Ipswich
The Ipswich cadet group commenced in 1997 and has gone from strength to strength. Ipswich now has 52 young people training with them. We train every school Friday night between 7.30 and 9.30.
In 2005, the Ipswich cadet’s general training featured on the television program ‘Totally Wild’, and then a separate story on their survival camp was also featured.
Ipswich cadets hold two to three local training camps during the year. We have had two 10 day camping trips out West for the senior cadets. The last one was in September 2007 where we travelled to Longreach, to the gem fields near Emerald and on to Carnarvon Gorge. This was funded by the participants. For city kids it was a real eye opener.
We actively support events within the local community helping or being part of parades and festivals. We always march in the Anzac Day Parade.
Each year we enter teams in the all night Relay for Life Cancer appeal Fund Raiser and have raised a lot of money. We also raise money for other causes just recently for the Victorian Fire Appeal.
We are a Licensed Operator for the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme and to date we have had two members complete their Gold. We have 6 members in the process of doing the Scheme. We will run an Adventure Camp if required to assist the Duke of Ed youths. Two of our leaders are also qualified Duke of Edinburgh Expedition Leaders and several are helpers.
We are very proud of our young people, and over the last few years have had three of our young leaders (who were all our graduated cadets) win the Youth Alliance Award in both the Leadership and the Community Service Divisions.
Many of the Ipswich cadets have gone through cadet training and have become Adult Leaders with the program and have stayed on with us.
We train mainly with SES members but we get a lot of support from the Queensland Fire & Rescue Service, the Queensland Police Service and the Queensland Ambulance Service.
In October and November 2008, after the hail storm and during severe flooding several cadets worked in Headquarters on the radios, on the phones and in welfare. The group, on their training night during the floods, filled many sandbags helping the SES group.
We have our own section on the Ipswich SES web site so come and visit us at www.ipswichses.com.au
If you would like to join then please contact the Youth Development Officer in your region.
Last updated 21 July 2009