22/04/2026
Round of Applause for Leading Cadet Amelia Haydon! Last month Amelia won the St John Ambulance Regional Cadet of the Year Competition, another title , alongside her newly appointed Lord Lieutenant Cadet Role, highlighting Amelia’s commitment to helping others.
As a role model to other young people, it is incredible to know that Amelia was encouraged to start her journey by some very important women in her life . “I first heard about St John Ambulance from my mum, who was a cadet when she was younger. My cousin joined before me and told me all about learning at unit and the amazing events she went to. I asked if I could go along one evening and never looked back!”
Since joining, Amelia has completed her first aid training, leadership courses and progressed through the ranks to become a Leading Cadet. She has supported a range of community events, from Remembrance Day parades to first aid cover at judo competitions being among her favourites.
Outside of St John, Amelia is equally driven, achieving Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards and is currently working towards Gold. She is passionate about rock climbing, music and art, whilst also balancing school and St John life.
Getting to this point wasn’t easy- years of hard work, dedication and pushing the comfort zones has led to this achievement. First, Amelia was selected as CCotY and LLC, leading her to the National Cadet of the Year competition.
“The NCOTY competition has been the highlight of my cadet career; I have already met so many amazing people whom I never would’ve had the opportunity to if I hadn’t won CCOTY. It was so much fun, and I am so grateful I get to go again next year to see other young people enjoying their own competition experience, making friends and memories for life” .
After a challenging weekend of assessments, presentations, teamwork tasks and interviews, Amelia was proudly awarded the title of Regional Cadet of the Year. Reflecting on her achievement, Amelia shared . “Being able to represent people from my area and take part in such important events is the greatest achievement of my life. It’s a big responsibility, but it will be completely worth it”