A STUDENT is celebrating after receiving a prestigious honour.
Year 11 Barnard Castle School student Henry Turnbull, a member of the Combined Cadet Force, has been recruited by County Durham’s Lord-Lieutenant Sue Snowdon as one of her cadets for 2022.
This latest success marks the fourth Barney pupil in a year to be appointed as a Lord-Lieutenant cadet.
Henry, of Barnard Castle, will support the Queen’s representative of the county when she performs civic duties, which will carry even more significance in 2022, as the country celebrates the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The Lord-Lieutenant appoints cadets to act as ‘batmen’ as she performs a host of duties that could include meeting visiting members of the Royal Family and presenting medals and awards on behalf of the Queen.
Henry, 16, will be officially sworn into the role at a ceremony in March, having passed a rigorous selection process and impressing at interviews.
He has been a member of Barney’s CCF for 18 months, which has given him valuable life experiences that will support his ambitions of a career in the military, including first aid training and being a flag bearer during Remembrance Day parades.
Henry said: “It is a pretty amazing feeling and I am proud to have been named a Lord-Lieutenant cadet. I hope to enjoy a career in the military once I complete Sixth Form at Barney, and this honour stands me in good stead to achieve this goal.
“I am grateful to the CCF for everything it has done for me and the many memories I have made in the short amount of time I have been part of the contingent.
“The opportunities I am going to receive and events I will be privy to as a Lord-Lieutenant cadet this year are very exciting, and I am looking forward to continuing my development in the CCF over the coming years.”
Earlier in the 2021/2022 school year, two current Sixth Formers at Barney achieved Master Cadet status, which is considered the pinnacle of a cadet’s time in the CCF, following on from three pupils receiving the same honour in 2020.
Head of Barney’s CCF Major Caroline Connor added: “I am thrilled for Henry who is a model cadet and someone who is dedicated to our thriving CCF. This achievement is thoroughly deserved and I could not be more proud.
“We have enjoyed an unprecedented amount of success in recent years as several members of our contingent have been rewarded with prestigious honours. These are a direct consequence of the hard work and dedication of our staff and volunteers, who continually go above and beyond for our cadets.”