More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
An Army Cadet volunteer is on a mission to recruit more young people and improve Kent's communities.
Lieutenant Colonel Simon Dean OBE, based in Maidstone, has been involved with the Army Cadets since 1975, and is proud of how much the cadets help the wider communities across the county.
He said: "We've got cadets going to do beach clean-ups. They'll tidy up local villages, they'll clear up graffiti, they'll raise money for the local charities."
But he is concerned the pulls of modern life are stopping young people from realising their potential.
Lt Col Dean added: "Our youth are drifting away from us.
"With the way peer pressure is today and the way social media absorbs young people's time, there seems to be a bit of a grey land where they sit, and if they do something unique or do something individual their peers don't really like it."
The long-time volunteer believes joining a youth service like the Army Cadet Force offers young people a healthy and structured environment, especially beneficial for those who may have difficult home lives.
He said: "A lot of the young people in the Army Cadet Force do get that structure from us."
There are 39 detachments across the county, but many are lacking in new young people joining as well as the volunteers to supervise them.
Issues with anti-social behaviour have also caused issues for some detachments, which Lt Col Dean said could be another reason why young people are hesitant to get involved.
He said: "Some of the (buildings) we've had to armour plate. We've had some detachments that have nearly been closed down because the trucks were attacked by local youths.
"They kept throwing stones at the cars because they don't like it."
Staff Sargeant Sadie Lawrence is the detachment commander for Walderslade, and said recruiting more adult volunteers can be difficult because they don't understand the benefits for the young people.
She said: "People who were cadets understand the structure of it and what they're going to be potentially doing.
"But people just walking down the road have no idea about what the cadet force does, especially for young children or young people."
S/Sgt Lawrence was a cadet as a child, and her two children Ben and Frankie are now also cadets.
Ben, 16, said he gained a lot of confidence once he became a cadet.
He said: "I take a little bit more pride in myself now I'd say."
Since joining, he has had the opportunity to travel to Holland and Italy as well as weekends in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Although Ben is planning to join the armed forces when he finishes school, Lt Col Dean said the youth services are not intended to convince young people to take up a career in the forces.
He said: "We're a youth organisation, not a recruiting tool.
"If others do want to join the Armed Forces though, they've already got a big foothold on that ladder because they've got the experience."
The Kent Army Cadet Forces are holding an adult volunteer evening on December 12.
If you would like to find out more about the volunteer evening, click here
To read about the Armed Forces and how they have served Kent and beyond, click here
