I want to become a Cadet

The Air Cadets offers young people from all walks of life a chance to get active, learn new skills and make new friends in an inspirational and safe environment.

As we meet two evenings each week it doesn’t interfere with school responsibilities and cadets take an invaluable set of experiences and strong personal ethics with them when they leave, which can put to good use at university or in the career of their choosing. Some cadets do take up a career within the Services, but we are no longer a recruiting arm for the Royal Air Force. The personal development to build confident and spirited young people is our main aim.

Under the guidance of our fully qualified volunteer staff we will be able to give your son or daughter many activities to take part in, plus every opportunity to build on their strengths and improve their confidence. We hope that they stay with us for several years and thoroughly enjoy their Cadet membership – our volunteer staff are always on hand to assist parents with any questions or concerns.

Your responsibilities

We ask parents for as little as possible. The Squadron will provide most of the kit and encourage cadets to be self-sufficient and keep their uniform in good order themselves. The majority of cadet uniform is provided soon after they join.

A parent’s responsibility is mainly to make sure your son or daughter always gets to the squadron promptly for meetings and supporting them as they progress. However, we are always welcoming for any parent to help out and any involvement is always gratefully received.

Funding

All organisations need funding. We are luckier than most as the RAF provide the money for uniforms, premises, flying and other activities. Each cadet will require a small subscription approximately £10 a month, which goes towards funding the many activities that they undertake within the Squadron. National and international camps and expeditions may incur some additiobal costs, but we will always keep these to a minimum. We want the organisation to be available to everyone and staff are happy to discuss cost-related issues with parents at any time.

The squadron has to provide the rest of any required funding, this is undertaken through regular fundraising efforts. We are always looking for parents help, who are keen to get involved with their squadron’s Committee or would like to become a volunteer either uniformed or non-uniformed. Please discuss with our OC.