We are delighted to announce the winners of the RAF Air Cadets Environmental Award 2024 are 331 (Chesterfield) Squadron.
331 Squadron is based at Wallis Barracks, which has a large outdoor area originally used as a personal garden by a caretaker. Squadron staff saw that this once loved garden had become overgrown and neglected, and saw the potential that the garden could yield, so they asked if they could help utilise the space.
Cadets and adult volunteers put on their gardening gloves and started to clear the site of brambles and weeds. They have since been hard at work and continue to make remarkable progress to restore the once loved garden into a fantastic environment that can be utilised for a plethora of various activities.
Cadets have grown carrots, beetroot, onion, radishes, planted strawberries, tomatoes and potatoes. Successful crops have regularly been donated to the local foodbank in the town and encourages cadets to learn about gardening, crop rotation and where our food comes from. Bug hotels have also been built alongside wild garden areas to entice insects and other pollinators. Ongoing work is continuing to develop a memorial garden and wellbeing area.
The squadron were presented with their presentation cheque by Gp Capt Dave Boreham, the Regional Commandant for Central and East who surprised them with the news on a parade night. At the presentation he said:
“It was an absolute pleasure to visit 331 (Chesterfield) Squadron with the new OC Trent Wing, Wg Cdr Simon Dunn, in the guise of ‘an opportune’ visit when really we were visiting to announce that the Squadron were the RAF Air Cadet winners of its Environmental and Sustainability Award for 2024. The response was fantastic with beaming cadets (and staff) and there was a real pride from all showing off the garden project that earnt them the award, its outcomes and the Squadron’s subsequent support to the community through provision to the local food bank. Well done to 331 (Chesterfield) Squadron.”
Group Capt Dave Boreham
Regional Commandant for Central and East
The standards were very high this year and we had some impressive entries. The runners up were 2286 (Coventry) Squadron, who had used their outdoor space to create wildlife habitats by using upcycled materials and a creative use of recycling. Third place went to 48F (Hampstead) Sqn. Cadets had designed a project to transform the RAF Air Cadets uniform for a sustainable future.
Thank you to everyone who applied – we look forward to seeing more creative ways of how you are doing your bit for the environment in this years competition. Keep your eyes peeled as the nominations open on World Environment Day on 5 June.