult
staff achieve more qualifications for Adventure Training
as this too enables us to deliver the breadth of varied
and exciting training that our cadets have come to expect.
Due
largely to the support of SACFA, our own Charitable Trust,
we now have new kayaks, mountain bikes and shotguns to
enable us to deliver training with modern, efficient and
state of the art equipment.
Annual
Camp in Norfolk proved to be a huge success. Many thought
that this was one of the best camps that we had attended
in recent years and my only disappointment was that there
were thirty or so fewer cadets on the ground that were
able to take advantage of this than in the previous year.
Everyone on camp managed to undertake a good amount of
both military and adventure training and every cadet had
at least one helicopter ride thanks to the Army Air Corps
and the RAF.
After
camp we had a party of instructors and senior cadets who
visited our affiliated cadet unit in Western Australia for
three weeks which was truly the “trip of a lifetime”.
Surrey
ACF were also honoured after camp by being selected to
march off the old ACF Banner when the Duke of Edinburgh
(our Colonel in Chief) presented a new Banner to the ACF
at Sandhurst. The four cadets who formed the banner party
had a private audience with the Duke of Edinburgh who
showed great interest in their personal achievements and
ambitions.
Further
personal achievements are recognised by several of our
instructors passing the new Cadet Force Commissioning
Board and by the award of Lord Lieutenant’s Certificates
and ACF Certificates of Good Service. In fact more of
these certificates were awarded to members of Surrey ACF
in 2005 than in any other year in memory.
For
the forthcoming year our focus has to be building on the
success of 2005. Our new Company structure is beginning to
come together and the Cooper’s Cask Competition
(originating from our new and much welcomed affiliation
with the Worshipful Company of Coopers) should further
cement the units within their Companies and establish some
invigorating competition.
It
is important too that we don’t take our eye off the ball
with regard to recruiting and ‘selling’ the ACF to
potential new adult recruits must remain the focus of
every adult instructor within the organisation.
However
the most important focus that must exercise us all in
2006, is in the area of communication. We have too many
instances where our cadets miss out on opportunities for
training, courses and travel due to poor communication and
this is inexcusable. Communication is the responsibility
of everyone at every level!
For
Annual Camp this year we have finally settled on
Fremington (after just a few changes due to poor
facilities in other potential camps) and it will be the
first time that we have visited Fremington Camp for some
years. Certainly there exist many opportunities for a
challenging training programme in this area of Devon and
lots of adventure training activities will be undertaken
in addition to the normal military syllabus.
Let’s
make 2006 another year to remember; we now have most of
the tools to do the job in terms of equipment, people in
the right places and a good cadre of senior cadets so
there really can be no excuses!
Colonel
Andrew Blowers
Commandant
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:: Latest News |
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Surrey
Cadets Support TA100 Army Benevolent Fund & BLESMA |
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In
support of the TA and working for the benefit of soldiers in need were
Surrey Army Cadets from Guildford, Merrow, Cranleigh and Haselmere
Detachments led by 2Lt Adrian Paice. A total of £2,671.97 was raised by
the cadets.
[More
about this here]
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:: Latest News |
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Reigate
Cadets Support Marie Curie |
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On
29th March 2008 Reigate Detachment supported the Marie Curie Cancer Fund
by raising £350 at Burgh Hill ASDA Supermarket.
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Target
Rifle Course |
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During
the period from Friday 14 to Wednesday 19 March 2008, Surrey cadets
attended a Target Rifle Coaching Course held at the Surrey ACF Weekend
Training Centre at Farncombe and on ranges at Bisley and Stoney
Castle.
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Food
In The Field |
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During
the period of Easter Sunday and Monday cadets from Deepcut Detachment
assisted the Royal Logistics Corps Museum in their special
event " Food in the Field"
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Potential
Officers Under Pressure |
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Six
Potential Officer candidates from Surrey, Sussex and Kent
ACFs were put through the mill at Sussex ACF state of the
art Weekend Training Centre at Crowborough. The candidates
were put through their paces to determine whether they
were made of the right stuff to go forward to an Army
Officer Selection Board later in the year.
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Chobham
Detachment Help Army Benevolent Fund |
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On
a freezing cold March Saturday cadets from Chobham Detachment under the
Command of SSI Mat Pedwell spent four hours at Waitrose on Goldsworth
Park raising donations for the Army Benevolent Fund.
