Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter
February 2025
Our Vision
“To be an enduring and essential pillar in the delivery of support for the well-being of the Reserves and Cadets and, through our effectiveness and our position in the regions, to be the independent body that represents their interests and promotes understanding between the Armed Forces and civil society”
LATEST NEWS
“The Part-Time Soldier” talk at Farnham Literary Festival!
Discover the fascinating history of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s Reserve soldiers with our Chief Executive, Colonel (Retd) Patrick Crowley MBE DL.
- Date: Sunday, 9th March 2025
- Time: 4:30 PM
- Location: Farnham Town Council
- Tickets: £10
Book your tickets here
RESERVES NEWS
Championing the Value of Reserve Service
HMS KING ALFRED
HMS King Alfred is a Royal Naval Reserve unit led by Commander Sarah Royston. HMS King Alfred is located within HM Naval Base Portsmouth and is one of the largest units in the country.
Being in the heart of a naval city gives HMS King Alfred Reservists excellent opportunities to see the work of the Royal Navy first hand. The Reservists also get to use the tremendous facilities that can be found locally.
Interested? Find out more: click here
NEW LOOK FOR 261 SQUADRON ARMY RESERVES
SERFCA recently provided funding to 261 Squadron, 158 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps for new technical t-shirts and sports tops for their troops.
If your unit needs support email: se-media@rfca.mod.uk
ROYAL ARTILLERY RESERVES TRAINING ON SALISBURY PLAIN
The Band of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment have vacancies for experienced musicians, freelancers, qualified graduates and students.
They are recruiting across Kent and Sussex, offering a part-time career with excellent opportunities.
Visit their website to find out how you could join!
DO YOU WANT TO BE A RESERVIST?
SOCIAL MEDIA
Why Engagement Matters
Engagement (likes and comments) boosts your content’s visibility through social media algorithms.
The more you interact with followers, the more your audience will grow!
💬 How to Engage With Your Audience Effectively 💬
✅ Respond to Comments & DMs – Engage with your audience by replying to their messages and comments. Even a simple “Thanks!” or emoji can make a difference.
✅ Ask Questions – Spark conversations with a call to action in your posts. This can be done by asking your audience about their opinions, experiences, or preferences.
✅ Encourage User-Generated Content – Invite followers to share their own photos and stories from their training and activities. Reposting their content increases your page’s visibility.
Need help with you Unit’s activity on Socials? Get in touch with our team today: se-media@rfca.mod.uk
CADET NEWS
Promoting the Cadet Experience
ROYAL NAVY INSPIRES NEXT GENERATION
Working with our Cadet Forces within our region, is just one of the many roles the Royal Navy Attract Team for Greater London and the South East (GLSE) has been busy supporting…from cadet camps to attending drill nights, the attract team deliver a fast paced, skill’s based engagement programme of fun activities that works alongside the units own programme of teambuilding, problems solving and personal development.
Several of the Attract Teams members were also cadets themselves, using their own experiences of skills and qualifications developed during their time in the cadet forces to explain how this then led them onto their career within the Royal Navy…read more
299 FARNHAM SQUADRON RAF AIR CADETS OPEN EVENING
The Squadron’s next open evening will take place on Friday 14 March 2025.
Cadets will be displaying some of the activities that they get up to and visitors will have the opportunity to join in with some of them.
Come along and have a chat with them, or the staff, to see what you could get out of becoming an RAF Air Cadet! Please email 229@rafac.mod.gov.uk to book your space.
Apply for funding for your 2025 projects from The Connaught Trust!
You can apply throughout the year and as many times as you wish.
Applications should be submitted by the 1st of the month in which the trustee meetings take place. If submitted after this date, we will take your application to the next meeting.
Apply here. The next deadline 1st April 2025.
Need some inspiration? Here’s what the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wing RAF Air Cadets did with their grant…click here
CADET FORCE ADULT VOLUNTEERS PRESENTED WITH KINGS CORONATION MEDAL
57 Cadet Force Adult Volunteers were presented with the Kings Coronation Medal by the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, and our County’s Honorary Colonel, Nigel Atkinson.
The King Charles III Coronation Medal (KCM) is a commemorative medal created to mark the coronation of His Majesty, King Charles III and his consort, HM Queen Camilla, which took place on 6 May 2023.
The Commandant of Hampshire & Isle of Wight ACF, Col Tim Hope was keen to ensure CFAVs got the recognition they deserved: “Our Cadet Force Adult Volunteers put in hundreds of voluntary hours each year to ensure our Cadets get the best possible instruction and support on their journey through the organisation.
Being able to present the Kings Coronation Medal to those qualifying alongside the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire on a parade is one way to show our gratitude and give our Officers and Instructors the recognition they deserve”…read more
SUSSEX ARMY CADETS CPR CHALLENGE
This week, B Roussillon Company’s No.27 Midhurst Detachment completed their CPR Marathon for the British Heart Foundation . The evening saw 16 Cadets take part, each completing a solid 3 minutes of CPR before handing over to another cadet to complete a further 3 minutes.ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BEING A CADET FORCE ADULT VOLUNTEER?
EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT NEWS
Encouraging Employers to Support Defence
HMS DIAMOND AFFILIATION WITH THE COUNTY OF OXFORDSHIRE
The South East Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (SERFCA) Employer Engagement Team recently attended the prestigious Grand Military Gold Cup at Sandown Park Racecourse. This event served as a fitting backdrop for the formal signing of the Armed Forces Covenant by The Jockey Club.
Present at the signing was Lieutenant General Charles Collins DSO OBE, Commander of the Army’s Home Command, and Baroness Dido Harding, who represented The Jockey Club and Leigh Thomas, one of SERFCA’s Regional Employer Engagement Directors…read more
Congratulations to the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum who have signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
The signing was attended by Colonel (Retd) Mike Montagu, trustee of the museum and Lieutenant Colonel Ged Hennigan RLC, Garrison Commander at HQ Bicester.
By signing the Covenant, the museum has committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and recognises the important contribution that those from the military, past and present, make to an organisation.
Find out how your organisation can make their pledge too here
- Gold closes on 12 March
- Silver closes on 23 April
HAS YOUR ORGANISATION SIGNED THE ARMED FORCES COVENANT?
ESTATES
Providing the best place to work and train
200 DAYS OF THE FUTURE DEFENCE INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
Today we reviewed the first 200 days since the start of the implementation of FDIS with the firm VINCI.
ALTERNATIVE VENUES
Alternative Venues South East has a range of interesting buildings in an area stretching from Oxfordshire to Kent. They include 19th Century Houses and modern state-of-the-art training facilities, all of them large well-equipped Army Reserve Centres and Cadet detachments – ideal for business, sporting, training and social activities. Most of the venues are available seven days a week and all of the Army Reserve Centres have professional catering facilities and secure parking.
MANAGING THE VOLUNTEER ESTATE, RESERVE AND CADET BUILDINGS
JOB VACANCIES
Our staff are employed as Crown Servants, with flexible working arrangements offered. We also offer generous benefits and a supportive atmosphere. Our current vacancies include:
Follow us on Indeed to be alerted of new vacancies.
If you’re thinking of joining our team, find out more About Us and what we’ve been working on in our Latest News
LATEST PUBLICATIONS
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