A group of fire cadets have been praised by senior firefighters after going above and beyond for their community.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service’s (TWFRS) cadet group from West Denton Community Fire Station have been raising money after being challenged to give back.

On a visit to the cadet group, High Sheriff of Tyne and Wear David Bavaird asked the cadets to think about how they could continue to push themselves for others.

The cadets decided to put his words into action and raise money for life-changing equipment at a local specialist school.

As part of a ‘Hose Run Challenge’ the teenagers decided to put push their minds and bodies to the test in a gruelling session pushing them to the limits.

It saw them unroll and reroll lengths of heavy fire hose – a task they are familiar with as they do it during their sessions.

But this time they decided to run out the distance between West Denton Community Fire Station and Hadrian’s School – which is 2.8 miles or 360 lengths of hose.

On a chilly Monday morning (24th October) they began their mammoth task ahead with the support of their cadet leaders and senior firefighters.

Area Manager for Community Safety Richie Rickaby was one of the firefighters who was there cheering on the cadets and took part in the challenge running out the lengths of hose.

And today (Tuesday) he has praised their hard work and dedication to complete this physical task as well as raising an incredible amount of money for their peers.

He said “Teenagers often get a bad rep with the community, but its young people like our cadets who are the true representation of our communities.

“They are hardworking and committed to helping each other and their community and it’s really refreshing to see how much they care about others.

“This was a tough task for them to take on – our new recruits have to do something similar when they start training to be a firefighter.

“So for our cadets to roll out 2.8 miles of hose in just 43 minutes is incredibly impressive and they are raising money for an important cause in our community.”

High Sheriff of Tyne and Wear David Bavaird said “I have been lucky enough to visit the West Denton Fire Cadets and to see first-hand the wide range of skills they learn as cadets which helps prepare them for life including teamwork, communication, self-presentation, and a range of firefighting skills.

“When I last visited, I set them a challenge ‘what could they do to help their community?’ and the cadets produced the idea of raising funds for Hadrian School with the ‘Hose Run Challenge’.

“This is a perfect example of others doing something imaginative for community good and my thanks and appreciation go to all the cadets and officers who completed my challenge. Well done to all.”

TWFRS Cadets raised £610 (at time of publication) for Hadrian’s School to buy track hoist to help but you are still able to donate via this link.

TWFRS Cadets are aged 11-17 and meet across the region at different fire stations to improve their communication and leadership skills as well as learning what it takes to be a firefighter.

If you are interested in becoming a fire cadet, you can find more information on TWFRS’s website.