The Best Cadet In The Community Award  2011

A FIFTEEN-year-old girl from Clayton-le-Moors looks destined for a career in the Navy — after scooping a Sea Cadets award.

Poppy Hestor, who lives in Whalley Road, has won the Harry Green Memorial Trophy for her contribution to the local community.  The prize, from the Rishton branch of the Royal British Legion, is awarded to the best cadet in the community.

  Mum, Donna Hestor, said: “We are very proud of her, but she kept it quiet. It was actually somebody else that told us. “She can be quite shy and laid back, but I know she will be very proud inside. She would probably say that somebody else deserved it.”

Mrs Hestor said Poppy, who is a pupil at Norden High School in Rishton, has always wanted to join the Royal Navy.   She said: “She started going to the Sea Cadets about five years ago and she loved it. She has wanted to join the Navy ever since and has started looking into how she gets in. “She is going to get her A-Levels first after she leaves school.

”First Lieutenant Mark Thompson was full of praise for Poppy. He said: “She’s one of the better ones we have. “Whatever we ask her to do, she is always willing and able to do it.“She is a damn good cadet"