Luke Evans MP (Conservative – Hinckley and Bosworth) recently raised concerns in Parliament regarding the potential long-term impact of ending the additional SSI grant on the sustainability of school-based cadet forces.
The query follows a previous response addressing funding issues for school cadet units under the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) programme.
Responding on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Parliamentary Under-Secretary Al Carns reassured that the Government’s commitment to school cadet forces remains steadfast. “Our commitment to supporting the school-based Combined Cadet Force and the Cadet Expansion Programme in schools remains unchanged,” Carns stated, emphasising the importance of cadet activities for young people and schools.
Carns highlighted the benefits of cadet participation, noting that such activities “bring positive contributions to schools and life-changing experiences for young people.” The MoD currently allocates £3.6 million annually to the programme, aiming to ensure that more students can access the opportunities provided by cadet forces.
Acknowledging concerns raised about the impact of ending the additional SSI grant, Carns revealed that he has directed a review to assess how the MoD can expand cadet activities both in schools and in community settings. “The role and support to the SSI will figure in this review,” he added, indicating that the department is actively exploring ways to address the challenges and ensure long-term sustainability.
The review is expected to provide recommendations on maintaining and enhancing the reach of cadet programmes, further demonstrating the Government’s intent to preserve the vital contributions of these initiatives in building skills, confidence, and discipline among young people.
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As an ex cadet myself It is a fantastic organisation for young teens. And hugely important for Armed Force’s recruitment.
An what about all the woke staff?
Does it exist or is it just false propaganda from far right fascist white men supremacists groups?
Stuff
Can only speak from my own experience but the only ‘staff’ I interacted with were the school staff being supervised by an ex or current squaddie, politics never came up.
Woohoo!
Now just get the logistics sorted. My section’s been asking for leading cadet and experience flying badges for months with no response, and my brassard is feeling underdressed!
Good news. Financing should never have been cut in the first place.
Join the armed forces, travel to wonderful places, meet lots of interesting people and kill them. 😎❤️☮️
And ?
Very funny! The truth can be very different. I served for 34 years and never fired my weapon in combat.
Thats great news for the school based cadet forces, but there is no metion of the county based detachments?
Because this article relates to the SSI (School Staff Instructor) grant.
ACFs do not have SSIs therefore does not apply
The UK cadet forces are a waste of the MoD’s money and I should know: I have been a uniformed adult instructor for the last twelve years and only two cadets I have taught have joined the UK Armed Forces in that time. Hence I shall quit early next year. I’ve been waiting for the award of the Cadet Forces Medal for the last three years (qualification time 9 years for those who, like me, are ex-forces), which is the longest I have had to wait for either a service or campaign medal. That shows how much my organisation appreciates my contribution, when it can’t even promulgate a routine service award to say thanks for your service. My cadet corps has been the worst organisation I have ever worked for, either as a civilian employee, service member or unpaid volunteer. The more one puts in, the less one gets out of an unequal relationship.
The UK cadet forces are a waste of the MoD’s money and I should know: I have been a uniformed adult instructor for the last twelve years and only two cadets I have taught have joined the UK Armed Forces in that time. Hence I shall quit early next year. I’ve been waiting for the award of the Cadet Forces Medal for the last three years (qualification time 9 years for those who, like me, are ex-forces), which is the longest I have had to wait for either a service or campaign medal. That shows how much my organisation appreciates my contribution, when it can’t even promulgate a routine service award to say thanks for your service. My cadet corps has been the worst organisation I have ever worked for, either as a civilian employee, service member or unpaid volunteer. The more one puts in, the less one gets out of an unequal relationship.
As for the theory that cadet forces somehow contribute towards ‘awareness raising’ amongst the general public that we still have regular armed forces, well such raising of awareness hasn’t stopped successive UK Governments from reducing them to the current ineffectual state in which we now find them.
James, you are quitting because only 2 of your ex-cadets joined HM Forces? You surely must know that the cadet movement’s raison d’etre is not acting as a recruiting sergeant for the Regulars, surely. It is a youth organisation, pure and simple.
I am sorry that you have waited a long time for award of your CFM, but you can’t say that means the cadet forces are a waste MoD’s money, surely.
I spent 5 years as a CFAV in Sussex and saw that the cadets gained considerable benefit from their time in the ACF.
