We recruit young people aged 12-18 from all backgrounds within the Shepton Mallet area, and offer them citizenship training, first aid, sports, outdoor pursuits, and learning about aviation, Information Communication Technology, Space and kindred matters. We are part of the largest provider of Duke of Edinburgh Awards in the UK, and provide opportunities for our members to travel across the UK and Internationally on sporting, outdoor pursuits, and vocational training experiences.

The Squadron is itself an Excepted Charitable Organisation, and responsible for its own local fund raising to support provision of activities for its members. Typically this is the provision of transport, training materials and equipment, welfare facilities, reasonable administrative overheads and any approved expenditure that supports the organisations objectives.

Although  day to day management and control of the Squadron is vested in the uniformed staff, a Civilian Committee who are trustees of the Squadrons funds are required. As a minimum this includes a Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and members who are drawn from the community or are parents of squadron members. The Civilian Committee performs a vital role in fundraising and providing governance and accountability over the activities of the Squadron, without whom it would not be possible to make available the wide range of sometimes life changing activities to the young people who benefit.