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Well done Hamish, Teddy and Kieran!

Many congratulations to Upper Sixth students Hamish, Teddy and Kieran, who are celebrating continued CCF success!

Following on from achieving Master Cadet accreditation in December 2020, all three have now been appointed as Lord Lieutenant Cadets by Mrs Sue Snowdon, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, for 2021.

This is an amazing achievement and a first for Barney; to have just one Lord Lieutenant Cadet amongst our contingent would be impressive, but to secure a hat trick of appointments is incredible news.

The Lord-Lieutenant appoints a number of Cadets each year, from across the Lieutenancy area, who assist her when she is carrying out her duties, for example, when meeting visiting members of the Royal Family and presenting honours and awards on behalf of Her Majesty.

After the three cadets’ records were officially reviewed, they each took part in Zoom interviews with Cadet Force officials Lt Col Ian Clyde and Col Varn Jassel, in which they were asked questions on cadet life, etiquette and their views on performing the proposed duties.

Commenting on their appointments, Major Connor, Commanding Officer of Barney’s CCF, said: “The Lord-Lieutenant is a person of standing and influence in the community and this is an incredible honour for our students and Barney.

“Cadets are selected for making an outstanding contribution and we are all absolutely delighted that their peerless records, applications and successful interviews have led to these prestigious appointments, a first for our School.”

For all three students the appointment provides an invaluable boost as they plan future careers in the Armed Forces.

Kieran hopes to follow in family footsteps as his father is ex-REME and mother a former nurse in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.

He said: “I’m hoping to complete a university apprenticeship in electrical engineering, then a career in the REME. Being selected for Lord Lieutenant’s duties has given me a huge sense of pride.”

Fellow boarding student Hamish is also planning a career in the army where he will become the fifth generation of his family to serve in the military.

“None of us expected to be successful and it is great for Barney’s CCF,” said Hamish who is currently going through the selection process that hopefully will lead to Sandhurst. “It is unheard of for Barnard Castle School to provide the Lord Lieutenant with three cadets and after missing out on a lot of CCF activities in the past year because of COVID, it certainly makes up for that.”

For Teddy, of Newton-le-Willows, the honour provides a step up as he pursues his dream of being a Royal Marine Commando.

“I want to join the Marines because they have a special operations role in areas such as anti-piracy and combatting drug running,” he said. “I’ve always loved being outdoors and the CCF has been brilliant in helping me develop skills, like leadership, critical thinking and self-confidence that will be crucial to my future career.”