His Majesty's Lord Lieutenants are the representatives of the Crown for every county in the United Kingdom. Men and women of all backgrounds are appointed by The King on the advice of the Prime Minister. The role of the Lord Lieutenant is to arrange royal visits and to escort them, presenting awards on behalf of the King, royal garden parties, citizenship ceremonies and bridging the local community. As his cadet, I assist him in his duties, which is a huge honour.

Since the start of my tenure, I have attended many events, like a Judicial Service where our county’s courts were celebrated alongside different services that assist them, such as social services, the police and charities, who were acknowledged for their incredible work. I also had the opportunity to assist in presenting a pharmaceutical company the King's Enterprise Award, and read out the Grant of Appointment which formalised the award this company had received.

Through this role, I regularly have an opportunity to meet a variety of different people, from Mayors of a town to other cadets from different forces (e.g. army and navy cadets) across the county, who have the same passion as me for their work in their communities.  In addition to this, I am exposed to a whole array of different opportunities, allowing me to progress my interests further, such as speaking to UCL professors about the neuroscience of addiction at an event.

At university, I hope to join a University Air Squadron, where I will be given a chance to explore what life is like in the RAF further, with flight training and a wide range of activities like skiing and travelling the world (which I get paid to do), and perhaps looking into becoming a surgeon in the RAF!

None of this would have been possible without Reading School CCF - joining the CCF was one of the best things that I ever did. CCF has given me invaluable life skills, from improving my confidence and pushing boundaries to applying discipline to all aspects of my life. In addition to this, I have developed life-long friendships as well as memories from flying planes and competing in national competitions. When Sudiksha in Year 9 decided to join the CCF, little did she know it would be a life-changing experience that would stick with her in everything that she did. If you are in year 8, I would definitely recommend applying when the time comes … you won't regret it!

By Sudiksha - Year 13