2344 (Longbenton) Sqn

Longbenton Air Cadets did their bit for Sport Relief by taking part in a six mile course at Newcastle / Gateshead Quayside raising almost £1000 for the cause.

The young people decided to the enter the six mile course on the back of the squadron's recent cross country success when they won the Wing Cross Country Championships for the first time in the squadron's history. 
More importantly, the young people took part to raise money for the Sport Relief charity. Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives across the country and in some of the poorest parts of the world.

For Zack Wylie, 15, it was an incredible experience. "It was great fun; the sun was shining and the atmosphere was great" said Zack, "particularly at the finish with the crowds cheering and this helped me to beat our commanding officer on the finish line to be the first of us through!" 

18 year old Christopher Rushton, of Longbenton, added "I thought the end was great too because I knew I had finished!" "It was a challenging run but after seeing other people like John Bishop do their bit, we persevered and it was a great feeling knowing our effort has helped others in need," said Christopher.

Squadron Sports Officer, David Anderson said, "It was a great day had by all and the young people should be proud of completing the six mile and raising a good amount of sponsorship."
 

Two lucky air cadets from Longbenton swapped their flying suits for ski suits this week as they took a trip to Zweisal, Germany with the Royal Air Force - which led to one of them landing a job!

Both, Georgina Cassidy, 18 and Stephanie Robson, 19 had the opportunity to enjoy the action packed week in Germany and, as they took part in the specially arranged skiing expedition with air cadets from across the country, enjoy they did!

"It was an amazing experience, although learning to ski was very challenging," said Georgina. "It was also absolutely freezing and I've never worn so many clothes to do a sport before!" she added.

During the expedition, the young people learned the art of the slopes and cross country skiing and gained many other life skills. The youngsters enjoyed a taste of independence as they were responsible for all aspects of their living arrangements ensuring that they ate, trained, and looked after themselves.

After the week long expedition, Georgina and Stephanie were awarded with an opportunity to ski the 1456m Grosser Arber. "It took us almost 3 hours to get to the top of the mountain and then only half an hour to ski down - but it was fantastic and a great adrenalin rush," said Georgina.

For Stephanie, the trip encouraged her to apply for a job as a ski rep in Austria and to her delight; she got the job. "Being on the slopes was amazing and a dream come true - I kept thinking it'd be great to wake up and do this every day, so when I got back I looked for jobs and applied." "If I hadn't of went to Zweisal I may never have got the job" she added. 

Squadron boss, Flight Lieutenant Gary Richardson said "This was an excellent opportunity for the young people and one that they clearly enjoyed and gained a great deal from." "It allowed them to get out of their comfort zone and try something new; increasing their self-confidence and developing their independence as well as challenging them physically." "We're all delighted Stephanie got her dream job" said Gary, adding "the air cadets teaches young people skills that will be useful in all walks of life and at Longbenton all of your young people aged 16 or over are in full-time education, employment or training."

Two Longbenton Air Cadets represented Durham Northumberland Wing in the North Region Cross Country Championships, helping the team to win overall Gold!

Last month, both Zack Wylie, 15, and Christopher Wilson, 18, ran for the Longbenton Suqardon finishing 5th and 10th in their respective event, and helped the squadron win overall gold for the first time in its history.

Last weekend, the pair competed agaonst other young people from across the north of England in a three mile course at Lancaster University.

Zack put in a solid performance, displaying grit and determination, to finish in 8th place in his age category whilst hristopher ran a firm, disciplined race to finish 10th. The due ensured the Wing team took first place in the overall competition.

Zack, a student at St Mary's Comprehensive, said "It was a great feeling to represent the Wing and it was fantastic that we won the competition."

"It was a very tough course, mainly due to the boggy conditions, so we are all delighted to have won overall," added Christopher, of Longbenton Community College.

Squadron Commander, Flight Lieutenant Gary Richardson said, "Zack and Christopher have performed very well and their disciplined display in tough conditions shows great character and a good mental attitude."

"They should be very proud of their recent achievement and they have represented Longbenton very well," added Gary. 

 

 

Young air cadets from 2344 (Longbenton) Squadron are celebrating an historic win in a cross country competition. The squadron's team took gold in the competition held at the Rising Sun Country Park, Benton for the first time in the squadron's 56 year history.

The cadets took off in style and put in maximum effort to compete against the other 34 squadrons across the Durham Northumberland area. The squadron had never won the competition before but the team - nicknamed by the youngsters "Team LB" - ran the 2.5 mile cross country course in all of the five age categories.

Cadet Zack Wylie, 15 of Longbenton, was on top form finishing 5th in the Under 17 Men and will now go one to represent the Durham Northumberland Wing team in the North Region Championships. "I'm really happy that we won and to have won the trophy for the first time is amazing," said Zack "It was a real team effort with everyone doing their best," he added.

Squadron Sports Officer, David Anderson said "We are all very proud of our team who put in an excellent performance and to win along with cadets going to the North Region Championships is fantastic." "We were able to field a full team of competitors of mixed abilities and so we knew we had a good chance of winning - we always aim to do our best, and we always want to win, and to do so on home turf is very rewarding," said David.

Our young people have many opportunities to take part in numerous sports. The squadron runs a fun, energetic and active sports programme that makes sports an enjoyable experience for everyone. The sporting activities will also count towards qualifications such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The sports are wide-ranging and include dodgeball, boxercise, rounders, football and athletics.