Lord-Lieutenant's Cadets 2022-23

HM Lord-Lieutenant's former cadets for 2021-22

HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Helen Nellis, recently appointed her Cadets for 2021/2022 at a ceremony held at Bedford Modern School - Press release - Lord-Lieutenant Cadets 2021/2022 Commissioning Ceremony.

Chloe BezerSergeant Major Chloe Bezer - Beds & Herts Army Cadet Force
Sergeant Major Chloe Bezer completed her four star prior to lockdown year and has made an exceptional contribution to the detachment and company. She gave an outstanding performance on fieldcraft exercise to all cadets and junior cadet instructors and demonstrated her strong leadership skills. Sergeant Major Chloe Bezer is regularly complemented on her instructional ability.

She always attends the unit with a smile and enthusiasm and impeccable turnout and bearing, which is infectious to the other cadets and adults. She is a strong role model to her peers.

Sergeant Major Chloe Bezer has completed her Silver Duke of Edinburgh and is already working towards Gold.

In the community, Sergeant Major Chloe Bezer plays for our county football team, helping the team to become Eastern Region Champions. She is also a dedicated member of the county corps of drums, representing at community events through music.

Sergeant Major Chloe Bezer organised and contributed cakes to a bake sale, helping to raise funds for a local charity.

During her LL Cadet year, Chloe was promoted from Cadet Staff Sergeant Chloe Bezer to Sergeant Major Chloe Bezer. 

Matthew BrewerCadet Sergeant Matthew Brewer - Bedford Modern School Combined Cadet Force
Cadet Sergeant Brewer has been with the Combined Cadet Force at Bedford Modern School for four years.

Intelligent, well-mannered and articulate, Sergeant Brewer has just been appointed as the Senior Cadet of the Army Section. He took up this role in September and, based on his past performance, he will be an excellent example to his peers and subordinate cadets alike. 

Sergeant Brewer is an ardent supporter of the Combined Cadet Force and has taken part in all types of training from adventure training in the Lake District to military skills training and Annual Camps.  He has represented the unit at the 7th Infantry Brigade Cadet Skill at Arms competition, taken part in Kempston Remembrance parades and the Bedford Modern School remote VJ Day parade during lockdown. He has continued to be an active cadet during the pandemic, attending both face to face and remote training when it has been available.

Sergeant Brewer has completed his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award and is working towards his Silver. This has seen him giving up his time for the Garden House Hospice Charity Shop in Stevenage to complete his volunteering sections. He has also been proactive during the lockdown period in his local community.

Benjamin CornforthCadet Corporal Benjamin Cornforth - Luton Royal Marines
Cadet Corporal Cornforth has been an active member of the unit for over four years and during that time has supported and taken part in all levels of competition and activity, including Nationally and Offshore, both physically and most recently virtually.

Cpl Cornforth has shone during the pandemic and has successfully passed his virtual Corporals promotion board and has been pivotal in the retention of the other members of the Royal Marines Cadet Detachment, acting as a role model to the younger cadets as well as utilising his leadership characteristics to maintain the Royal Marine ethos and culture. He has achieved this by utilising WhatsApp and other social media platforms to keep in contact with his peers and ensure they maintain their interest and enthusiasm in the Royal Marine Cadets. He has supported virtual instruction with a delivery style the other cadets easily relate to and find engaging. He has also recruited several cadets into the unit by attending his school assemblies in uniform and promoting the variety of activities of the organisation has to offer.

Cpl Cornforth has also supported weekend activities at the unit providing encouragement, enthusiasm and support to both adults and cadets around him, demonstrating a natural ability as a leader.

Outside of Sea Cadets, Cpl Cornforth is a member of Luton Swimming Club and regularly coaches the 7 to 9-year-old group. During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, Cpl Cornforth took it upon himself to support, shop for groceries and care for elderly relatives whilst they were self-isolating. He also assisted in fundraising for the Royal Marine charity.

Cpl Cornforth has a tremendous amount of self-discipline which is represented in his dress and bearing, and he is an excellent role model and sets and outstanding standard for his peers to aspire to.

Cameron MooreLeading Cadet Cameron Moore - St John Ambulance
Leading Cadet Moore is a mature young man and was promoted to Sergeant in September 2020.  He has a good understanding of St John Ambulance and has assisted the Unit Manager during the pandemic to ensure that the cadets in the unit received virtual training.

When the unit were meeting face to face, as the then Corporal, he was responsible for drill within the cadet unit.

During lockdown in 2020, Leading Cadet Moore organised a fundraising event for cadets and adults to take place from John O’Groats to Lands End via Bedford. They were able to use whatever method they wanted, some walked, some cycled, some used roll blades. 

