London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton is calling on more adult volunteers to get involved in our fire cadets programme. The appeal comes following a visit by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s to Old Kent Road Fire Station, where he met a range of fire cadets and volunteers as well as see them perform a drill.
City Hall are investing £1.1 million in the life changing youth programme, which will see fire cadet units in every borough giving 500 positive opportunities to young Londoners.
We need an additional 100 volunteers to help run the expanded scheme and it is a great opportunity for members of the public to join the firefighting community and make a difference in young people’s lives.
There are currently around 265 Fire Cadets based in 17 units in the capital. This additional funding will provide opportunities for up to 250 more places each year for 11-17 year olds in every part of London. This investment is part of the Mayor’s ongoing commitment to provide young people with constructive activities.
Megan Munns from Tottenham is one of the young people who say their life has changed dramatically since joining the cadets. Megan said,
“There was a fire in my block of flats and my family and I helped elderly residents evacuate the building. I’d never even been to a fire station before but the kindness I saw from the firefighters at the scene made me interested in the fire service and I saw a cadet advert in school and applied.
“It turned me from a young person who didn’t leave my room after school into a far more confident, happy and skilled adult. It has enabled me to go abroad for the first time when I visited Nepal to help build a school and given me the opportunity to speak to Prince Charles.
“I now volunteer as a Cadet Instructor and it is the best thing anyone can do as it gives you a great understanding of the fire service and allows you to give something back to the local community. I volunteer in Tottenham and the young people can relate to me as I’ve grown up in streets they are from. It is a scheme for all, not just those who want to be firefighters, but to everyone who wants to change their life and make a difference.”
Fire Cadets take part in a range of activities such as fire safety, basic first aid and firefighting skills, a programme aimed at improving their confidence, wellbeing, communication and employability skills. Each cadet also has the opportunity to obtain formal qualifications for completing the programme.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“It’s been great to see the fantastic work that the London Fire Brigade is doing with young people through its Fire Cadets programme. Schemes like this play an important role in the lives of young Londoners but they can’t survive without the support of the community so it’s vital that we have more adults willing to volunteer their time and act as positive role models to these young people.”