A GIGGLESWICK School volunteer was honoured by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire for his contribution to the Combined Cadet Force (CCF).

Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Darren Richmond, who lives in Giggleswick and volunteers with Giggleswick School CCF, was presented with the Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate, an achievement recognised as one of the hightest honours in the armed forces, ranking just below an MBE.

The award was presented by Mr Barry Dodd CBE, Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire at a ceremony hosted by 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment at Worsley Barracks in York, in front of family, friends and local dignitaries including the Lord Mayors of York, Harrogate and Scarborough as well as the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire.

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Darren enrolled into the Territorial Army (now the Army Reserve) in 1989 and trained with several units, including a year-long commission with training in Kenya and Cyprus. He was named Best at PT, Best Shot and Best Recruit at Basic Training and gained a TA commission in 1992 with the King’s Own Royal Border Regimen before joining the Green Howards in Harrogate, where he began his support of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF).

Since joining Giggleswick School Lt Col Richmond continued to support the CCF by taking over the Army section, then as Contingent Commander whilst continuing to lead the Army section. He introduced overnight exercises after a five-year hiatus, a dedicated programme for Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards and an in-house Adventure Training Week for cadets and adult volunteers. He also runs the BTEC Level Two Award and has improved cadet retention by introducing a Dining In meal for senior cadets, staff and partners at the start of the school year.

Darren volunteers with the Cadet Centre for Adventurous Training (CCAT) each year and led Army cadet expeditions to the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa and Kenya.

As well as his volunteer role with the CCF, Darren has enjoyed a long career in teaching and is currently Geography Subject Leader at Giggleswick School.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul Irvine, Deputy Commandant, Greater Manchester ACF nominated Lt Col Richmond for the award. He said: “With rich and varied experience under his belt , Lt Col Richmond took up a teaching post as Head of Geography at his current school, Giggleswick, in 2005, becoming Contingent Commander in 2007. Under his watchful stewardship the training of cadets at the school has developed considerably, both in quality and quantity.

“In 2011 he organised a visit by HRH Duke of York to celebrate the contingent’s Centenary and most recently Lt Col Richmond has been an instructor for the national Army Cadet expeditions to South Africa and Kenya, he also established a partnership school with Craven College in Skipton, supported Durham ACF in their summer camps and has been appointed the regional representative for the Combined Cadet Force Association.

“Lt Col Richmond’s willingness to share his extensive experience in support of others makes him a worthy candidate for the Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate.”

Lt Col Richmond said: “I feel very flattered to have had my voluntary service recognised by the Lord-Lieutenant. It is a privilege to be able to use my passion for adventure in a way that helps to develop leadership and confidence in young people, however it is my family that deserves the praise for allowing me the time away from my home with the children of other families.”

Colonel Jason Wright, chief executive of the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA) in Yorkshire and The Humber, which runs the Lord-Lieutenant’s Awards, added:

“It’s an honour and privilege to be able to recognise the achievements of the people receiving awards from the Lord-Lieutenant, all of whom give their time and expertise freely for the betterment of cadets and the Reserve Forces. 

"It’s fantastic to see Darren’s efforts commemorated in this way and I look forward to seeing the positive changes he will continue to make to the CCF."