From Wallington schoolgirl to M&S Christmas campaigns - How CCF made her

As Marks & Spencer gears up for the festive season, a former South London schoolgirl working behind the scenes on the retailer's Christmas advertising campaigns has revealed how an unexpected opportunity at school helped shape her career.

At just 26, Cerys Roberts works in the M&S advertising team and has already managed a Christmas campaign from start to finish. But she credits much of her confidence and success to her time at Wallington High School for Girls, where she was among the first girls to join the Army section of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF).

"CCF was the making of me," she says. "It was never really about joining the Army for me. It was about building confidence, developing skills and pushing yourself in ways you might not otherwise."

Aged 13, Cerys was one of just 20 girls from Wallington High School for Girls to join the CCF through a new partnership with nearby Wilson's School. For much of her time there, they were the only girls involved.

She eventually rose to the rank of Colour Sergeant, learning to lead others, take responsibility and persevere through challenges – skills she believes have proved invaluable in her career.

But working on advertising campaigns for one of Britain's best-known retailers wasn't always the plan.

After initially considering a career in the Army, Cerys went on to study Politics at university. She made 37 graduate scheme applications before eventually securing a place at M&S, where a chance placement in fashion marketing sparked her interest in advertising.

Today, she's helping bring the retailer's festive campaigns to life, drawing on the confidence, leadership and resilience she first developed as a teenage cadet in South London.

For Cerys, joining the CCF wasn't about pursuing a military career. It was about discovering what she was capable of – and building skills that would stay with her long after leaving school.