AIR cadets from the North-East are all set to take off thanks to a grant of £5,400 from the RAF Charitable Trust.

The money has been used to purchase a second-hand minibus which will enable the cadets of 361 Gateshead Squadron to attend events such as the Battle of Britain Parade and take part in a range of Duke of Edinburgh Award activities.

In order to buy a 17-seater minibus, the squadron matched the charity’s funding by staging a series of fundraising activities.

A spokesman for the squadron said: “Without transport, participation in corps and public events would be severely limited. Not only will our current group of 42 cadets benefit from using the minibus but also those joining in the future.”