This summer, I have been able to witness some amazing activities by young people from across Oxfordshire. In this blog I would like to mention three groups and the adults that have supported them. All have to a greater or lesser extent funding from official sources, but need to rely upon volunteers as well, including the goodwill of parents. They represent but the tip of an iceberg of what takes place.
At the end of the school summer term I attended various concerts put on by the County Music Service, and at the end of the month I will be attending a welcome back concert by the OSO. This orchestra is considered to be Oxfordshire’s “training” orchestra, with students going on to play in the OSSO, OYWO and OCYO. Next year the most senior of these orchestra is planning on playing Mahler’s First Symphony. That would be a magnificent achievement for the orchestra and the County Music Service. Their other achievement this year, of buddying children with SEND of all descriptions with other young people to create a truly memorable music experience, broke new boundaries.
The National Citizen Service hasn’t always had a good press, but the on the ground activities help create a sense of teamwork and allow young people to achieve more than they thought themselves capable. I was privileged to be asked to judge the projects by five of the teams from among the 700 young people taking part in the five discrete programmes this summer in Oxfordshire. These programmes also involved the use of 200 staff to support the courses. Included in the programme was supporting and fund-raising for charitable activities. Alongside support for the homeless and the local hospital charity were campaigns to support young carers; those with brain injuries and a project to map unisex toilets that can be used by those identifying as of transgender. I witnessed two of the teams staffing a stall in the local market place as a means of raising funds. In 2018, more than £43,000 was raised by NCS group activities. It is still early to say how much will be raised in 2109, but again young people came together to work on a project and learn a range of skills.
Yester, I attended the open day for the Oxfordshire Battalion of the Army Cadet Force summer camp. Despite atrocious weather, youngsters from 13 to 19 were participating in a range of activities albeit with a military theme. The dedication of all concerned was clear to see and the Battalion in Oxfordshire is clearly in good spirits. However, I wonder whether the MoD pays the same attention to the ACF s it does to the Combined Cadet Force or CCF that is mostly located in our independent schools? In this day and age youth activities by the MoD must not be organised so that one is the route for potential officers and the other for other ranks. That might have worked in the days after World War 2 when the tri-partite system of education prevailed, but would look extremely out of date these days. Bringing pupils from both sectors to work together, especially in a county lie Oxfordshire with so many intendent schools, might dispel any such notion. Larger numbers might also help attract those interested in understanding the range of activities of our defence forces and the skills they need.
So, my thanks to all that give up their time for these and other organisations working with young people. We just need to ensure that there is also a proper youth service that can support others, such as young carers that often cannot find the time to join in these types of activities.
John Howson 
You’re right about the government ignoring the ACF and its Navy and RAF equivalents in favour of CCF. State schools have been encouraged to set up CCF. Yet more young people take part in the out-of-school equivalents.. This implies that an organisation traditionally associated with providing officers is superior to those providing other ranks. We also see the same division between academic and vocational witnessed this week with the excitement of A level results while the release of vocational BTEC results was largely ignored.
Janet,
We need to keep remind people of these divisions. I cannot see why MoD cannot fund both CCF and other youth organisations on the same basis.
I agree non ‘A’ level results largely ignored so I keep writng about KS5 results and will campaign for KS4 results next week.
John
The MOD supports both the Combined Cadet Force and Community Cadet Forces. The former had 41,830 cadets in the former in 2016 while the latter had 86,720 in the same year.
The problem is that the DfE has been promoting the Combined Cadet Force as something schools should be doing but ignoring the contribution of community based cadet forces which reach double the number of young people.
Data here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/526131/MOD_sponsored_cadet_forces__statistics_2016.pdf
Janet,
And how much do they spend on each service per head?
John
In reply to your question above, first the data I gave was for 2016 not 2019 which I found after I’d submitted by earlier comment (link below). The 2019 report says the Cadet Expansion Programme was launched in June 2012 by Cameron and Clegg, with the aim of setting up 100 new Combined Cadet Forces in English schools by September 2015. This target was met so the government ‘committed £50m from LIBOR fines to cover set up costs, uniforms, equipment and training to grow the total number of cadet units in schools across the UK to 500 by March 2020.’
This suggests money has been made available for Combined Cadet Forces which hasn’t been available for community based cadet forces. However, I haven’t been able to find data about how the spending per head differs, if at all, between the combined and community cadet forces.
Click to access MOD_Sponsored_Cadet_Forces_Statistics_April_2019.pdf
Janet,
Thanks for looking that up. I recall that initiative. seems unfair to provide for school-based but not community-based service in the same manner. But not surprising from those two despite Oxfordshire’s record with Community Cadet Forces.
Time for a government re-think?
John