No sign of extra cash six months after £70m funding announcement for cadets
A £70m pledge to drive more teenagers into the cadet forces – youth organisations aligned with the military – has yet to materialise on the ground, a senior figure in the Army Cadet Force has said.
In August 2025, new funding was promised alongside a pledge to increase youth participation in the organisations by 30% by 2030.
The announcement followed the publication of the Government's Strategic Defence Review, which included a section on the importance of cadet forces such as the ACF.
It'll be fantastic – when it happens
This was the first time a national review into the UK's defence requirements had done so.
"In all the time we've been going, [the Army Cadet Force] has never seen a statement of intent like we did in the Strategic Defence Review," Colonel Simon Banks-Cooper, Honorary Colonel of the Humberside and South Yorkshire Army Cadet Force, told BFBS Forces News.
"Ancillary to that, we had the announcement that £70m of new funding would be made available to the cadet forces. Again, that is fantastic."
But Col Banks-Cooper, whose role sees him sit outside his county's chain of command, said he was yet to see any indication of how and when the money would be distributed.
"This indicates one of the risks the SDR brings – entering into a period of inertia where the initial announcement isn't followed through at a speed that keeps the momentum going," the Honorary Colonel said.
Where is the new National Cadet Champion?
While announcing the funding in August last year, the Government also said it would appoint a new National Cadet Champion.
This is a named individual whose job it would be to "boost awareness of how cadets can transform futures for young people and break down barriers to opportunity".
However, six months on, no appointment has yet been made. BFBS Forces News understands the search for an appropriate candidate is still in the initial stages.
Thousands of cadets affected by closures
Since the funding announcement aimed at increasing participation in cadet forces, which include the Army Cadet Force, Sea Cadets, Air Training Corps and the Combined Cadet Force, there have been difficulties for the MOD.
In January, Crowborough Camp – a cadet training hub in the South East – was closed to make way for asylum-seekers. And since the start of 2026, several cadet training locations across the West Midlands have been closed over health and safety fears.
These matters have seen the cadet experience negatively impacted for thousands of teenagers at a time when the Government has been aiming to drive up numbers.
On these matters, Col Banks-Cooper said at a local level the Humberside and South Yorkshire ACF had not suffered these types of issues.
"But what it probably indicates is that all stakeholders within the cadet forces do need to pull together to make the political ambition of the Strategic Defence Review come into reality," he said.
"Once we've got sight of that £70m that will help, I'm sure, address some of these issues."
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told BFBS Forces News: "Work to develop a cadet strategy to meet the ambition of growing the cadet forces by 30% by 2030 is ongoing, as is our search for a Cadet Champion.
"The strategy will consider the offer to our adult volunteers – who are essential to delivering a world-class cadet experiences – and ensure cadets enjoy modern and rewarding training, with suitable support to deliver all activities."
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