Air cadet squadron aims for greater heights after £3,600 grant

MELKSHAM’S air cadets are being helped to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic by a £3,600 Community Grant. 

The money, from Wiltshire Community Foundation, will help 2385 Melksham Squadron to continue retaining recruits from low-income families in the area.  

Group leader Flt Lt Greg McKay said ensuring new recruits feel part of the squadron is vital. 

“This grant is very welcome and will make a huge difference to the young people,” he said. “Our last grant from Wiltshire Community Foundation in 2019 bought T-shirts and polo shirts branded with our crest and they were really appreciated by the cadets. Now we can buy more thanks to this money.” 

He said the Ministry of Defence pays for the cadets’ blue RAF uniforms for ceremonial occasions and the squadron has to fund the combat uniform, known as greens, through fundraising.  

“We are not allowed to indent a cadet for any new uniform until they have attended for four or five months so we would lose some cadets because they don’t feel a part of it,” said Flt Lt McKay. 

“The polo shirt or T-shirt means they have something to make them feel like they belong and that makes a big difference.” 

The squadron, which meets weekly at its HQ in Lancaster Road, Bowerhill, organises regular activities, which include adventure training, sport, music, shooting, flying and gliding. Cadets also get an insight into life in the RAF, with marching drills, map-reading and technical training on the principles of flying and aircraft maintenance. 

Flt Lt McKay, who joined the squadron five years ago, said being part of the squadron gives young people experiences they would never otherwise have, like going gliding and trekking.  

He said, “It’s also somewhere they can go that teaches them discipline and the importance of being part of a group, as well as giving them some positive role models.” 

When the squadron was unable to meet during lockdown Flt Lt McKay organised online meetings with speakers and quizzes.  

“They were initially for the Melksham squadron but we found out that many of the other squadrons weren’t meeting so we expanded it to Chippenham, Corsham, Warminster, Bradford on Avon, Malmesbury, Trowbridge and Westbury,” he said.  “We were getting between 50 and 80 cadets at each virtual parade. 

“Every structure which young people were used to, school, home, meeting friends or whatever, was just blown away so anything they knew was gone and I worried about them.” 

Despite losing some cadets during lockdown, numbers are still healthy, with an intake of 22 recruits in September and another one due in March.    

“You always lose cadets because they get older and develop other interests. Some of them move away for work or university,” said Fl Lt McKay. “But there are always young people out there and it was important to me that we kept all our volunteers and I was pleased that we managed to do that.” 

He has a team of 19 volunteers and four uniformed staff, who are also there voluntarily. “We have some with specialist knowledge and enough that not everyone has to commit to every week so that’s ideal,” he said. 

He added the grant gives the squadron the chance to get on and plan activities without having to worry about fundraising for uniforms. “Part of the money will also buy jackets for the volunteers,” he said. “We couldn’t have done any of this without the help of the community foundation, it’s a massive help.” 

Wiltshire Community Foundation joint chief executive Fiona Oliver added, “In rural areas where there are so few things to do for young people, the air cadets provide excitement and a sense of camaraderie that will stand many of them in good stead for the rest of their lives.  

“We are delighted that, thanks to the generosity of our donors who care about their communities, the funding is helping the squadron’s fantastic staff and volunteers continue to have such a positive effect.” 

To find out more about the community foundation’s work, go to wiltshire cf.org.uk; search for 2385 Melksham Squadron on Facebook to find out more about its activities.