:: Surrey Cadets Support TA100, Army Benevolent Fund & BLESMA

Throughout 2008, events around the UK will celebrate 100 years of service to the nation, during which Territorial Army soldiers have served alongside their Regular Army comrades in almost every major operation around the world. The history and achievements of the TA are rich in service and dedication, from its beginnings in 1908 as Lord Haldane’s ‘Territorial Force’, through two World Wars, the Cold War period of cuts and stagnation, to the present day when the TA operates and fights alongside the Regulars.

In Surrey, TA100 was celebrated by a parade through Guildford on Saturday 5th April. Hundreds of residents and visitors lined Guildford High Street to see more than 200 Territorial Army members parade through the town centre. TA units from Farnham, Camberley, Redhill, Reigate and Chertsey marched from Town Bridge to Holy Trinity Church, and held a short service outside the church before returning to the Portsmouth Road Car Park.

TA soldiers parade in Guildford	Cpl's Hennem & Bennett with ABF bucket	Guildford, Merrow, Cranleigh and Haselmere cadets raise funds for ABF and BLESFA

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 for the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) and the British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association (BLESMA). Cadet Cpl Bennett raised £259.75 narrowly beating Cadet Peters who raised £254.16.

:: Reigate Cadets Support Marie Curie

On 29th March 2008 Reigate Detachment supported the Marie Curie Cancer Fund by raising £350 at Burgh Hill ASDA Supermarket. The Reigate cadets have adopted this charity as their Detachment focus for fundraising and hope to raise more for Marie Curie in the future. Nice hats!

:: Target Rifle Course

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. The cadets were given a thorough grounding in the rifle in the classroom before they went out onto the range for live firing practice. 

For most of the cadets this was the first time that they had fired the Target Rifle.  On Monday and Tuesday the cadets fired at 300 and 500 metres on Stoney Castle Range near Pirbright. On Wednesday the course travelled to Century Range at the world famous Bisley Range where a competition was fired at 300 and 500 metres. Despite the bitterly cold weather the cadets thoroughly enjoyed the course.

:: Food In The Field

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", an event which looked at food, rations and means of cooking through the ages within the British Army from Bosworth to Basra. The Cadets helped out with various tasks from car parking duties to helping with the cooking and washing-up.

:: Potential Officers Under Pressure

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. Tests included command tasks, interviews, discussion groups, lecturettes and planning scenarios designed to evaluate their practical and intellectual skills under stress. The weekend was the fifth in a series that started in 2006 and have proven to be a powerful tool in identifying budding officer candidates.

Visiting the Training Centre during the Potential Officers evaluation was Major General Moore-Bick CBE DL, the Honorary Colonel of Sussex ACF, who was impressed with the performance and commitment of the candidates and was amused by the heated discussion between the candidates over MPs expenses.

:: Chobham Detachment Help Army Benevolent Fund

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. The customers of Waitrose dug deep into their pockets to support the soldiers in need. Colonel David MacCarthy OBE of the Army Benevolent Fund Surrey Committee expressed his admiration for the cadets who "remained cheerful despite the freezing wind and hailstorms" and "who were a credit to their Detachment".

:: Lord Lieutenant's Cadet Poppy Appeal Competition Results

Walton Do It Again

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. 

Merrow Detachment were second overall with £6,412.97 and Horley were third with £5,308.23.

In addition, the cadet raising the most money individually was Corporal Oliver Hennem who single-handedly raised £3,726.48

The competition which involved 41 cadet units (Sea Cadets, Army Cadets and Air Cadets) from all over Surrey was started in 2001 by the Lord lieutenant Mrs Sarah Goad JP.

Merrow Detachment	Horley Detachment	Walton Detachment	Mychett Detachment	Mytchett With Brigadier James

In attendance were the Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Sarah Goad JP, The High Sheriff of Surrey Mr Nicholas Sealy, Air Commodore Gordon Moulds MBE, Commandant Air Cadets UK, as well as the Chairman of Surrey County Council Mrs Angela Fraser DL and the Surrey Mayors plus some of the South West London Mayors. The presentation was held at the Royal Alexander and Albert School in Reigate by courtesy of the Headmaster Mr Paul Spencer Ellis.

