Solihull School army cadet Leticia Salmon gets ready for charity challenge

Solihull School army cadet Leticia Salmon is all ‘tead up’ for a mountaineering and charity challenge in Africa, following a major fundraising exercise.
The 16 year-old corporal in the School’s Combined Cadet Corps has raised £1300 to take part in Exercise Kenya Venturer, after turning her home into a tea shop.
More than 70 supporters, including Solihull Mayor Joe Tildesley and his wife and Lady Mayoress Joan Tildesley, tucked into the full afternoon teas that Leticia served up.
Leticia made more than 100 pots of tea and served over 1000 homemade cakes and sandwiches over six hours – and even ran a raffle for a dozen donated prizes.
The proceeds from the event, added to those from other fundraising, were also enough to net £900 towards the funding of much-needed new buildings for Thangathi Primary School, which Leticia will be helping to build with other cadets during the expedition.
As the highest ranked girl in her year at Solihull School, Leticia is one of 42 cadets that have been selected from 800 nationwide applicants to join the British Army-led initiative.
The expedition this summer will include a six-day climb of Mount Kenya and white water rafting, as well as assisting with the Thangathi school building project.
Leticia said: “The whole day was a great success. All the running around serving, cleaning tables and making endless pots of tea was worth the effort – and a huge thank you must go to all those who supported the event.”
Leticia is one of 25 girls in Solihull School’s CCF – 18 in the army section and seven in the RAF section – out of a total of 105 cadets.