After winning the coveted Intelligence Corps Competition last year, cadets from BGS and Bedford School were proud to lift the trophy for the third consecutive year.

The annual competition, held at Bassingbourn Barracks over the weekend, sees cadets showcasing their talents in areas such as shooting, map reading and cooking, while also learning new skills beyond the Army Cadet Force syllabus. The intense competition pits Combined Cadet Force (CCF) units from across the country against each other.

The cadets performed exceptionally well to secure victory once again. Year 9 students Karin Saedi and Phoebe Young stood out in particular. Despite only joining the CCF in January, they stepped well outside their comfort zones to take on technically complex tasks and made a valuable contribution to the team effort.

Cadet Sergeant Ella Bowis who is Head of Army for CCF said: “After being part of the winning team last year, I expected the second year to be easier - but it wasn’t. I was given the opportunity to be Team Leader this year which was an entirely different experience. I had to delegate tasks based on each cadet’s strengths, and at times, the outcome of an activity depended entirely on my role. Despite the challenges, it was the most fun I’d had in a long time.

“We completed six indoor and two outdoor activities, all exploring different departments of the intelligence corp. I have also been given the opportunity to explore a possible career in the British army and was able to network with some current members of the intelligence corp. As a team we worked incredibly well together throughout the weekend despite having to swap round some team members due to availability. Even though we had these obstacles, we won the intelligence Corp competition for the third year in a row. I could not be prouder of my team, especially the Year 9s and Year 10s who were new to the competition, and I hope they can carry on the winning streak next year. This was a wonderful way to end my experience with the Bedford CCF and I hope to take the skills that I have gained into my next steps.”

Karin Saedi added: “I enjoyed the experience of taking part in the Intelligence Corps Competition, my favourite stand was the camouflage task where we would cover ourselves in army face paint and try not to get caught. I was also taught a variety of different skills that will definitely help me in the future. I’m very grateful for this opportunity and would love to do this next year!”

Many congratulations to following Intelligence Corps Competition Team:

BGS - Ella Bowis (Upper Sixth), Danae Karavegallis (Lower Sixth), Holly Blewitt (Lower Sixth), Karin Saedi (Year 9) and Phoebe Young (Year 9).

Bedford School – Stirling Smallwood, Oscar Jooste, Lukas Collins and Woody Dagger.