South East Reserve Forces' & Cadets' Association

South East Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (SE RFCA) is one of 13 RFCAs UK-wide, SERFCA is a Ministry of Defence (MOD) Crown body, responsible to the Defence Council, but separate from military chains-of-command. SE RFCA gives support to the Reserve Forces and Cadets from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force in the Counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, East and West Sussex. The majority of the Association comprises volunteers, presided over by the Lord-Lieutenant of each County, ranging from high-ranking serving and retired military Officers, through local Councillors to enthusiastic locals, with no military experience, but with a will to support the Armed Forces and Cadets; so it can be seen that the Association has close links with the Community because it is part of that Community. In short, the main roles of SERFCA are: Managing the volunteer estate (Reserve, Cadet and Training Centres) through building new Centres, maintaining current Centres to the required legal standard and ensuring that all sites are kept in good condition, fit for purpose and secure. We aim to provide an attractive environment in which to recruit, train and refresh the spirit of our volunteers. Through our professionally qualified staff, we are responsible for the upkeep of some 29 tri-service reserve forces’ sites and 225 cadet centres on behalf of the MOD. Encouraging support for the Reserves and Cadets through engagement events, briefings, awards evenings, social media and other publicity, allowing us to actively inform, influence, engage and create a positive but lasting change with gatekeepers and others who hold influence within their county. This includes giving support to, in particular, Reservists by engaging with Employers and supporting Employers of Reservists who seek more information or who have Reservist Employees deployed on operations.