Leading Cadet Moore has joined the District Youth Team during lockdown in 2020.  He also completed a Care Course and many other courses, such as radio communications.

More recently, Leading Cadet Moore has passed his Demonstrator Course, which enables him to help demonstrate the Grand Prior subject to other cadets.

Leading Cadet Moore is very active in the community. He has been fundraising for the Fire Fighters Charity from an early age. In January this year, he volunteered at Vaccination Centres in Stevenage and London Heathrow working alongside nurses and doctors from the NHS and St John Ambulance personnel who were also assisting the NHS during the pandemic.

Leading Cadet Moore has in the past attended the Donor Awards where he carried the colours for the youth of our organisation.

More recently, and since his appointment as a Lord-Lieutenant Cadet, Leading Cadet Moore has gained a further promotion from Cadet Sergeant to Leading Cadet.
 

Keown SeldonCadet Crew Manager Keown Seldon - Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service
Crew Manager Seldon joined the Fire Cadets in 2018 and has shown great enthusiasm from the start, always arriving early to maximise his time at the station. He has high aspirations of becoming a Fire Fighter and uses every available opportunity to further his knowledge, but also enjoys using it to the benefit of the other less experienced cadets by educating them. He is a strong role model with a bright, positive attitude.

Crew Manager Seldon is always first to offer to help at any events including fundraising with Sandy Fire Station, station open days and county wide events, local Remembrance parades and the annual Fire and Rescue Service Christingle service.

Crew Manager Seldon was Sandy’s Cadet of the Year in 2019 and he helped Sandy Cadets win the local cadet competition. He has recently been promoted to Cadet Crew Manager and has been a tremendous help during virtual sessions, taking the lead at times.

Crew Manager Seldon has completed the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award recently and is looking at working towards the next level. He gives his time freely at the local charity shop at the weekend. He also helps with the local youth football team by being a linesman.

Toby Shortman

Cadet Warrant Officer Toby Shortman - Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire Wing ATC
Cadet Warrant Officer Toby Shortman joined the Air Cadets at 13 and would be the first to acknowledge that he lacked confidence. However, he set about trying every activity and forcing himself to undertake experiences and activities that tested his motivation and self-esteem. Notably he delivered a presentation on the cadet year to the entire squadron, their parents and several senior guests of honour at the annual awards evening in 2018.  This was a turning point for him personally and he has gone on to be a regular ‘face’ at the broad range of activities that Henlow cadets participate in. He has completed all his classification training, is undertaking his Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and has reached the rank of Flight Sergeant. He has in short become a role model cadet.

Cadet Warrant Officer Toby Shortman gained his youth first aid, bronze cyber and communications badges, and has also attended the wing NCO courses gaining his Silver leadership award. He has undertaken a method of instruction course and utilises all of these qualifications to assist in the training and development of younger cadets. He was extremely active in the virtual arena, maintaining a connection for the unit’s cadets during a difficult lockdown period. He similarly led from the front in assisting the adult staff in reopening the unit for face-to-face training. The sudden and unexpected loss of a fellow cadet hit the unit hard, none more so than Cadet Warrant Officer Toby Shortman. He showed incredible maturity in managing his shock and grief whilst utilising his position as the Senior Cadet to enable squadron members the space and support to deal with the situation in their own way.

Cadet Warrant Officer Toby Shortman left Samuel Whitbread Academy having undertaken his GSCEs. He is currently working but is also training to be an on-call firefighter with Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

His experiences as a cadet have focussed him on a career path within a uniformed service and his aspirations are to pursue a calling in the Fire and Rescue Service, or to join the RAF as a Police Officer. During his LL Cadet year, Toby was promoted from Flight Sergeant Toby Shortman to Cadet Warrant Officer Toby Shortman.

Lukas WescottDrill Cadet Lukas Wescott - Bedfordshire Police
Drill Cadet Wescott has become a more confident member of the section since he joined and interacts with his peers at all sessions.

Always smartly turned out and willing to give his all, his knowledge of drill has helped him rise to the rank of Drill Cadet for the HQ section. Drill Cadet Wescott has an excellent attendance record at training.

Drill Cadet Wescott has remained committed and engaged during lockdown and has been working online with his peers and instructors.

Drill Cadet Wescott has been involved in youth activities from a very early age and has been able to bring some good ideas with him to Bedfordshire Volunteer Police Cadets from his previous cadet force interactions.

He first joined the Boys Brigade when he was 9. He then became an Army Cadet for 3 years and attended various training camps including, field craft, expeditions, drill and weapon handling (gaining a marksman badge). In 2018 he was promoted to Lance Corporal and was given the opportunity to teach his peers drill, first aid and other useful skills he has learnt whilst training.

Drill Cadet Wescott is currently studying A level Psychology and Criminology at Sixth Form to complement his future Police application.