Good Morning Graham. To be honest I never even knew the UK had school based Cadets!! I was an Army Cadet at our school in Durban in 1966. Our training consisted primarily of Parade Ground drill with.303 rifles sans firing pins. As it was our schools Centenary Celebration year, selected Cadets, self included, marched the length of West street and took the salute from the Mayor of Durban and some other top SADF Brass. My only gripe was that instead of berets issued to most other cadets in SA, we had to wear Afrika Corps type caps-dead ringers for Rommel’s North African desert troops. This stuck in my throat big time. The Afrikaaner Nationalist Government was hell bent at the time with reducing/removing British Army traditions in the SA Army at that time which were jealously guarded by Anglo Saffers especially in Natal. Things came to a head when the then Defence Minister Hiemstra modelled a proposed new Generals uniform with a double breasted longcoat and ski jump top officers cap-all a dead ringer for the outfit worn by Goering during WW2. Almost the whole top brass threatened to resign if it was adopted and it quickly thereafter disappeared never to be seen again. Natal Regiments continued to toast the Queens health every year for many decades thereafter even though SA had become a Republic in 1961!
Hi Geoff, you never heard of the CCF?! I guess you didn’t have them in SA. In the UK the CCF was the successor organisation to cadet corps established in certain universities and public (ie private) schools under the aegis of the Volunteer Corps. The university cadet corps were later retitled to OTCs. The first school cadet corps was established at Rossall School in February 1860, initially as an army contingent only.
Your narrative is fascinating. I was an ACF cadet in 1968-72 in Crawley capbadged to The Queens Regiment. We had BD (Battle Dress) as our parade uniform, which any WW2 soldier would have recognised, and olive green denim jacket and trousers for field use. Our Detachment had Lee Enfield 0.22 No8’s for indoor range work and 0.303 No.4’s for field craft and outdoor range work. We also had a DP Bren Gun.
In 1973 I went to Welbeck College, the Army’s sixth form college for potential officers, which had a CCF.
Across the country (in 2019) there were 42,720 CCF cadets and 3,370 CCF Adult Volunteers.
Good Morning Graham. Thanks for this information and I am very pleased to hear that your Cadet organisation is alive and thriving! The fact that there are 40 000 cadets puts things into perspective with only 80 000 Regulars and 30 000 “Territorials” currently on muster in the UK! Our Unit also had a Cadet Brass Band which for some reason, were allowed to wear Khaki berets. Our Cap Badge from memory was a standard SA Army Springbok emblem. Our 303.s were housed in the school armoury and selected cadets got to go to a local Shooting Range for practice with ‘real ‘weapons. Officers were drawn from our teachers pool and wore full standard SA Army uniforms with flat caps, dark khaki jackets and lighter khaki trousers. Many Cadet Corps had (and some still have) Bagpipe bands fully kitted when on parade, kilts et al. As per my previous post, the Natal Regiments in particular clung to their British Army traditions. A former Headmaster was Colonel “Betsy” Martin( don’t know where he got the nickname but he was a man in every sense of the word) He was one of those more British than the British residents of the Empire of old. Born in Natal, he was a Colonel in the Royal Durban Light Infantry. On the declaration of a Republic in 1961, the Royal Regiments had to drop their Royal titles and dispense with their Crowns. Colonel Martin placed the Crown of the regimental shield and described it as an Heraldic device 🙂 He got away with it!! To this day the Bowling Club attached to the regimental HQ is still called the RDLI Bowling Club
Cheers from humid Durban
..placed the Crown on the Regimental Shield under the SA Army Lion Emblem..
Great stuff. That 40k+ figure I quoted was just for CCFs in schools. Many more in community based cadet forces. In West and East Sussex combined there is only 1 reg army unit and many more cadets than regular soldiers by far.
The funding cuts for cadet forces is 50%, the CFAV’s are paid a ‘Volunteers Allowance’ (VA) ranging from £70 – £200 per training day depending on rank.
The VA rate could be changed to a flat rate for all ranks (£80) per training day.
The members and organisations are promoted as been ‘Volunteery’, members are not ’employed’ so have no employment rights.
Having a flat VA rate will massively reduce to financial postion and will bennifit the young people who are members.