UK: Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose Hosts C4L Programme

Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose hosted a “Citizenship for Life” (C4L) programme for young people in West Cornwall, putting over 20 students and their mentors through a busy day of exercises and demanding challenges.

C4L is an award winning programme that has been running for three years with an aim to inspire and motivate young people from Cornwall, who subject to challenges in their lives, are given the opportunity to experience different aspects of life and work. Raising their confidence and self-esteem and helping to broaden horizons, ignite true career aspirations and ultimately help understand how to become a better and more active citizen.

RNAS Culdrose has taken an active role in this year’s programme by hosting an adventurous launch day for the programme and by providing a mentor for the programme in the form of Commander John Lea, the Executive Commander at the Base. This is particularly fitting as the programme started in Helston.

Charlotte Chadwick the Community Network Manager for Cornwall Council who runs the “C4L” programme was on hand to see how the student and mentors married up, she said.

“The programme is designed to take young people on 12 inspirational journeys across a host of different environments and places to study homelessness, health, crime, citizenship, teambuilding and the local economy. They are paired with a mentor from the local business community will go on the journey with them.”

Currently 22 young people are taking part from schools in West Cornwall and this year the scheme is expanding into North Cornwall, with each student being paired with a one-to-one mentor drawn from local businesses, local Government, the military and the public sector.

At Culdrose they were shown a working day at the Air Station and took part in Gym sessions with sporting tasks requiring teamwork and initiative.

They also paid a visit to 771 Naval Air Search and Rescue Squadron and had an afternoon crawling through cages simulating casualty evacuation on the Naval Fire rescue grounds.

Lucie Robinson is the Project manager for the “C4L” programme and keen to highlight some of the successes of student from the programme.

“One of our students increased her confidence so much that she went on to get work experience in a top London restaurant as a Chef. Another has got a place in Peter Jones, (BBC TV’s Dragons Den), Business School”

Citizenship for Life is privately funded by local businesses, private investors and other organisations who all acknowledge the importance of giving something back to the community by supporting young people who are facing challenges, sharing their knowledge and expertise and also deriving personal satisfaction and a range of other commercial benefits from being involved in such a positive hands-on programme.

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Naval Today Staff, May 3, 2013; Image: Royal Navy