I was honoured to take on the presidency of East Anglia Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA) this summer, and I am enormously grateful to the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Robert Voss CBE CStJ, for his outstanding stewardship over the preceding three years.

Robert guided the Association through a challenging recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw struggling cadet units and Reserve Forces strengthen their number and training. He forged vital links between employers and the Defence community as both Association President and as Lord-Lieutenant and his energy helped to leave the Association in excellent health. I am determined to build on the strong foundations he has laid.

In some ways, becoming Association President feels like coming home. My husband and I moved 23 times over the 32 years of his life in the British Army, and each time we relocated, I saw how community matters to people, how service is a vocation for many, and that supporting those who serve—and their families—is not just a duty but a privilege.

Now, as we start to see the full implications of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review emerge, the Association faces both challenge and opportunity. The Review has made it clear that Britain must strengthen its defences, increase resilience and rebuild the contract between the nation and our Armed Forces. That presents East Anglia RFCA with two strategic goals: supporting the growth of our cadet forces and the recruitment and retention of reservists across our six counties.

Cadet expansion represents a genuine investment in our young people’s futures. Through my work as a counsellor and with many voluntary organisations, I have seen first-hand how transformative the right support can be for young people facing challenges—whether that’s building confidence, developing life skills, or simply knowing that someone believes in them.

The cadet forces offer all this and more: discipline, adventure, friendship, and a sense of purpose. These are not military recruitment programmes—they are youth development at its finest, giving young people from all backgrounds the tools to succeed in whatever path they choose.

Equally vital is our work with reservists and the employers who support them. The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme exists precisely because business and defence are not separate worlds but interconnected parts of our national resilience. Reservists bring invaluable skills to civilian employers—leadership, adaptability, crisis management—whilst employers’ support enables our Reserve Forces to maintain their readiness.

It is a partnership that strengthens both our economy and our security, and I am keen to celebrate and expand it across East Anglia.

While we do these things together, the Association will continue to oversee the volunteer estate that provides so many of our reservists and cadets with places to learn and train.

As I begin this presidency, I am acutely conscious that we live in troubled times. But I am equally conscious of the extraordinary dedication I have already witnessed across our Association—from young sea cadets learning to sail to the small business owner granting extra leave for a reservist employee’s deployment. This is the spirit that will carry us forward.

I look forward immensely to visiting units, meeting employers and working with Association Members over the coming three years.

Pippa Dannatt
The Lady Dannatt MBE, President, East Anglia RFCA