Britain's first National Cadets Week is being marked with support from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the force has said. The week, backed by the Ministry of Defence, brings together the Sea Cadet Corps, the Volunteer Cadet Corps, the Army Cadet Force, the Air Training Corps and the Combined Cadet Force, according to the CNC.
Key points
- First National Cadets Week — the CNC is throwing its weight behind the inaugural event.
- Scale of the movement — 137,000 cadets and 28,000 adult volunteers are involved across the UK.
- Paid leave push — employers are being asked to pledge five days of paid volunteering leave for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
- CNC support — the force already offers Special Paid Leave for staff who volunteer.
Some CNC officers and staff serve as Cadet Force Adult Volunteers in their own time, helping young people build confidence, leadership and teamwork, as well as practical life skills.
One of them is PC Mel Bishop, an Authorised Firearms Officer who has been involved with the Army Cadets for nearly a quarter of a century, including 18 years as an adult volunteer instructor. She first got involved after watching Army Cadets in a Remembrance parade, having been a cadet herself, and returned as an instructor in 2008.
"My role involves working with young people aged 12 to 18, helping them develop leadership, teamwork, confidence and life skills," PC Bishop said.
PC Bishop, who joined the CNC in 2024, said many of the abilities she gained through the Army Cadets feed into her policing work, and the force's Special Paid Leave lets her keep volunteering.
The CNC added that its links with the Cadet Forces go further than its own volunteers, with colleagues bringing cadet experience into their day jobs and taking part in local events.
What it means in practice
National Cadets Week is largely a moment of recognition rather than a change in the rules, so most people will notice little difference in daily life. The one practical thread is the push for employers to pledge five days of paid volunteering leave for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers; where that is granted, staff who help run cadet units can take time off without losing pay.
- If you volunteer with a cadet unit — ask your employer whether it has signed up to the five-day pledge, and check your own organisation's volunteering policy.
- If you are an employer — the pledge is voluntary, so there is no legal duty to offer the leave, but it may help with recruitment and retention.
- If you are a CNC employee — the force already provides Special Paid Leave for this kind of volunteering, so the new week does not alter your entitlement.
