Members of our Association from across East Anglia joined honoured guests at our 2026 AGM, or Annual General Meeting, last Tuesday, 23rd June.
The Army Reserve Centre in Coldhams Lane, Cambridge, hosted the meeting on an exceptionally warm day. Some attendees joined virtually, reflecting the Association’s goal of making the event accessible to all.
Our AGM is East Anglia RFCA’s showcase event, bringing together our Lord-Lieutenants, membership, key influencers and staff from across the region and our local Regular and Reserve Forces units.
Association President and Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk Lady Philippa Dannatt MBE welcomed members and guests to the event, and led proceedings alongside our Association Chair, Brigadier Tim Seal TD DL VR, and Chief Executive, Colonel Leona Barr-Jones DL VR. This was the first time Lady Dannatt has overseen the AGM since taking on the role of East Anglia RFCA President this time last year.
People attending the meeting in person had their first chance to read our Annual Report for 2025/26, which the Chair presented to members for approval. You can read on our website what the Association, and our local Reserve Forces and Cadet Forces, accomplished during the previous financial year.
Attendees, both in person and online, were able to participate in other Association business, too, such as confirming some of our Board’s post-holders—and also hear from esteemed guest speakers.
Air Vice-Marshal Jo Lincoln MBE, Commandant General of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Director Reserves for the RAF, gave an insightful presentation about the crucial role played in our country’s defence by the RAF Reserve. AVM Lincoln also spoke about the plans afoot to grow RAF Reserve capability following recommendations in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review by former NATO Secretary General the Rt Hon Lord Robertson of Port Ellen.
Then Scott Noonan, Senior Advisor at the Royal British Legion, gave a presentation about the charity’s 10-year strategy to 2035, which focuses on meeting the evolving needs of the Armed Forces community.
Scott served in the British Army for over 30 years, including the Military Provost Staff Regiment at the Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester, where he rose to the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1 as the Regimental Sergeant Major.
The final presentation of the day came from one of our region’s Army Cadets. She spoke enthusiastically about her experiences of first trying her hand at and then learning to teach adventurous training—and how those experiences helped her to build skills and develop confidence.
The AGM also gave the Association an opportunity to thank staff for outstanding service. Claire Styles, one of our four Estate Managers, received a long-service certificate to mark 10 years as part of our workforce.
This year’s event also saw Lady Dannatt present the inaugural President’s Certificate of Recognition to one of our long-time external colleagues. The certificate, introduced at the 2026 AGM, recognises outstanding contributions to our Defence community and how it connects with society.
The first ever recipient of the President’s Certificate was Russell Woby, a contractor and consultant for our Estates team since the late 1980s. During his extensive career as an architect, Russell designed a number of major construction and extension projects across East Anglia’s Volunteer Estate.
For much of that time, the RFCA was also responsible for home adaptation projects to support our region’s veterans with life-changing injuries sustained in the line of duty. Russell managed many of those projects, making it more feasible for injured veterans to continue living independently in their own homes.
