Lydd Camp Report
From 5th to 10th July, 30 cadets travelled down to Lydd MOD to complete and compete in CCF Summer Camp 2026. The week consisted of various activities such as laser tag, paddleboarding, shotgun shooting and building clearances, and ended on a high with SVS winning gold in DCCT shooting and archery, as well as clinching second place in Skill at Arms.
The activities began bright and early with a 6am wake-up on Monday morning, with breakfast soon after before we began our first stand of the day: laser tag. With the contingent divided into four teams, the atmosphere became filled with friendly rivalry and a hunger for victory. Each team faced one another, leaving the Red Team on top with their aggressive, yet highly impressive, tactics. Following laser tag, cadets took part in a first aid stand, learning how to perform effective CPR, use a defibrillator, when to use the recovery position, and how to check for and treat catastrophic bleeds. The final activity before lunch consisted of command tasks, where leadership among the cadets shone through, along with teamwork, listening skills and problem-solving.
The day concluded with an escape room, which tested communication, teamwork and leadership skills, as well as DCCT shooting, in which the entire section of cadets performed outstandingly, leading to our victory over the other schools at camp.
On Tuesday, cadets threw themselves into adventure training, completing various activities such as archery, mountain biking, rock climbing, abseiling, raft building, paddleboarding and kayaking. All of these allowed cadets to explore and transfer the soft skills they had developed during their time in the CCF to different scenarios.
On Wednesday, cadets made the journey from Lydd to St Michael’s Plain, where they took part in another carousel of activities. The day began with a lesson on tracking skills, where cadets learnt how to use disturbances on the ground to help identify the enemy. Cadets then moved on to paintballing, which practised their patrolling and pairs-firing manoeuvre skills. After a short, yet well-needed, lunch break, cadets received a talk on different weapon systems used by the Army throughout recent history and had the opportunity for hands-on experience with them, even being able to hold and aim a machine gun. Directly following this, cadets learnt more about different pathways into the Army and the endless opportunities it provides. The day concluded with clay pigeon shooting, which saw cadets’ shooting skills adapt, develop and flourish with a vastly different weapon system, showcasing the talents of the section.
On the final day of activities, cadets had the opportunity to learn and practise techniques on how to clear rooms and buildings in pairs, as well as in a section of eight people. With cadets split into three groups, they had the opportunity not only to practise in a low-stakes situation, but also to perform a larger-scale operation with other schools, clearing a village and having the opportunity to shoot blank rounds at a live enemy force.
On our final day at Lydd, four different competitions in military history and knowledge, memory games, first aid and Skill at Arms took place, with all cadets taking part in at least one stand and completing them with high levels of success.
With activities finishing up in the morning, cadets had their final lunch, complete with Magnums, a much-appreciated addition, before gathering as a contingent, where well-deserved promotions were handed out and everyone was congratulated on their mammoth efforts throughout the week. We then headed to the final parade with the other schools. This is where, along with our fellow winners, we received prizes for the various competitions that had taken place over the week.
Despite its ups and downs, the week was highly successful, not only through the cadets’ outstanding performances on stands, but also through the skills that were learnt and developed, allowing individuals to push themselves to new heights and encouraging everyone to step out of their comfort zone and try something new.
However, the definite highlight of the trip was the adventures of Bertie, the Army section’s mascot, a small lamb dressed in CCF uniform along with a pair of ear defenders. Miss Ali’s admirable photography skills captured what is now known as “Bertie on Tour”, depicting Bertie taking part in numerous activities, such as performing CPR, climbing a wall and firing a machine gun.
Caitlyn Gosden
