NORTH REGION
PARENTS & CARERS
Do you know a young person who would benefit from action and adventure, fun and friendship in a structured, disciplined environment? Then read on.
We realise that parents and carers might have particular questions about the aims and objectives of the Air Cadets, and the kind of activities we teach, so we have created this section just for you.
The Air Cadets gives young people - from all walks of life - access to fun, friendship, action and adventure. We challenge young people to learn more, do more and try more. We inspire them to aim high and give them the skills, values and attitudes to go further in life, no matter what they aim to do. Find out more about the benefits for your child of becoming a cadet.
The Air Cadets is a national, voluntary, uniformed youth organisation. We offer a broad range of challenging adventurous and educational activities, some of them on a military theme, but all of them designed to help your child develop and thrive. The Air Cadets is sponsored by the Royal Air Force but we're not a recruitment organisation for them which means there is absolutely no requirement for any cadets to join any of the Armed Forces.
To join us your child will need to be in year 8 or above at school and under the age of 17.
We provide a uniform, free of charge, for the whole time your child is in the cadets. All you need to buy is a good pair of boots and shoes. Detachments usually meet on one or two evenings a week and there are also some weekend activities, such as sports competitions, short hiking expeditions or camps in the local area. During school holidays, Air Cadets have the opportunity to go away on ‘annual camps’ - action-packed residential trips at a Royal Air Force station or military training area somewhere in the UK with other Air Cadets from your local area. For most cadets, this is the undoubted highlight of the year.
Costs are kept as low as possible. Joining the Air Cadets is free but there is a small monthly subscription fee to cover insurance costs – exceptional value for money and far cheaper than similar activities offered by commercial organisations.
The safety and security of your child is of paramount importance to us. Every adult volunteer is required to undergo formal safeguarding checks (DBS/CRB) and child protection training and is not left unsupervised with cadets until this is complete. We also have a team of full-time staff who work to ensure all of our training is conducted as safely as possible, while still being exciting and challenging!