Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Cadets Sophie Waite and Carlie Wright have been awarded the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) UK Fire Cadets Chairs award.
Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin presented the awards, along with a letter from the Lord-Lieutenant to the two cadets in a ceremony held for the cadets and their families on Tuesday 21 November at the Service headquarters in Eastleigh.
The NFCC Chairs Award is awarded to fire cadets who display exemplary examples of leadership, codes of conduct and ethical values. It’s a special recognition for those cadets who go the extra mile to help people and show a genuine concern for their community.
Southsea fire cadet Carlie Wright received the award for overcoming adversity and supporting fellow cadets, along with the outstanding continuous improvement that she has made in her own personal development.
After starting her fire cadet journey feeling ‘scared, shy and very nervous’ within a year of joining, Carlie became a Crew Manager because she wanted to help other cadets to learn the skills she had been taught and to help them develop their own confidence.
Carlie said the huge boost to her confidence has been a journey ‘’from somebody who felt like a nobody, into a somebody’. During the Southsea fire cadets pass-out parade many of Carlie’s cadet comrades also named her as the person who had supported them the most throughout their time with fire cadets.
The award was given to Eastleigh HQ fire cadet Sophie Waite for the support she gave to new fire cadets, particularly those who were struggling with poor mental health. Described as ‘caring and supportive’, several cadets received support from Sophie both within the weekly cadet sessions as well as other evenings and during weekends.
Recognising the need for clearer support and signposting, Sophie took action, designing and printing her own leaflet full of advice about where young people can seek support for mental ill-health and other issues. The leaflet proved popular and was then shared with all Hampshire fire cadets.
HIWFRS Fire Cadet Manager Clair Hayward said:
“This is a very special award, with only four of them having been presented in the country. Both Sophie and Carlie are extremely deserving of these awards, and we are immensely proud of their achievements.”
Can you help? We are looking for Volunteer Fire Cadet Instructors to help support our Basingstoke and Rushmoor units. If you’re looking for a new challenge and would like to help young people achieve their full potential, we’d love to hear from you. Find out more and get in touch.