Thanks to a generous donation from the Ulysses Trust a party of fourteen, (in two groups of seven) Air Cadets from 82 (Wandsworth) Squadron Air Training Corps, many from a disadvantaged background completed a demanding four day expedition to the Elan Valley in Wales.
The group covered all sorts of terrain from river valleys to mountains, several of the group commenting that they had never been to such a beautiful place before. The group camped for three nights in remote campsites with no facilities, a totally new experience for all of them. In addition some of the group planned to come back in private capacity at a later date, it is this sort of exposure to challenging expeditions that makes a real difference to our young people.
The expedition was supported by two members of the squadron staff, Flight Lieutenant Phil Ralph and Warrant Officer Les Brandon, Phil said that to see a group of young people from West London out in the hills doing this sort of activity demonstrates what our cadets are capable of. The important aspect of this expedition was that it was unaccompanied, although the groups were supervised from a distance, the groups were independent and made their own decisions as to how to manage their journey.
Without to help given to us by the Ulysses Trust and the RAF Charitable Trust it is unlikely that this expedition would have taken place.
