To view the UK Reserve Forces External Scrutiny Group Annual Reports for 2022 and 2023 please use the following links:
and
20230712-UK Reserve Forces Annual Statutory Report_2023
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Wg Cdr Steve Fry as the new Regional Commandant for North Region. Wg Cdr Fry joins the RAF Air Cadets from his current post as Officer Commanding, No 600 (City of London) Squadron, RAuxAF at RAF Northolt. Find out more
Defence Minister announces First-ever National Cadets Week. Find out more
HMS CALLIOPE hosts engagement event to thank employers, family and friends of Reservists. Find out more
Monkseaton JCC progressing well. Find out more
A new Joint Cadet Centre is on its way. Find out more
A fantastic evening was held at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, on Thursday, 19 March 2026, when the Chair of NE RFCA, Col Gordon Straughan OBE TD VR, hosted our annual Defence Insight Dinner. Find out more
Dr Caroline Pryer, Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland, presented her Lord Lieutenant’s Certificates for Meritorious Service to members of the Reserve Forces, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and members of the civilian staff on Tuesday 24 March 2026. Find out more
On Tuesday 17 March, the Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, Ms Lucy Winskell OBE presented her Lord Lieutenant’s Certificates for Meritorious Service to members of the Reserve Forces, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and civilian staff, and 4 Star Certificates to members of the Cadet Forces. Find out more
Mr Michael Poole, Vice Lord Lieutenant for County Durham, represented Dame Susan Snowdon, Lord Lieutenant for County Durham, at the ceremony for the presentation of her Lord Lieutenant’s Certificates for Meritorious Service on Tuesday 10 March 2026. Find out more
Brigadier David Maddan DL, represented Mrs Joanna Ropner, Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire on Tuesday 3 March 2026, to present Certificates of Meritorious Service to Reservists. Find out more
The King has been pleased to appoint Michael Butterwick, CBE, DL, as His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Durham on the retirement of Dame Susan Snowdon, DCVO, on 1st April, 2026. Find out more
Congratulations to four amazing north east employers who were recognised for their outstanding support to the Armed Forces community at a ceremony held at the Hotel Indigo, Durham on 25 September. Find out more
Huge congratulations to eight North East companies who were part of the 202 MOD ERS Gold Awards awarded nationally in recognition of their support to the Armed Forces Community. Find out more
Dame Susan Snowdon, DCVO, Lord Lieutenant of Co Durham and Vice President NE RFCA salutes the Armed Forces Find out more
The Ministry of Defence announced today that, nationally, 307 organisations have been awarded the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Awards for 2025. Find out more
"A landmark shift in our deterrence ..... " Find out more
As part of the national events celebrating VE Day 80, Northumberland County Council in association with SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity, held a memorial service at Hexham Abbey on 8 May. Find out more
NE RFCA hosted the Defence Insight Dinner at Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield, on Thursday 20 March 2025 Find out more
GOLD AWARDS FOR NORTH EAST EMPLOYERS. Once again employers from the NE RFCA region have been awarded the MOD’s ERS Gold Awards in recognition of their support to the Armed Forces community. Find out more
A special occasion became even more special when Mayor Kim McGuinness, the newly elected, first North East Mayor, signed the North of England Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association’s 800th Armed Forces Covenant at the North East Combined Authorities (NECA) Headquarters in Newcastle on Wednesday 31 July 2024. Find out more
Headquarters North will be formally established on 1st August 2024 when the
current Headquarters North East (based in Catterick and embedded in
Headquarters 4 Light Brigade Combat Team and HQ NE) and Headquarters
North West (in Preston) are merged. Find out more
The NE RFCA region saw our local authorities and communities join the rest of the country in flying the Armed Forces Day flag in support of our Armed Forces. Find out more
Mrs Sue Snowdon, Lord Lieutenant of County Durham and Vice President North of England RFCA commemorates the D-Day 80th Anniversary with a letter to all Cadet Forces within her County. Find out more
Tues 5 Mar 24, Mrs Sue Snowdon, Lord Lieutenant of County Durham and Vice-President NE RFCA, presented her Lord Lieutenant's Certificates for Meritorious Service to members of the Reserves, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and civilian staff from all 3 Services Find out more
Duchess of Northumberland stands down as Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland and Vice President North of England Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association. Find out more
On Tuesday, 27 Feb 24, Mrs Jo Ropner, Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire and Vice-President North of England RFCA, presented her Lord Lieutenant's Certificates for Meritorious Service. Find out more
The Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations' (RFCA) annual conference on 8 November attracted a diverse audience from the RFCA networks. Find out more
Hard Facilities Management Services for the Volunteer Estate to be delivered by the MOD Built Estate Contracts Find out more
“A credit to the County and the cadet movements they represent”. Lt Col Barney Barnbrook, Regional Director North East and Yorkshire Army Benevolent Fund, said of the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadets who took part in the Festival of Remembrance Service at Durham Cathedral on Saturday,
11 November 2023. Find out more
After a year of 'studying space', 9 Cadets and Staff from 2505 (Bishop Auckland) Sqn RAF AC go on the trip of a lifetime to Florida with help from the Viscount Ridley's Cadet Forces' Trust. Find out more
