Hi! I’m Brooke, currently a Year 12 student at Myddelton College. I joined the school back in 2018, and I instantly fell in love with it – the building, the teachers, and my classmates who I quickly became friends with. However, after a perfect 2 years of prep school, COVID-19 hit and everyone had no choice but to stay at home for their safety. I would say that I have always been quite a shy person, but my anxious personality became emphasised after the effects of next-to-no socialisation during lockdown. I was someone who would go mute in public settings or dreaded the thought of having to stand up on the stage in assembly, and this continued unwillingly for a while.
Then, in Year 8, I joined the Combined Cadet Force. I was unsure of the idea at first, but I could not be more thankful that 12-year-old me did. Over time, the CCF gave me the confidence that I needed through leadership roles and getting to meet and make many new friends. And although I still am a rather shy person, others and I can so clearly tell the difference between my past and present self. I would consider that to be my first big achievement within the CCF, as it has affected my life forever in the best way possible.
There have been so many other successful outcomes throughout my time with the CCF, including surviving my first time away from home at Summer Camp (and many more camps after that), being promoted 3 times to Sergeant, developing a talent and love for shooting on a range, gaining insight and work experience to a career that I am now set on (Doctor within the Army) as well as attending events that I would never have been able to experience outside of the cadets.
One achievement of mine that really stands out to me was my recent nomination for the Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet for Clwyd. This is a position given to just a few cadets per year and holds a significant role as the representative and aide for the cadet forces to both the British Royal Family and the Lord-Lieutenant in counties across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (more information here). Not only was I nominated, but I was also selected for this role, and it is something that I hold dear to me as it made me truly recognise how far I have come as a person and that inspired such pride within me. With this role, I am able toattend extraordinary ceremonial duties with the King’s representative for Clwyd such as remembrance services, award ceremonies and supporting local charities and the armed forces.
Although 4 years may not seem like a long time for many people, my 4 years in the CCF have changed my life forever. I have learnt life-saving and military skills, met so many amazing people, experienced once-in-a-lifetime events, progressed both mentally and physically, and genuinely had so much fun.
If you are looking to join some sort of club to gain that confidence or just to have an incredible time, I would recommend the CCF/ACF with my whole heart.
Within the CCF, I am constantly uncovering new achievements. On Sunday 9th of November, myself and two other cadets (Cpl Lea & Cpl Roberts) from Myddelton CCF joined two other Combined Cadet Forces from North Wales to represent our country in the London Remembrance Parade. This is an extreme honour and does not happen often. Together, we marched alongside 10,000 veterans and other respected individuals through part of London and past the cenotaph and the King. The atmosphere was incredible as the crowd clapped and cheered us on.
In the moment I marched past and saluted the cenotaph, I felt such pride and was overwhelmed with extreme joy that I was able to remember and respect fallen soldiers in such a way. This is a story that I will be able to tell for years to come and an indescribable memory that I will never forget.
In addition, on Saturday 9th of November, I had been invited to the Royal Albert Hall for the Festival of Remembrance, where I had the privilege to watch such a beautiful ceremony. Again, the atmosphere was something that I had never experienced before and caused me goosebumps throughout the entire thing. With the mixture of emotional and intense music, saddening stories and perfectly delivered drill, I found myself in tears throughout it all. Not only because of what the military have accomplished, lost, and gained, but also because of the pride I felt for my country whilst watching.
The CCF made all of these amazing accomplishments possible.
