Lieutenancy of South Yorkshire

Louis Taylor

Sea cadet

My name is cadet Sergeant Louis Taylor from Sheffield Sea cadets and Royal Marines cadets and I’m one of four cadets assisting the Lord Lieutenant this year. I joined the cadets in March 2021 with the aim of gaining basic skills for joining the military. During my time as a cadet I have gained skills such as teamwork, problem solving and self-discipline. I have also gained qualifications including onshore and offshore first aid, water safety and rescue training along with many more. In the coming years I plan on joining the Royal Marines commandos to challenge myself, learn new skills and to serve my country.

Matthew Bruce

Army cadet

As a 4-star cadet, I got stuck into everything the Army Cadet syllabus had to offer. I took part in shooting competitions, worked on my fieldcraft during advanced exercises at Catterick, and put my first aid skills to the test in realistic scenarios. I spent plenty of time on navigation, drill, and leadership, often stepping up to guide younger cadets. Whether it was overnight exercises, camps, or team challenges, being a cadet was all about learning new skills, pushing myself, and having a laugh with the team along the way.

In the army cadets, I've achieved many things, including winning the company drill and Pentathlon competitions with my detachment and passing first aid at work. I was put on the Army Cadet Force (ACF) champion cadet weekend for Humberside and South Yorkshire ACF. This was so I could qualify for the national champion cadet competition. Even though I had 1 days’ notice, and a lack of knowledge of most subjects, I still went and came second!

One of my main goals and ambitions in the army cadets is to attend and compete in the Cadet Inter Service Skill-At-Arms Competition (CISSAAM) and (hopefully) do very well as I have a strong passion for shooting. I'm also wanting to be promoted to staff sergeant or even sergeant major at some point.

Overall, my end goal is to join the RAF as a Typhoon pilot as I have a strong passion for planes and the RAF in general. After that I want to become a fully-fledged airline pilot using qualifications gained in the RAF.

Ellie Woodhead

Air cadet

I am cadet Flight Sergeant Ellie Woodhead of 103 (Doncaster) Squadron, with over three years of being in the Royal air force air cadets, I have been presented with numerous amazing opportunities. As a recent Lord-Lieutenant cadet, I’ve had the distinct honour of meeting His Royal Highness Prince Edward.

Throughout my time in the cadets, I’ve had the privilege of representing my wing and core in national competitions, including the Inter-Service Cadet Rifle Meeting and the 155th National Rifle Association (NRA) Imperial Meeting. I achieved my cadet 100 due to placing 4th out of over 300 cadets. These experiences also led to me being made a staff cadet for the North Region Small Arms Training Team. Here I assist in training cadet force adult volunteers who aim to become skill at arms instructors or range conducting officers.

Looking towards the future, I aspire to earn a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Sheffield Hallam University and to commission into the RAF as an engineering officer. In the next year, I hope to bring more interest into the cadets and to provide more young people with the same opportunities.