With M&S’s much-anticipated Christmas advert set to hit our screens soon, we’re offering the story of a former South London schoolgirl who now works on the retailer’s festive advertising campaigns – and says an unexpected opportunity at school was the making of her.

At just 26, Cerys Roberts works in the M&S advertising team and says she has recently managed a Christmas campaign from start to finish. But she believes the confidence and skills that helped her get there began at Wallington High School for Girls, where she was among the first girls given the opportunity 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.”

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Aged 13, Cerys was one of just 20 girls from Wallington High School for Girls to join the CCF through a new partnership with Wilson’s School. For much of her time there, they were the only girls involved. She eventually rose to Colour Sergeant, learning to manage others, take responsibility and persevere through challenges – skills she now credits with helping her navigate her career.

But a career in advertising wasn’t always on the cards. After initially considering joining the Army, Cerys went on to study Politics at university, before making 37 graduate scheme applications in her search for a job. She eventually secured a place at M&S, where a chance placement in fashion marketing changed everything.

Today, she’s working on the kind of Christmas campaigns that become part of the nation’s festive celebrations, and believes her experiences as a teenage cadet in South London helped prepare her for the pressure and responsibility of the job.

With M&S’s Christmas advertising about to take centre stage, we’d love to offer an interview with Cerys for a local feature exploring her journey from Wallington schoolgirl to managing a Christmas campaign for one of Britain’s best-known retailers, what goes into festive advertising behind the scenes, and why she believes joining the CCF at 13 was the making of her.