Of special interest for Surrey cadets was the presence at the presentation of Brigadier Ian James OBE, the newly appointed Commander of 2 (SE) Brigade, our Formation Commander and a former cadet in the CCF.

Overall a good night for Surrey ACF. Well done all who participated and a special mention to 2Lt Adrian Paice (OC Merrow Detachment) who claims he never gets mentioned in any reports. Better luck next time Mr Paice.

:: Walton Detachment Raises Funds for the Army Benevolent Fund

Walton Detachment was out in force in December 2007 supporting the Army Benevolent Fund. Spearheaded by SMI Steven Peel and his cadets the Detachment targeted the ASDA Supermarket at Burghill, near Epson and raised over £1,400. Dr Ken Howlett TD and Col Tony Ward OBE of the ABF expressed their delight and thanks to SMI Peel for the sterling work they had done on behalf of servicemen in need. 

Walton Detachment Cadets	Dr Ken Howlett & Col Tony Ward  Assist Walton Cadets	Collecting For The ABF

:: Surrey ACF Orienteerers Run A Good Race

The Surrey ACF Orienteering Team, managed by Major (Retired) Malcolm Mair MBE, has once again demonstrated its mettle in the National Cadet Orienteering Championships by winning the Senior Boys and Junior Boys team events and gaining first place gold medals in the Senior and Junior Boys and the Senior and Junior Girls events. Congratulations to all who took part. The nominal roll of participants was as follows:

Senior Boys Team

       Winners the ACF Senior Cup and 4 medals

       Cdt A Clarke (Felbridge), Cdt A Young (Dorking), Cdt C Mason (Reigate), Cdt W Cooper (Felbridge)

Junior Boys Team

       Winners the ACF Junior Cup and 6 medals

       Cdt A Springham (Felbridge), L/Cpl A Chilvers (Lingfield), Cpl M Poland (Lingfield), 
       Cdt R Woodfield (Reigate), L/Cpl T Wall (Lingfield)

Individuals

       1^st place individual ACF GOLD medals won by:

                        Senior Boys           -            Cdt A Young (Dorking)

                        Senior Girls            -            CSM L Crothall (Lingfield)

                        Junior Boys            -            Cdt A Springham (Felbridge)

                        Junior Girls             -            Cpl D Elderton (Walton)

      Also participated and completed their courses:

                       Senior Girls             -            Cdt G Strike (Walton)

                       Junior Boys             -            L/Cpl F Butcher (Lingfield)

                       Junior Girls              -            Cdt Z Allen (Lingfield)

:: Remembrance Day Parades in Surrey

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. 

Woking town centre was more crowded than ever and there was a good turn out for services in Chobham, Cranleigh and Guildford.

Woking Remembrance Parade	Army Cadets	Town Centre Memorial	Mayor Takes The Salute
	Chobham Detachment on Parade	Chobham Detachment
Merrow Detachment On Parade in Guildford	Banners On Parade	Merrow Detachment	Merrow Detachment Cadets Collect For The Poppy Appeal
	Cranleigh Detachment  On	Parade For Remembrance

:: Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Association - Sponsorship

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 OBE, presented Surrey ACF with cheques to the value of £2,400 as donations from the QRS Regimental Trust and Territorial Associations. Major Alan Mulder, representing the Commandant of Surrey ACF, Colonel Andrew Blowers, received the cheques. Colonel Ward, in his address to the guests referred to Surrey Army Cadets as "the cream of Surrey's youth" and declared that the Associations were delighted to support the work that Surrey ACF was doing. Colonel Ward highlighted the forthcoming exchange visit to Australia as one of many interesting projects that the cadets were involved in. 

The Commandant of Surrey ACF acknowledges the generosity of the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Association and the Territorial Association, as well as many other supporters, without whose donations cadets from disadvantaged backgrounds might otherwise not be able to take part in adventurous challenges such as the Exchange Programme with the Western Australia Army Cadets.