As some maybe aware, my lad suffers from CFS/ME. He’s a really bright lad but unfortunately doesn’t have the energy to attend school. He has hospital schooling at home two days a week. He’s 15 at present so in the middle of GCSE. Fingers crossed he will be able to achieve a pass in maths and hopefully English. He was quite upset when we explained to him he wouldn’t be able to do all his exams, it’s a massive deal for kids today, it’s drummed into them at school that they MUST pass all there exams.
Finley turned 15 in October 2023. He really enjoys clay and game shooting with me. He wanted to apply for his shot gun certificate.
At 15 you’re pretty limited on what you can do with your own certificate, but I thought it would give him a boost and a sense of achievement. I warned him it may take a long time to get it.
4th November we printed the medical forms
6th November he dropped them at our doctors.
14th November he paid the £50 and picked them up from the doctors. He had a tick in the anxiety box. As it took quite a long time to be diagnoses with CFS/ME at first he didn’t know what was wrong. As his parents we did not understand it, god knows what a child was going through.
14th November we sat down together and filled out the Thames Valley application form on line.
23rd November he received a texted saying application received.
3rd January FLO calls me to arrange an interview and asks me about fins medical condition.
7th February FLO comes out for Finley’s interview. Asks him safety questions and about what sort of shooting experience he has. Who’s he shoot with and where. He makes a great show of himself in the interview, the FLO was very impressed with his knowledge and general attitude toward shooting and safety.
FLO was happy, but because Finley is a child and anxiety was mentioned on the medical form the application form had to go to the public safety team to review. He was sure how long that process would take.
Roll on to Saturday 2nd march there’s a letter for Finley on the mat from Thames valley police. ( I’m pretty sure it’s his certificate as I can see the coloured paper it’s printed on)
I call him down from his bedroom and tell him he has a letter from the police.
He opens it up and his whole face lights up, he so happy that he’s got his own certificate. His grandma bought him a certificate holder for Christmas, so he grabs that and goes to pop his nice new certificate in.
I stop him and pass him a black pen, and say you got to sign it first. After about a dozen attempts and a lot of laughing he finally comes up with a signature he’s happy with and signs his new certificate.
Great to see kids starting out in our sport that we all love so much
Thames valley licensing were amazing during this whole process.
I was expecting a massive wait.
Finley turned 15 in October 2023. He really enjoys clay and game shooting with me. He wanted to apply for his shot gun certificate.
At 15 you’re pretty limited on what you can do with your own certificate, but I thought it would give him a boost and a sense of achievement. I warned him it may take a long time to get it.
4th November we printed the medical forms
6th November he dropped them at our doctors.
14th November he paid the £50 and picked them up from the doctors. He had a tick in the anxiety box. As it took quite a long time to be diagnoses with CFS/ME at first he didn’t know what was wrong. As his parents we did not understand it, god knows what a child was going through.
14th November we sat down together and filled out the Thames Valley application form on line.
23rd November he received a texted saying application received.
3rd January FLO calls me to arrange an interview and asks me about fins medical condition.
7th February FLO comes out for Finley’s interview. Asks him safety questions and about what sort of shooting experience he has. Who’s he shoot with and where. He makes a great show of himself in the interview, the FLO was very impressed with his knowledge and general attitude toward shooting and safety.
FLO was happy, but because Finley is a child and anxiety was mentioned on the medical form the application form had to go to the public safety team to review. He was sure how long that process would take.
Roll on to Saturday 2nd march there’s a letter for Finley on the mat from Thames valley police. ( I’m pretty sure it’s his certificate as I can see the coloured paper it’s printed on)
I call him down from his bedroom and tell him he has a letter from the police.
He opens it up and his whole face lights up, he so happy that he’s got his own certificate. His grandma bought him a certificate holder for Christmas, so he grabs that and goes to pop his nice new certificate in.
I stop him and pass him a black pen, and say you got to sign it first. After about a dozen attempts and a lot of laughing he finally comes up with a signature he’s happy with and signs his new certificate.
Great to see kids starting out in our sport that we all love so much
Thames valley licensing were amazing during this whole process.
I was expecting a massive wait.
.
