225 Medical Regiment Wins Prince of Wales Award

The third of four prestigious awards was presented by Lord-Lieutenant for Stirling and Falkirk –  Mr Alan Simpson OBE yesterday.

The Prince of Wales’s Expeditionary Awards highlight the very best in leadership, challenge, courage and planning. The annual awards are selected from over one hundred Cadet and Reservist expeditions supported by The Ulysses Trust, whose patron is HRH the Prince of Wales. Each recipient receives a certificate which is signed by HRH The Prince of Wales.

The winner of the Volunteer Reserve Category was Exercise AMAZON SERPENT 2018. This expedition was undertaken by Reservists from 225 Medical Regiment who traveled to the Amazon in Brazil in June 2018.

This expedition evolved following a training weekend, in which members of the Regiment pitched expedition ideas in a Dragons Den style presentation to senior officers. This expedition concept was picked as the worthiest to be taken forward. A long list of 22 applicants was whittled down to 14 for the expedition that would take place on the Urubu River in the Amazon rain forest.

Preparation began with canoe and Kayak foundation courses, including small expeditions on rivers in the Scottish Highlands. Leadership training underpinned each activity, which would eventually lead to each team member being designated a stretch of river to lead on the expedition in the rain forest. Following arrival in Brazil, and onward travel to the Manaus on the banks of the river Negro, the team undertook acclimatization, before embarking on the 150 mile canoe journey in the centre of the Amazonian rain forest. Each day was broken down into approximately 6-8 hours of canoeing depending on the distance required to be covered. This also included a period of trekking into the jungle under a local guide, and learning survival skills and observing jungle wild life.

The presentation took place on Thursday 24th October 2019 at the Highland RFCA Southern Area Meeting at Stirling Army Reserve Centre. The event was organised by the Highland Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association.

Read the expedition report.

For further details please contact Paul Randall on M: 0774 141 2371 paul.randall@s521101731.websitehome.co.uk.