The scheme, which provides nationally recognised accreditation has been running at the squadron for two and a half years and is designed to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of young people, aged 16-24 in the voluntary sector. There are many benefits to the Millennium Volunteer scheme. The scheme helps participants to gain training and experience in their chosen field of voluntary work it provides an excellent framework for personal development, participants join a nationwide team of well motivated and trained volunteers and participants also develop the volunteering they already do.

There are 2 awards that can be achieved; for 100 hours service volunteers receive an MV certificate, and for 200 hours service volunteers receive an MV award of excellence, an enamel MV badge, and a cloth badge, the latter of which cadets are certified to wear on their uniform.

So far 11 volunteers have gained the MV award of excellence, these are: -

Plt Off Ben Pinner
AWO Steve Anderson
CI Nathan Hart
CWO Gareth Bradbury
FS Beth Slade
FS Rob Kelley
FS Chris Higgin
Cpl Steve Morgan
Cpl Craig Holland,
Cdt Nick Hammond
Cdt Richard Farr

The Squadron also has six other volunteers involved in the scheme who are all well on their way to achieving their MV award of excellence.

A volunteer can start to clock up their hours as soon as they are sixteen and have been registered. By being involved with the Air Training Corps the volunteers at the squadron have a considerable advantage over their civilian counterparts as any volunteering undertaken with the ATC accrues hours. This is particularly advantageous as the squadron parades twice weekly and also has many "out of hours" practices varying from band practice to field gun training! Volunteers at the squadron soon find that they have clocked up hours faster than they may realise!

The commitment and enthusiasm by the Millennium Volunteers at 121 squadron has been exemplary and has indeed set a precedence for the volunteers who are currently involved in the scheme and the volunteers of the future.

Article Submitted by:-
CI Nathan Hart
121 (Nuneaton) Squadron Millennium Volunteer (MV) scheme co-ordinator