The new £600,000 Joint Cadet Centre has been officially opened in Arbroath.
The state-of-the-art building on Charles Avenue will be shared between 2422 (Arbroath) Squadron of the RAF Air Cadets and Army Cadets from Angus and Dundee Battalion ACF.
Guests – including Angus Provost Councillor Ronnie Proctor and representatives from local schools – were welcomed to the centre by Highland RFCA Chairman Nick Dorman.
HRFCA Chairman Nick Dorman welcomes guests.
Nick said: “The old Spooner Hut, which had stood on this site since the mid-70s and had definitely seen better days, was demolished last July. The new building was completed last month within budget and at an overall cost of a fraction over £600,000, shared between Highland RFCA and the RAF Air Cadets.
“All in all quite an achievement, and the end result is a facility that will be fully used and enjoyed by both Army Cadets and the Air Cadets.”
The opening ceremony was performed by Mrs Georgiana Osborne, Lord-Lieutenant of Angus.
Lord-Lieutenant of Angus, Mrs Georgiana Osborne, declares the facility open.
She said: “It’s a super building, purpose-built specifically to provide modern facilities for cadets, and is a real demonstration of the fact that careful management of very limited budgets can produce first-class results.
“I am constantly struck by the value of the service cadet organisations, both to their members and to the wider communities from which they come. The chance to develop new life skills, to fulfil personal ambitions and to realise their full potential in an environment which is challenging, fun and above all safe, is one which many young people seize with both hands and go on to do great things.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the adults who lead and look after the cadets, both full-time and especially the volunteers, without whose dedication and commitment, not to mention good humour, the cadet organisations would simply not exist.”
Following the ceremony, guests were given a tour of the centre and had a chance to meet the cadets who put on demonstrations including first aid and a display of adventurous training equipment. Guests were also taken to the site’s range where they watched cadets take part in rifle shooting.
2422 (Arbroath) Sqn cadets will share the building with Black Watch cadets from Angus and Dundee Battalion ACF.
ACF cadets are introduced to Lord-Lieutenant of Angus, Mrs Georgiana Osborne.
For a full gallery of images from the event, click HERE.
