The wild and varied terrain of Pippingford Park provided an exciting base for the range of activities that Quest cadets undertook during their remote living training. The primary objective was for the cadets to experience living in a remote environment, to establish a base and learn basic survival skills. We were blessed with glorious spring sunshine and comfortable conditions for our new recruits’ first experience of setting up camp.

Cadets were taught knife skills before leaving Trinity School and then the psychology of survival when we arrived at Pippingford. Their weekend’s work took the form of experiencing a ‘Remote Living’ camp designed to enhance cadet skills and the basic methodology of living in the wild with only basic equipment and resources.

One of the main objectives of the camp was to set the first foundations for new recruits to develop the skills required for their L2 Survival Award. Trinity and The Quest students were the first cadets in the country to gain this award last year which is the equivalent to the Level 3 award for survival in the Royal Marines.

Lance Corporal Ryan Donnelly was amongst our cadets who achieved this award last year and his help and support for the new recruits was much appreciated. All of the cadets worked hard and demonstrated determination and self-discipline: Phillipe Angelescu, Andre Arc Basile, James Burnett, Shianti Harbourne, Brendan Beharie, Ryan Donnelly, Imani Ennis and Charlie Shine are all to be commended for their great progress during this exercise.

Lt Mcleod