War tragedy mother tells of fire cadet help for son

A CADETS scheme run by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has turned around the life of a teenager whose brother was killed while serving in Afghanistan, says his mother.

Nicolette Williams, from Shiregreen in Sheffield, says the scheme has given her son Jamie Bridge renewed focus and skills, as well as helping him to cope with a range of neurobehavioral disorders.

Jamie,16, has been spending one evening a week at the Elm Lane branch of fire cadets for three years.

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Under the scheme, young recruits aged between 13 and 17 are put through their paces by a team of instructors, learning firefighting skills and techniques as well as taking part in team-building exercises.

Ms Williams said: "Jamie joined the fire cadets when he was 13 and the impact it has had has been tremendous.

"My eldest son and Jamie's brother, Christopher, was killed in Afghanistan in 2007 and it was an incredibly difficult time for us both. Christopher was just 20 years old when he died in Kandhar.

"But instead of setting him back, since his brother passed away, Jamie has been incredibly inspired, driven and focused and I am convinced fire cadets has been a big part of that."

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She added: "Jamie suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and lower end autism. Autism can cause some children to become fascinated by fire, which is potentially extremely dangerous.

"That's why I contacted my local fire station and got him enrolled at his nearest fire cadets branch, in an attempt to do something positive with his interest in fire."

Gavin Walker, fire cadet instructor at Elm Lane fire station said: "Jamie's outstanding performance and attendance since he joined the Elm Lane fire cadets has led to him being nominated as cadet of the year for his branch.

"His story is an inspirational one and evidences the important role schemes such as this can play in improving young people's life chances."