Reverse Cadet Forces Funding Cuts by Min of Defence and the Dept of Education.

The govt have recently halved funding to State School Cadet units and Cadet Force Adult Volunteer Allowances. This is leading to reductions in activities and we think having a highly destructive impact on young people across the UK. We think this particularly impacts those from poorest backgrounds.

The Cadets consist of the Sea Cadet Corps, the Army Cadet Force, the RAF Air Cadets and the school based Combined Cadet Forces.

A Uni. of Northampton Study highlights the enormous value of Cadet Forces.

https://www.northampton.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/social-impact-cadet-forces-uk-2020.pdf

It highlights return on investment from money spent on UK Cadet Activities (c£160m pa) results in savings of 3.8 times the amount invested.

Please sign this petition to get these cuts reversed.

MOD Funding of Cadets: The general level of MOD funding for cadet activity has remained largely unchanged over the past 5 years and comes from numerous sources within Defence, including the single Services (Royal Navy, Army, and RAF).

Cadet Force Adult Volunteer allowance: adult volunteer remuneration comes from single Service budgets and whilst only a portion of activity delivered by adult volunteers attracts remuneration through the volunteer allowance, this nevertheless represents a significant component of the running costs for the delivery of their cadet activity. Defence seeks to preserve the quality of the cadet experience but there are financial and other constraints that have impacted across all areas, and this includes the delivery of the cadet experience, not just for school-based cadet activity (Combined Cadet Forces) but for community cadets too (Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps, Sea Cadet Corps and Volunteer Cadet Corps). We recognise that adult volunteers are the cornerstone of the MOD Cadet movement, and we are alive to the challenges that they face in delivering their vital role, so we are seeking to ensure that they are properly supported.

Supporting Cadets in schools: recognising the benefits of cadet activity to young people and society, and in schools, the joint MOD/DfE the Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) was launched in 2012. The programme has increased the number of cadet units in UK schools to over 500. Through the CEP more than 250 new units have opened in state schools with priority given to less affluent areas. Prior to CEP, 75% of school cadet units were in independent schools; now around 60% are in the state sector. In September 2018, the then Secretary of State announced an ambition to grow the number of cadets in schools from 46,000 to 60,000. We are currently at approximately 85% of that aspiration. Since FY 21/22 the level of investment by the MOD into the CEP has grown year on year (currently £3.6 million per year) so that more young people can enjoy the benefits of the cadet experience in schools. This commitment remains unchanged.