ARMY Cadet instructors in Salisbury have earned Lord-Lieutenant awards as a result of their volunteering work.

Sergeant Major Instructor James Donaldson, 44, of West Lavington Lieutenant Ruth Musselwhite and her husband Andrew, Captain John Burton, 49, from Salisbury, and Lieutenant Mark Sedgwick, 49, of Old Sarum all received Lord-Lieutenant's Certificate for Meritorious Service awards for their dedication to cadets in Salisbury.

All awards were presented by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Sarah Troughton CStJ, during a ceremony at The Town Hall in Devizes.

Sergeant Major Instructor James Donaldson has been an volunteer with the Army Cadets for 26 years, and is a qualified mountain expedition leader and each year prepares a group of Cadets for the annual Ten Tors Challenge.

James was an Army Cadet himself and finds his role as an instructor with Devizes Detachment, B (Anzio) Company, very rewarding.

He said: “I really enjoy getting to know all the different characters and watching them develop.

“I sometimes meet them years later and it’s great to hear how even some of the more mischievous ones have gone on to achieve great things. It makes me feel really good knowing that I’ve made a difference to their lives.”

He said he was shocked to learn that he’d been nominated for the award but felt very proud: "I do this work because it’s the right thing to do but it’s still wonderful to be acknowledged in this way".

Ruth and Andrew Musselwhite achieved the rare honour of being awarded the Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate of Meritorious Service for their dedication to the Sea Cadets in Salisbury.

The couple have together amassed a total of nearly six decades’ experience as adult volunteers.

In that time, they have inspired thousands of young people through the Cadet experience as well as being parents to two Sea Cadets.

Captain John Burton has been rewarded for his "extraordinary commitment" to Wiltshire Army Cadet Force.

After eight years’ service, initially commanding detachments at Downton and Sarum Academy, as well as being Company Sergeant Major with D (Gallipoli) Company, he is now second-in-command of B (Anzio) Company.

In that role John is responsible for training 160 cadets in six detachments as well as being second-in-command of the County Training team and being County Signals Officer.

While sacrificing many extra weekends to the Cadets, his volunteering is always carried out with boundless enthusiasm and good humour are boundless.

Lieutenant Mark Sedgwick has been honoured for 30 years’ dedicated service to the Sea Cadet Corps in the county.

After joining the Sea Cadet Corps at Salisbury as a Petty Officer, he transferred to the Romsey Unit where he was a highly successful Commanding Officer until 2011.

His commitment to afloat training has led to him qualifying as a Relief Waterborne Activities Safety Supervising Officer (WASSO) at the Royal Navy Sailing Centre.

In that role he has had a positive influence on the training of thousands of Sea Cadets.