Alness Army Cadets have reopened their doors to training after more than seven months.
Alness Detachment, of 1st Battalion the Highlanders, held their first training event for 245 days last Thursday evening.
Since the end of March, Army cadets up and down the country have moved their training online to ensure cadets were not falling behind in their cadet progression and also trying to help improve people’s mental health by staying connected during lockdown.
Throughout lockdown the cadets of Ross Company Detachment have been engaging with the Battalion’s online programme, from weekly training lessons to online competitions and challenges. The cadets were welcomed back to their detachment where they – keeping to Social Distancing guidelines – spent the night celebrating their achievements in lockdown.
Cadet Jack Ross (13) (pictured above) and Cadet Calum Roberts (15) were both presented with their Basic Certificates and Badges by Detachment Commander Lt Lorraine Wright. The final presentation was a triple sports presentation to Cadet Corporal Kai Greig (17) for his efforts in taking part in the ACF’s Virtual 1 Mile Competition in June, where cadets up and down the country competed against each other – from the comfort of their own homes – to run a mile and upload their times to Strava. Cpl Greig was presented with his National Sports Competitor Badge, a Silver Medal for finishing 2nd in the Junior Boys Category for the Mile’s Scottish Results and Bronze Medal for coming 3rd in the National Results.
The Army Cadets are allowed to return to face to face training in Scotland as it falls under the youth sector and is classified as a designated essential service that engages young people within their communities and also acknowledges the wider networks of peers, community and culture, as well as supporting the young person to realise their potential and to address life’s challenges critically and creatively.