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Lord
Lieutenant's Cadet Poppy Appeal Competition |
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For
the second year running Walton Detachment snatch the Duke of Connaught's
Cup for the Detachment that raised the most money for the Royal British
Legion Poppy Appeal with a monster £6,660.92.
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Walton
Detachment Raises Funds for ABF |
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Walton
Detachment targeted the ASDA
Supermarket at Burghill, near Epson and raised over
£1,400
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Surrey
Orienteerers Run A Good Race |
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The
Surrey ACF Orienteering Team, has once again demonstrated its metal in
the National Cadet Orienteering Championships by winning
the Senior and Junior Boys team events and gaining
first place gold medals in the Senior and Junior Boys and
the Senior and Junior Girls events.
[More
about this here]
[&
here]
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:: More News |
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Remembrance
Day Parades in Surrey |
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Throughout
Surrey and despite the damp and rainy day, Detachments of
Army Cadets have joined with the British Legion, other
cadet organisations and their local communities in remembering
those servicemen and women who gave their lives during the
two World Wars and other conflicts since.
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Tri-Service
Cooperation On The Cards |
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On
Wednesday 7th November 2007, a tri-service conference involving senior
staff from the Sea Cadet Corps, the Army Cadet Force and the Air
Training Corps was held at Surrey ACF weekend training centre. The
meeting arranged by ACF Commandant, Colonel Andrew Blowers, and presided
over by Brigadier Graeme Bartlett (Chairman of the Surrey Cadet
Committee)
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Octavia
Hill Honoured |
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On
Sunday the 12th August Cadets from Mytchett, Farnham and Pirbright
Detachments along with the Corps of Drums Detachment took part in the
unveiling of a blue plaque to commemorate the formation of the first
army cadet detachment by Miss Octavia Hill, the renowned Victorian
social reformer.
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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Defiant
Cadets Jump Out Of Aeroplane |
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Ten
Surrey ACF cadets with three instructors took part in Exercise Defiant
Cadet 2 in July this year to learn how to parachute at the Joint
Services Parachute Centre at Bad Lippspringe in Germany – JSPC(L).
[More
about this here] |
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:: More News |
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Nijmegen
Team in Successful 100 Mile Stroll |
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Five
cadets and two instructors from Surrey ACF participated in the gruelling
annual Nijmegen Four Day marches in Holland.
[More
about this here] |
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:: More News |
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Surrey
ACF Cadet Appointed The Master's Apprentice |
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Cadet
Drum Major Robert Sobey of the Corps of Drums Detachment
has been appointed as The Master's Apprentice for the
academic year 2007/08.
The
Worshipful Company of Coopers has been associated with
Strode's College at Egham since its founding in 1704 by
Henry Strode. Each year a student of Strode's
College is chosen by interview from the best students at
the college to be the Master's Apprentice.
[More
about this here]
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:: More News |
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ABF Summer Charity Bazaar |
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On a blisteringly hot June
day, Surrey Army Cadets were out in force at Sandhurst -
aided by colleagues from Berkshire ACF - in support of
the Army Benevolent Fund's first Summer Charity Fair at
the Royal Military Academy.
[More
about this here] |
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:: More News |
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Queen's Royal Surreys |
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On Sunday 17th June 2007, cadets from
Guildford and Merrow Detachments participated in the Annual Service of
the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment at Guildford Cathedral. Under the
command of Under Officer Graham Croucher and SSI Alan Rutter the cadets
lined the cathedral steps and assisted as ushers at the church.
[More
about this here] |
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:: More News |
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Queen's
Royal Surrey Regt - Sponsorship |
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At
the annual reception of the Queen's Royal Surrey
Regimental Association at Clandon Park on Monday 21st
May 2007, the Chairman, Colonel Tony Ward MBE, presented
Surrey ACF with cheques to the value of £2,400 as donations
from the QRS Regimental Trust and Territorial
Associations.
[More
about this here] |
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:: Surrey
ACF Music |
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For information about how you can learn to play
a musical instrument see:
www.sacfmusic.co.uk |
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Our Band and Corps of Drums is one
of the best in the country. Why don't you come along and give
it a try? |
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:: Not
From Surrey? |
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The Army Cadet Force has Detachments located
all around the UK. Check out the
National ACF Website to find
your nearest Detachment! [more] |
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