As one of our supportive employers and a Silver Award winner of the MOD’s Employer Recognition Scheme, Northumbria Police Force was invited to send a representative to observe members of the Royal Marines Reserve (RMR) on their cold-climate training programme in Bardufoss, Norway in March this year. That ‘lucky volunteer’ was Deputy Chief Constable Debbie Ford, who joined 14 other organisations from London, Highland RFCA and Lowland RFCA on a different sort of exercise……. Find out more
Seven North East employers awarded Gold for their support to the Armed Forces. Find out more
The Step into Health programme connects ex-service candidates from across the Armed Forces community with employers and new opportunities in the NHS. This event will take place on Wednesday 19th July and is specifically aimed at the Armed Forces Community. Find out more
Longbenton Air Cadets are flying on cloud nine after receiving the 2021 Prince of Wales’s Expeditionary Award. Find out more
We are pleased to announce that 19 North of England organisations, in demonstrating their support to the Armed Forces, have been recognised by the award of the MOD’s Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award. In addition, twelve organisations, having shown their continued support over the previous 5 years, have had their Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award revalidated. Find out more
The Integrated Review set the British Army on a course for radical transformation. Under ‘Future Soldier’, we will become a modern Army; more agile, more integrated and more expeditionary. Our nation’s Reservists are central to this. Find out more
Polam Hall School and Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College CCFs were devastated when they did not get a CTT Central Camp slot this year and it looked as though their annual camps would not take place. Find out more
GOLD AWARDS FOR NORTH EAST EMPLOYERS. Nine NE Employers have been awarded Gold for their support to the Armed Forces and a tenth has had their Gold Award Revalidated. Gold is the highest award available under the MOD’s Employer Recognition Scheme. Find out more
Redcar Cadet, LCpl Daniel Loader, a member of Cleveland ACF, had gone over to France with his Dad, for the memorial events early in June, and had even taken his cadet uniform to wear when paying his respects. He was swiftly spotted by The Yorkshire Regiment and included in their group, and was ‘roped’ in to help with events. Find out more
Boldon School welcomed Commodore Phil Waterhouse ADC RN, Deputy Mayor Cllr Joe Amar, and Ms Lyn Blair, Deputy Mayoress, to the official opening ceremony of Boldon School Royal Navy Combined Cadet Force Section. Find out more
The Duchess of Northumberland presented her Lord Lieutenant’s Certificates for Meritorious Service to Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers from all three Services on Tuesday 5 April 2022. In congratulating recipients on their awards the Duchess said she was “greatly impressed by the outstanding work carried out over many years by Volunteers who had achieved great things and given unconditionally of their spare time”. The Duchess also presented Cadet Proficiency Awards to members of the Army Cadet Force and appointed her Lord Lieutenant’s Cadets for 2022. Find out more
Eight Defence ERS Gold winning organisations were hosted by the NE RFCA Chairman and the Engagement Team in London over the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. Find out more
In presenting her Lord Lieutenant’s Certificates for Meritorious Service to members of the Reserve Forces, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, and Proficiency Awards to members of the Cadet Forces, on Tuesday 22 March 2022, Mrs Sue Winfield, Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear and President of the NE RFCA, said the evening was “tinged with sadness” as this would be her last LL Certificate Presentation ceremony before she stepped down as Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear on 18 May 2022. Find out more
Tuesday 8 March 2022, saw the first of our Lord Lieutenants’ Awards Ceremonies for 2022. Mrs Sue Snowdon, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of County Durham and Vice-President of the NE RFCA, presented Certificates of Meritorious Service to members of the Reserve Forces, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and those personnel supporting the adults in the Cadet Forces within Co Durham. Mrs Snowdon also presented Cadets from the region with various awards, and appointed her new Lord Lieutenant’s Cadets for 2022. Find out more
Mrs Sue Snowdon, Lord Lieutenant of County Durham and Vice President of the North of England RFCA pays tribute to Her Majesty The Queen’s 70 years’ reign. Find out more
NE RFCA Members and staff congratulate their President Mrs Sue Winfield. Find out more
In recognition of their amazing support to the Armed Forces, 4 north east employers received ERS Gold Awards and one other had their Gold Award - originally presented in 2016 - revalidated. A grand occasion, set in the spectacular location of Edinburgh Castle, everyone involved agreed it was an evening to remember. Find out more
As the anniversary to mark the battle of St Valery-en-Caux approaches, an international search has been launched to uncover the identity of a fallen hero. The 51st Highland Division soldier evaded capture during the infamous Second World War battle but would later be betrayed in the French fishing port and now rests in an unnamed grave. Find out more
Reserve Forces Review 2030
"Unlocking the reserves' potential to strengthen a resilient and global Britain". Find out more
NE RFCA Board’s presentation to Mrs Sue Snowdon. On Wednesday 2 December 2020, NE RFCA Chairman, Col Gordon Straughan, presented Mrs Sue Snowdon, our outgoing President and Lord Lieutenant of County Durham, with a memento of her time in office. Find out more
Eight hundred North East business leaders celebrated the region’s many achievements in Durham Cathedral last week, and raised over £154,000 for the building’s restoration. Find out more
Cadet Apprenticeship Pathway (CAP) Apprenticeship opportunities and advice are available with the Cadet Apprenticeship Pathway scheme. Engage in some fantastic E-Learning on Skills, CVs and Interviews, and be better prepared for your next step – whatever that might be! Support is available across all three Cadet Services. For more information go to www.CAP-UK.co.uk. Find out more
