Engagement

Our members encourage support for reserves, cadets, cadet force adult volunteers and the wider military family through our enduring relationships within local communities, underpinned by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant Awards ceremonies in each of East Anglia’s six counties and other annual events throughout the year.

We also encourage employers to support reservists, veterans, military spouses and cadet force adult volunteers through the Armed Forces Covenant and the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

The volunteer membership of East Anglia RFCA includes county groups of local employers to deliver employer engagement at the local level. They report into the Regional Employer Engagement Group, and then to the Regional Employer Engagement Board chaired by the 7th Brigade Commander.

The Defence Relationship Manager (DRM) for East Anglia, Sarah Thompson, is the local point of call for reservists’ employers on behalf of the Ministry of Defence’s central Defence Relationship Management programme. Sarah and the rest of the RFCA’s engagement team work closely with organisations who wish to deepen their relationship with the military and steer them in the right direction.

The DRMs and RFCA Employer Engagement groups also nurture a network of employers who are supportive of the Defence community and encourage more employers to sign the Armed Forces Covenant or, once they have done so, apply for a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Award.

At the national level, through the Council of Reserve Forces, the RFCA provides an annual report assessing the health of the Reserve Forces and another on the health of the Cadet Forces to the Defence Council.