SOUTH Wales Fire and Rescue Service hosted the 2025 National Fire Cadet Games on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 marking the first time the event has been held in Wales.

The event was in partnership with Cardiff Metropolitan University and was held over a course of three-day event which brought together 31 cadet teams from across the UK for a celebration of skill, teamwork, and community spirit.

The young cadets, aged between 13 and 18, competed in a series of high-energy challenges designed to test their firefighting knowledge, physical ability, and communication under pressure.

From water rescues and trauma response to home fire safety and a cutting-edge VR search and rescue simulation, the games showcased the wide-ranging skills these future fire and rescue professionals are developing.

“These games are about more than competition.” said Chief Fire Officer Fin Monohan, who opened the event on Friday.”

“They’re a celebration of the dedication, leadership and passion these young people bring to their communities. Every cadet here represents the future of our service and that future looks incredibly bright.”

Fire Cadets volunteer their time to learn life-saving techniques, including firefighting, fire aid, and community safety. They serve as ambassadors for their local services and play an active role in making their communities safer.

The National Fire Cadet Games highlighted the impressive capabilities of the cadets but also fostered new friendships and a shared sense of purpose among the next generation of fire and rescue leaders.

17-year-old Cumbrian Cadet Olivia Price said: “I’ve been a fire cadet for about five years now and I love it. We’ve all had a great weekend- we've met so many amazing people.”

“I’ve really enjoyed the different challenges, but particularly the trauma segment. It’s very realistic, and you must adapt to the quickly changing scenario.”

The weekend was attended by Councillor Kate Thomas, Mayor of Newport, who said: “It’s tremendously inspiring to see so much interest in the fire service from so many young people.”

“It’s also been an incredible feat of organisation and co-ordination that is extremely impressive.”

The overall winners of the 2025 National Cadet Games have been announced as Bedfordshire Team 2. SWFRS Abergavenny cadets who achieved second place.

Amy Jenkins, National Fire Cadet Games Co-Ordinator expresses the importance of these games: “The success of the National Games reflects the teams’ commitment to delivering this important event, alongside the fire cadets from across the UK whose presence and passion made this weekend’s Fire Cadets National Games a great success.”

Commissioner Lady Wilcox for SWFRS said: “I’m proud that South Wale Fire and Rescue Service had the honour of hosting this year’s National Fire Cadet games. It was a fantastic opportunity for our cadets to demonstrate the knowledge, teamwork, and confidence they have gained through their local Fire Cadet programmes.”

SWFRS would like to thank their partners at Cardiff Metropolitan University for hosting the games on their campus. They look forward to seeing how their young people continue to grow, lead and inspire.