Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, recently attended the Essex Wing Air Training Corps Presentation Evening, at the Civic Theatre, in Chelmsford, which was held in order to acknowledge the achievements of individual cadets.
Mark, who has two Air Training Corps (ATC) Squadrons in his constituency, 1474 Squadron (Wickford) and 1476 Squadron (Rayleigh), is a keen supporter of the work of the Air Cadets and was delighted to attend the evening, which involved various presentations, and a number of cadets being recognized with awards, presented by, among others, the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Lord Petre.
The Essex Air Training Corps are part of the RAF’s cadet force, who nationally have over 40,000 members aged between 13 and 20 years and who are divided into six regions, 36 wings and more than 900 squadrons across the UK. The aim of the Air Cadets is to promote and encourage among young people a practical interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force, as well as to provide training which will be useful in the Services, as well as civilian life.
Commenting on the presentation evening, Mark said:
“I was delighted to be invited to the presentation evening for the Essex Wing of the Air Training Corps. The whole evening was extremely well organised, and I was impressed to see so many cadets in attendance, all of whom appear to be highly dedicated and motivated young people.
I am a great supporter of the Air Cadets and their work with young adults, which encourages young people from different backgrounds to unite, improve teamwork and leadership skills, as well as building personal confidence, all of which will stand them in good stead for the future.”
