£30,000 donation given to Hampshire Fire Service for cadets

The Fire Cadets is a training scheme to give youngsters between the ages of 13 and 17 the opportunity to gain social, life, work and well-being skills, and develop their confidence and personal skills.

Meeting for two hours a week at local fire stations, they take part in firefighting drills and first aid training – getting to grips with real firefighting equipment.

They also represent the Fire Cadets at community events and take part in fundraising activities.

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The cadets learn new skills like teamwork, communication and leadership while improving their health, fitness and general well-being. Completing the programme also gains them a recognised BTECH qualification.

The contribution from ExxonMobil will help to fund the purchase of uniforms as well as special protective clothing for drills and equipment for cadets and its volunteer instructors.  It will also fund the ongoing programme delivery, qualifications, activities and events they are involved in.

The programme runs for 40 weeks, and there are opportunities for some to progress to become Cadet Crew and Watch Managers, where they mentor the younger Cadets for a further two years.

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Karen Farr, the Fire and Rescue Service’s manager for young people, said: “On behalf of the Service I’d like to extend a huge thank you to ExxonMobil for this generous donation.

“This substantial investment in our Fire Cadets programme will ensure we can continue to make a real difference to the lives of young people across our communities and the volunteers who support them.”

Rich Rastall, health and safety manager at ExxonMobil Fawley, said: “The skills that the cadets will gain will set them up well for the future, so we are pleased to be able to help this important work with youngsters in our local communities.”