Edinburgh Military Tattoo Wellington NZ

We have a dream. The dream is to get 30 teenagers from Whangarei to Wellington, and home again, to experience the Edinburgh Military tattoo.

Our teenagers are members of No 20 (City of Whangarei) Squadron Air Training Corps, and the Whangarei District Cadet Unit. Both Units are part of the New Zealand Cadet Forces, a voluntary organisation that teaches our youth the values of respect, discipline, leadership and integrity. Along the way we make opportunities for our Cadets to shine, and have lots of fun.

2016 will be the second time that the Edinburgh Tattoo has come to New Zealand. Our Cadets love doing drill, and take a huge amount of pride in their appearance. Drill and competitions are what the Edinburgh Tattoo is all about, so our Cadets will be in their element. All in all, they’re a great bunch of kids who will get a huge amount out of the trip. We think that this long weekend away will be a chance in a lifetime for many of our Cadets. 2016 is also the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of No 20 Squadron, so it’s a great reason to celebrate our longevity, and successes.

As a Unit, we haven’t had a trip to Wellington in over 35 years. Most of our training has been close to home so that we keep our costs down, and make the training accessible for everyone. We are asking for your help to make sure that no-one has to stay home because their parents aren’t in a position to send them. This trip will be a big deal, but it won’t be just all fun. Along the way, we plan to visit the Waiouru Military Museum and spend time in Te Papa Tongarewa. This will give our Cadets the opportunity to reflect on the history and sacrifices made by our forebears.

You can help by providing some funding for the trip. It could be that you have been a Cadet, had kids or grandkids go through cadets, or maybe even had a relative who went through the School Cadet Scheme that ran through to the late 1960’s. Our Cadets are out fundraising as well, selling chocolate and manning sausage sizzles.

If you send us your details, we can provide a charitable receipt, so that can help at the end of the tax year.You can rest assured that your valuable cash is going to a great cause. It will be used for transport from Whangarei to Wellington, Accommodation in Waiouru and Wellington, and Entry to the Museums and Tattoo. We’ll take plenty of photos, so you’ll see the joy in their eyes.

Thanks for helping.

You can follow the adventure on our Friends of 20 Squadron, and Friends of Whangarei District Cadet Unit Facebook pages.

If you know of a teenager that you think would benefit from cadets, check out www.cadetforces.mil.nz for information on your closest Unit