Guernsey’s Matt Holland has handed over the title of Commandery Cadet of the Year to Keesha Steel from Northern Ireland at a special ceremony in the UK.

It marks the end of Matt’s year in the role representing St John Cadets from Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.

The handover took place at Eastwood Hall in Nottingham, in the presence of the Prior and Chairman of St John Ambulance Surgeon Rear Admiral Lionel Jarvis CBE, Chief Volunteer Ann Cable and other distinguished guests. It was Matt’s last official engagement of the year, which has also included representing the youth sections of St John at the Buckingham Palace birthday party for Prince Charles and a national memorial for the centenary of the bombing of a St John hospital in France during the First World War.

Matt said: “It has been an honour to have been the Commandery Cadet of the Year. There have been some amazing opportunities. My highlight of the year has been meeting the other national cadets and spending time with them and my support workers at each event.”

Matt has been a member of St John since joining as a Badger nine years ago. He was selected as Guernsey St John Cadet of the Year in 2018 and went on to be appointed as the Commandery Cadet of the Year for the offshore islands.

Chief Operating Officer for St John Guernsey, Nikki Harrison said: “We are all extremely proud of Matt. He has been an outstanding Cadet of the Year, both for Guernsey and the wider Commandery. He has been a great role model for the youth sections and an excellent ambassador for the work St John does.”

As well as being an active member of St John Matt is also a keen musician and is studying for his A-Levels.