27 Aug County Commandant receives donation from the Freemasons

Shropshire Army Cadet Force County Commandant, Colonel Mike Neville, was pleased to be invited to deliver an after dinner talk recently to Freemasons at the Bond of Friendship Mark Lodge.

The event was the Worshipful Master’s Ladies Night where Col. Mike was pleased to receive a donation of £500 for the Shropshire Army Cadet Force.

Mike’s talks pull from different elements of his career and include the history of crime and the use of human Super Recognisers to identify criminals.

Following a career in the Regular Army, serving with the Royal Military Police Mike then  joined the Metropolitan Police, where I progressed to the rank of Detective Chief Inspector at New Scotland Yard.

His association with the Army Cadet Force (ACF) began as a cadet in Bolton, Greater Manchester, where he subsequently served briefly as an instructor before relocating to London.

In South East London, he managed cadet units in inner-city communities such as Brixton and Peckham and also founded a Corps of Drums and Band, eventually becoming the National Training Officer for Cadet Music.

Col. Mike was appointed the first Commandant of Army Cadets Music, overseeing the amalgamation of the Pipes & Drums with the Corps of Drums and Bands. After completing a five-year tenure in this pioneering role, he passed on the responsibility and now serve as Commandant of Shropshire ACF.

He is an author of three books, and regularly delivers charity lectures to raise funds for the Shropshire Army Cadet Force Cadets.