A 15-year-old teenager from Cippenham has been named St John Ambulance’s Cadet of the Year for the Thames Valley District.

Angel Marsden has volunteered with the health and first aid charity’s Cippenham Cadet Unit for around six years and would like to pursue a career as an art therapist or in the art industry.

Angel, who is Cadet Sergeant within her unit, will travel to Northamptonshire to compete for the national Cadet of the Year title this month.

She is a pupil at Westgate School in Cippenham Lane and said: “This is an incredible achievement for me – I hope it will be an amazing experience and will benefit my future as a cadet. I hope to be a good role model for other cadets, as I’m the first in my unit to achieve this title.”

If she wins she could soon be representing St John Ambulance’s young people, attending ceremonial occasions and royal functions.

Cadets of the Year have a key role in making sure the voices of young volunteers are heard at the highest level in St John.

The charity has plans to extend opportunities it offers to seven to 25-year-olds via its Badger (seven to 10) and Cadet (11 to 17) programmes and university groups, with a range of new projects planned over the next three years.

For more information on St John Ambulance, including how to make a donation, volunteering and training opportunities visit www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 10 49 50.