Life as a Lord-Lieutenant Cadet National Cadet Week – 5th Oct to 11th Oct 2026

The first ever National Cadets Week is taking place 5th October to 11th October 2026 with the aim of raising awareness of one of the country’s most effective youth organisations.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire has strong links with Shropshire’s cadet forces, and each year is happy to welcome new Lord-Lieutenant Cadets to support her at events for the coming 12 months.

 Lord-Lieutenant cadets are cadets who are nominated by their detachments, chosen for their remarkable dedication and who have shown outstanding commitment and achievements in their cadet training.

A representative is chosen from the Sea Cadets, the Army Cadet Force, the Air Training Corps, and the Combined Cadet Force to accompany the Lord-Lieutenant on civic and military visits and even royal visits.

This year there are three Lord-Lieutenant Cadets: CCF – Cadet Sergeant Reuben Stanton, ACF – Cadet Staff Serjeant Vihan Giri, RAF AC – Cadet Flight Sergeant Joseph Beard.

They were awarded their badges at a ceremony held in May at the Shrewsbury Museum and hit the decks running with their first engagement being the County Banner Parade a few days later.

The cadets will escort the Lord-Lieutenant and Vice Lord – Lieutenant at events such as award presentations, memorial events, Remembrance Day services, and BEM investiture ceremonies.

Here are a few words from the cadets themselves:

Reuben:

“My experiences as Lord Lieutenants Cadet so far have been great. It has given me the opportunity to meet loads of interesting people and witness important events. I have thoroughly enjoyed every event I have attended and have a much deeper respect for what people and communities are doing and how important it is to take part. “

Vihaan:

“It is said that being a Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet is the pinnacle of your cadet career, and I can already comfortably say that it is. From adventure training weeks to complex fieldcraft exercises, I have received so many amazing opportunities through being a cadet, but the one thing that excites me more are my duties as the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet. It makes me so proud to put on the very smart uniform and serve the local community. The highlight of being LLC for me so far is the Armed Forces Day celebrations. The Yeomanry Freedom of the Borough parade was brilliant to watch and be a part of, and it was a joy to represent HM’s Lord Lieutenant at Shrewsbury Castle later in the day, helping with cadet recruitment and inspiring young people, as well as hearing stories from a WW2 veteran.”

Joseph:

“So far, my experience of being a Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet has been nothing short of fantastic. From awards ceremonies to a royal visit, I have made the most of lots of opportunities and my biggest advice would always be to take all of them where possible. A skill I have gained and developed is the ability to talk to lots of people and make connections at an event. I am very excited to continue the rest of my year in post and am excited for what is to come.” 

Mrs Turner said:

“Each year we welcome new cadets to the role. They are nervous and unsure of what is expected of them. Over the year we see them grow into the role, they gain confidence and life skills. They are offered experiences that will stay with them for life such as welcoming royal visitors to the county. 

When I see cadets around the county, I am so full of pride as I know these young people will have a great grounding that will enhance opportunities for them throughout their life.”

For anyone who may be interested in either becoming a cadet or volunteering with the cadets, you can find out more here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-cadet-forces-and-mods-youth-work