Voice for St John youth

Matthew Liddle is the voice for all St John cadets in Morrinsville, Te Aroha and Matamata after been named the St John Matamata-Piako Youth Cadet of the Year.

The year 13 Te Aroha College student started attending St John cadet meetings about eight years ago when a friend introduced him to it.

‘‘I really enjoyed it, so I kept going along.’’

He quickly rose through the ranks, but said he wasn’t expecting to be named Youth Cadet of the Year.

Next year he is hoping to take his St John experience to the next level when he starts a Bachelor of Paramedicine at Auckland University of Technology.

Matthew plans to join an Auckland division of St John while he is studying.

When he’s not concentrating on his duties as a St John youth cadet, he enjoys a range of other hobbies including acting and performing.

He had a lead role in Te Aroha College’s production this year: The Addams Family.

A special screening of Zootopia at the St John hall in Te Aroha last month was one of the fundraising initiatives Matthew organised.

Matthew would like to encourage anyone who might be interested in joining St John to go to their weekly Wednesday meetings from 7-8.30pm in the St John hall on Burgess St in Te Aroha.