ARMY cadets from the Lowestoft North Royal Artillery raised �1,000 for the Help for Heroes charity during a marathon bag-packing session over Easter.Fifteen enthusiastic youngsters from the Lowestoft (N) Royal Artillery, which is based at the TA Centre in St Peter's Street, spent six hours packing bags for customers at Morrisons in Pakefield.

ARMY cadets from the Lowestoft North Royal Artillery raised �1,000 for the Help for Heroes charity during a marathon bag-packing session over Easter.

Fifteen enthusiastic youngsters from the Lowestoft (N) Royal Artillery, which is based at the TA Centre in St Peter's Street, spent six hours packing bags for customers at Morrisons in Pakefield.

'We go through quite a lot of bags in that time,' Lance Bombardier Kirsty Webb, 15, told The Journal.

With a proud tradition of preparing teenagers for all walks of life, the Army Cadet Force is one of the UK's oldest and most successful youth organisations.

And with two units in Lowestoft, L Bdr Daniel White, 16, admitted it was 'like a military youth club' where you can take part in various activities you perhaps wouldn't do elsewhere.

Last Friday, there was a special treat for the teenagers as they presented the cheque to The Soldiers - Sgt Major Gary Chilton, Staff Sgt Richie Maddocks and Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi - ahead of their show at the Marina Theatre, the last date in their highly-successful Coming Home tour.

The three serving soldiers, who returned to barracks on Monday, said: 'This is absolutely brilliant - and it seems that all the youngsters worked so hard as they gave up their own time, which is great.'