IN an initiative funded by the Cambridgeshire Children s Fund, the YMCA s Youth Inclusion and Support Projects (YISPs) in Cambridge and Wisbech took a group of 16 local young people to the Cadet Training Centre, Waterbeach Barracks, at the weekend. They g

IN an initiative funded by the Cambridgeshire Children's Fund, the YMCA's Youth Inclusion and Support Projects (YISPs) in Cambridge and Wisbech took a group of 16 local young people to the Cadet Training Centre, Waterbeach Barracks, at the weekend.

They got a taste of Army life with the help of Cambridgeshire Army Cadets.

The group, all aged under 13, were on site last weekend and will be there again this weekend.

Last weekend they were issued with Army kit and learned how to use UHF radios, cook in the field, build a simple field shelter, how to camouflage themselves and give basic first aid. There was also a night navigation exercise, patrolling, a 'manhunt' and the chance to cook their own supper outdoors.

"The young people who have been invited to take part need our support for a variety of reasons - perhaps they're having problems at school, or difficulties in their home life, or maybe they just have very low self-esteem," said Sarah Baxter, YISP co-ordinator for the YMCA in Cambridge.

Major Mark Knight, county training officer from Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force, said the weekends were "valuable for our instructors to work with a range of young people from different backgrounds and can be a good recruiting exercise for the next generation of cadets should the students like what they see over the course of the weekends