DRINk BEER, DO GOOD

Over its 84 year history the New Plymouth Air Cadet unit (also known as No.8 Squadron, Air Training Corps) has nurtured nearly 10,000 young New Plymouth people aged 13 to 18 providing them with leadership, service, and personal development opportunities.

Through weekly parades, weekend activities, and school holiday camps, cadets engage in adventure-based learning and service-specific training. The programme is designed to foster discipline, leadership, and teamwork, while promoting community involvement like ANZAC Day, Armistice Day, and Battle of Britain Day services. They also assist the RSA with fundraising efforts and contribute to the NZ Remembrance Army by cleaning war graves.

The squadron’s Carrington Road building, originally gifted to the unit in 1940, continues to serve not only the Air Cadets but also a range of non-profit community organisations. Like many older buildings, it faces ongoing maintenance challenges. The squadron intends to use funds raised through this project to address significant weatherboard and internal framing damage caused by a long-term leak. This essential restoration work represents a major undertaking aimed at future-proofing the facility, ensuring it remains a safe and functional space for future generations of New Plymouth’s rangatahi to participate in the Air Cadet training programme.

We're on the hunt for our first 5% Project recipient in the South Island. That's right – 5% of our beer revenues from Sumner Post Office will go directly to a worthy cause. If you’re part of, or know of, an incredible initiative that could use our support, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us an email to beer@shiningpeakbrewing.com and let’s make the world a better place, one jug at a time.