A challenge passed with flying colours as cadet Paige Davison comes through a year of the Covid-19 epidemic.
When County Down teenager Paige Davison was honoured last year by being appointed to serve as Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet for County Down she envisaged twelve months of civic occasions and a packed diary.
The reality proved quite different and Paige found herself stepping up to the unique challenge of a year defined by pandemic.
Paige who has long been an enthusiastic member of 2004 Squadron Air Training Corps was appointed to serve in the largely ceremonial role for twelve months, attending Mr David Lindsay CVO, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for County Down, at civic occasions.
As she completed her year in office and was presented with a commemorative certificate and the prestigious ‘Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet’ insignia to wear on her uniform Paige ruefully admitted that those civic occasions had been dramatically curtailed in 2020/21.
Brim-full of enthusiasm and commitment, however, Paige made the most of her year in office and her contribution to the Cadet movement during difficult times earned particular praise from ‘her’ Lord Lieutenant as he presented Paige with a commemorative certificate of her unusual year in office.
The Citation which accompanies that Certificate describes the lively Cadet Sergeant as ‘an enthusiastic and intelligent cadet who has progressed steadily through her classification syllabus and beyond. She readily volunteers for every activity available to her and has achieved qualifications in Gliding, Air Experience Flying, Shooting, Leadership, Advanced Radio Communications and Cyber.
‘A testament to her commitment is that she has already achieved both her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – much of which is completed in the cadets own time and through their own determination. Paige has also represented the Corps in National Events including ATC Shooting, Aerospace Camp and STEM and was an enthusiastic member of the unit’s Media Team which recently won the ATC Scotland and Northern Ireland Regional Competition.’
