Brentwood sea cadet Miles Hayward gets Freedom of The City of London

Miles Hayward, 19, received the Freedom of The City of London in a ceremony at The Guildhall.

Previous recipients of the honour include Winston Churchill, King Charles and Florence Nightingale.

The Rt Hon Lord Lingfield Kt DL, chairman of the Cadet Vocational College, who sponsored Miles to be granted the honour, said: "Miles Hayward is exactly the kind of young person who will serve the City well, as he has a great sense of community responsibility."

Miles Hayward outside The Guildhall holding the Freedom of the City of London parchment (Image: Sandra Rowse)

The ceremony took place on June 17 when Miles read aloud the Declaration of a Freeman.

He was then handed The Copy of the Freedom, an inscribed parchment with his name on, along with a copy of the Rules for the Conduct of Life - a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages.

Miles, who recently completed his Level 3 studies in computer science at New City College's Havering Sixth Form in Hornchurch, said: "I am so honoured to have been nominated, and to get the chance to be part of this wonderful tradition.

"It is such a unique experience, and I really do feel inspired to continue to help others in my community, and to promote environmental awareness and responsibility wherever I go."

The 19-year-old made it through various stages of a selection process to receive the honour, beating more than 9,000 other nominated young people from across the country.

Miles Hayward with Rt Hon. The Lord Mayor, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli holding the Freedom of the City of London parchment (Image: Sandra Rowse)

Miles has been involved with the Brentwood Sea Cadets since he was 10, rising in the ranks while dedicating time to teaching fellow cadets and developing waterborne skills.

He even became a British Canoeing paddlesport instructor at the age of 14, reportedly making him the youngest cadet to receive the prestigious Master Coxswain honour.

Miles's dedication extended beyond the sea cadets, being actively involved with the Cadet Voice - a platform for cadets to receive information and be heard.

He also ran the environment workshop at the first virtual National Cadet Conference where he empowered cadets to take an interest in their local environment.