An Army Cadet Force (ACF) instructor from Shropshire is one of many dedicated volunteers who have continued supporting the Cadet Forces throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, all whilst balancing her role as a key healthcare worker.
Staff Sergeant Instructor (SSI) Shanade Wheelden has been an adult instructor with Shropshire ACF for nine years, and is the current Detachment Commander at the Pontesbury Platoon. No stranger to the Cadet Forces, she was formerly a senior Army Cadet herself, successfully passing the Army Proficiency Certificate 4 Star level.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic Shanade was a Continence Health Care Assistant with the Continence Advisory Service in Shropshire. In March 2020 she was redeployed for nine months from this role to the Community Nursing Team.
This involved nursing housebound, shielding and self-isolating patients, as well as Covid positive patients that are in their home environment. In January 2021 she was redeployed permanently to the Community Nursing Team.
Whilst being a key worker for the NHS, SSI Wheelden also has a family to look after and has been sharing the home-schooling duties with her husband, who is also a Cadet Force Adult Volunteer (CFAV) in Shropshire ACF.
Commenting on the challenges of balancing her commitments, Shanade said: “It has been difficult balancing my work role with being a Mum, as well as a teacher. In the first lockdown, my children stayed at home with my Husband, who is also a CFAV.
“My son has learning disabilities, so he found home learning a strain. I was planning his learning at night once the children were in bed, then coming home from work to see if he had completed it, and if not, I would teach him to fill in the gaps.
“Teaching a classroom of 15 cadets is easy, as they want to be there. Teaching a 10-year old about multiplying fractions when they don’t want to, is not! I have the utmost respect for teachers and all they do to support children and their learning.”
On top of juggling working full-time, looking after a young family and home-schooling, SSI Wheelden has also managed to find the time to continue to support cadet activities for not only her Detachment but also for the cadet Company her detachment is part of.
During the first lockdown SSI Wheelden took on the Detachment Commander role of another detachment, which came with its own difficulties.
Within a short space of time she needed to build a rapport with both the cadets and their parents, and produce a virtual training programme to keep the cadets engaged and informed with the latest updates. Amongst this she has also planned and delivered first aid courses for cadets working from their basic training level through to the 2 Star level.
When asked about why she felt it was important to continue her volunteering role throughout the pandemic, Shanade explained: “The Army Cadet Force is a major part of my life. It’s been part of my life since my childhood when my parents joined as CFAVs when I was 6.
“Although life has been in overdrive during the pandemic, I suppose cadets is the one bit of normality that remains. It’s different but it is still the Cadet Force!”
On behalf of our Association we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of the Cadet Force Adult Volunteers across our region for their unwavering dedication, time and creativity, in supporting the development of our young people. In particular we recognise the huge role they have played this past year in keeping the cadets engaged and active virtually despite facing their own personal challenges during the pandemic.
Shropshire ACF is home to over 500 cadets and 110 volunteers, spread across 22 detachments in the county. Volunteers come from all different backgrounds and can gain new skills, develop new knowledge and even earn vocational qualifications – all whilst making a positive difference to the lives of young people.
You can find out more about the Cadet Forces on our webpage.