We celebrated our Volunteer Cadet Instructors at an award ceremony and called for more to join up to help run their Cadets scheme.
The fifth annual Volunteer Cadet Instructor (VCI) Awards took place on Thursday, 20 February 2020 at Tattershall Castle river boat on Victoria Embankment and saw volunteers from all over London come together to celebrate their commitment and contribution over the last 18 months.
London Fire Cadets gives young people in London the chance to gain qualifications, develop professional and personal skills and make friends for life. In the last year, we have had more than 200 young people either joining or completing their final year as Fire Cadets, which wouldn't have been possible without fantastic volunteer instructors who give up their time to support cadets in their communities. Tinika Wynters, from the Merton Fire Cadets unit, was presented with the Volunteer of the Year award for her passion and for standing as an incredible role model and ambassador for other volunteers and our young people.
The Fire Cadet team were joined by Deputy Commissioner Richard Mills, Deputy Mayor of Fire and Resilience Dr Fiona Twycross and Securitas Director of Fire and Safety Services, Paul Rankin who presented awards to shortlisted winners in a variety of categories. This included three awards generously sponsored by Securitas: Volunteer of the Year, Commitment to LFB Fire Cadets and Aspiring Leader.
Deputy Commissioner, Richard Mills, said: "Our volunteers are a credit to the Brigade and we can't wait to get as many people involved as possible as we expand.
"A major development I’m absolutely delighted about this year is the announcement from the Mayor’s office that LFB Fire Cadets will receive £1.1 million of funding through the Young Londoners Fund. This will enable us to open a cadet unit in every London borough by April 2020 which is an incredible achievement and a major milestone.
"We are looking for more dedicated volunteers and young people who would like to join our team. Take a look on our website for more information on how you could get involved."
There were also 17 volunteers who received a Certificate of Commendation for services to Fire Cadets, 18 volunteers who received a Certificate of Commendation for outstanding achievements in services to Fire Cadets and nine volunteers who received a Certificate of Commendation for long and distinguished services to Fire Cadets.