Earlier this year we shared in CHFT News how former NHS Cadet, and HRI volunteer Ben Mansfield, picked up a top award recognising the achievements of hundreds of NHS Cadets across the country.

The good news is that The NHS Cadets Scheme, co-run by our Apprenticeship and Widening Participation Team and St John Ambulance, returns next month. 

So read on, and if you know someone who fits the bill, feel free to share the information with them. Please bear in mid the links can only be accessed through a mobile phone as they have been set up outside of CHFT.

NHS Cadets provides opportunities to explore skills, knowledge, and volunteering roles within healthcare. It is aimed at young people aged 14 to 16 who are from communities currently under-represented within the NHS and St John Ambulance.

The programme offers them health awareness sessions, courses to develop their leadership and communication skills and an insight or experience in volunteering within the NHS.

It is a free programme, consisting of weekly, 2-hour sessions for 11 months. Cadets will be supported throughout their volunteering journey by our NHS Cadets Team.

Who can get involved?

The initiative is seeking young people who might not have previously considered volunteering in healthcare. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Young people living with learning difficulties and / or disabilities (we will need to discuss if we have the support network to help you participate)

• Young people in the care system, or recent care leavers

• Refugees or Asylum Seekers

• Young Carers

• Homeless young people

• Those not in education, employment or training, or those with school results lower than you hoped/need

• Those living with mental health concerns (same principle as anyone with a learning difficulty or disability)

• Those who identify as being part of the LGBTQI+ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer intersex+)

• Those coming from low-income families /young people in receipt of free school meals

• Young people from ethnic minority communities

All the sessions below start at 5.30pm. If you would like to sign up, or you know someone who does, please click and complete the links below - please note that the links are only accessible via mobile phones.

If you have any questions about the programme please email arnas.tamasauskas@sja.org.uk