Outstanding Sandy and Henlow youngsters appointed as HM Lord-Lieutenant's cadets

Left to Right: Keown Seldon, Benjamin Cornforth, Matthew Brewer, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Helen Nellis, Chloe Bezer, Toby Shortman and Lukas Wescott. PIC: June Essex Photography

Outstanding youngsters have been appointed as HM Lord-Lieutenant Helen Nellis’ cadets for the coming year.

The ceremony was held at Bedford Modern School and attended by dignitaries and representatives from cadet organisations - along with the cadets’ family members.

The role of Lord-Lieutenant’s cadets is to support the Lord-Lieutenant in carrying out her duties and their selection and appointment acknowledges their outstanding contribution to their cadet service and to the community.

This year's cadets include Flight Sergeant Toby Shortman from Henlow Squadron, Air Training Corps and Sandy’s Cadet Crew Manager Keown Seldon (Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service).

The Lord-Lieutenant’s cadets are the finest of the many talented young people in the cadet forces within Bedfordshire.

The Lord-Lieutenant said: “My Lord-Lieutenant Cadets continue to impress me year on year with their professionalism, dedication to the county and confidence in meeting a wide range of people. They represent some of the finest young people of Bedfordshire and I am excited for the year ahead. I wish my new Lord-Lieutenant Cadets a fulfilling and rewarding year.”

Toby Shortman joined the Air Cadets at 13 and since then has seen his confidence blossom.

He has gone on to be a regular ‘face’ at the broad range of activities that Henlow cadets participate in, has completed all his classification training, is undertaking his Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and has reached the rank of Flight Sergeant.

And he has beed praised as “a role model cadet”.

Toby left Samuel Whitbread Academy after his GSCEs. He is currently working but is also training to be an on-call firefighter with Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Keown Seldon joined the Fire Cadets in 2018 and has shown great enthusiasm from the start. He has high aspirations of becoming a Fire Fighter and uses every available opportunity to further his knowledge, but also enjoys using it to the benefit of the other less experienced cadets by educating them.

Keown frequently volunteers to help at events including fundraising with Sandy Fire Station, station open days and countywide events, local Remembrance parades and the annual Fire and Rescue Service Christingle service.

And he was named Sandy’s Cadet of the Year in 2019 and helped Sandy Cadets win the local cadet competition.

He also gives his time freely at the local charity shop at the weekend and helps with the local youth football team by being a linesman.

Find out more about the cadets online.