A glittering year of parades, civic ceremonies and royal visits lies ahead for Stockton student Lauren Bewick.

The 16-year-old has been named among the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadets for North Yorkshire.

Representing the Sea Cadets, the honour will see Lauren accompany the county’s Lord Lieutenant, Barry Dodd, on his civic duties throughout the year.

The first cadet from the Stockton unit to receive the accolade for 10 years the SRC Bede Sixth Form student said: “I can’t believe it; I’m still buzzing.”

Joining the Stockton Sea Cadets at just 11 the former Ian Ramsey CE Academy pupil said: “I had been looking for something different to do so I thought I would give the Cadets a go and found that I loved it.”

Little did she know that joining the corps would shape her future; it certainly led to her decision to study Public Services at SRC Bede in Billingham.

Planning to eventually go on to join the Royal Navy Lauren now hopes to become a pilot for the Naval Service.

She says joining the Sea Cadets has been the trigger for a wide range of amazing experiences in her life so far from sailing on the Sea Cadet’s flagship the TS Royalist to meeting people from all over the world as part of the corps’ international exchange programme. She has recently been accepted on to the Sea Cadet’s aviation programme.

Stockton Sea Cadet’s Commanding Officer Sub Lieutenant Tim Clyburn, said: “This is a massive achievement both for Lauren and for the unit. She is not only the first cadet we have had in the last 10 years to be appointed the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet but also the first Leading Cadet we have had in that time, the second highest rank a cadet can achieve. Lauren has put in a lot of hard work to achieve this and as a unit we are immensely proud.”