The Public Services department at Salford City College’s Walkden Sixth Form Centre held a special presentation evening in November to celebrate the first anniversary of its Police Cadets programme. The event recognised the success of the programme so far, and the personal achievements of the young people involved.
In 2012 Sir Peter Fahy, who was at the time Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police, pledged to create a new Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme for young people in the region. The scheme, developed by Sergeant Jane Butler and Youth Strategy Officer PC Andrew Marsden, is aimed at 13- 17 year-olds and provides a programme of weekly Cadet nights at various locations across Greater Manchester including, as of last year, Walkden Sixth Form Centre.
Those in attendance included the Cadets themselves and their families, as well as various members of the local council and senior police force. During the event the Cadets were presented with various awards, including Duke of Edinburgh Awards for some. A number of Cadets who study Public Services at Walkden Sixth Form Centre also gave speeches about their experience of the programme.
One of the students who spoke was 17-year-old Public Services student Helen Leigh, who has been a Cadet for one year, since the programme was first offered at Salford City College. The Former Flixton Girls’ School pupil explained: “I was introduced to the programme at college by my tutor, John Whittaker. The highlight of my Cadets experience so far has been the trip to the Isle of Man, where we did activities such as kayaking, and took part in a construction competition against the army cadets to build our own sail.”
Fellow Level 3 Public Services student Shauna Smith, 17, added: “I joined the Cadets as I want to get into the police when I finish my studies, and I saw the programme as a way to get my foot in the door. We meet at college every Thursday evening, where we are specifically trained to be in the police or to do community work.”
John Whittaker, Public Services tutor at Salford City College said: “The Police Cadets celebration event was a huge success, where the Cadets were able to share their experiences with their parents and celebrate their journey over the past twelve months.”
He added: “I was proud to see Salford City College students being able to demonstrate their achievements and how, in conjunction with their Public Services course, they have taken another step towards embarking on their careers as police officers.”
