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 Managers (DRMs) for East Anglia, Sarah Thompson and Kristina Carrington, are the local point of call for reservists’ employers on behalf of the Ministry of Defence’s central Defence Relationship Management programme. They 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.
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Employers enjoy breakfast in barracks on brisk winter’s morning
It was breakfast in barracks rather than in bed last week for some of the early risers among East Anglia’s Defence-engaged employers. East Anglia RFCA hosted an early-morning event last week for about 80 local employers in the public, private and charity sectors. They met at the home of 16 Air Assault Brigade—Merville Barracks in…
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New Standard for Army Cadets Detachment in Haverhill
Celebrating a new standard for Army Cadets in a Suffolk town, cadet force adult volunteers, local partners and supporters joined the local detachment’s young people to mark the special presentation. Before presentation of the new Standard, the Haverhill Detachment of Suffolk Army Cadet Force formally retired its previous Standard, which had represented the cadets at…
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Best wishes for Christmas 2025 from East Anglia RFCA
A message from our Chief Executive, Colonel Leona Barr-Jones DL VR As we approach the end of another remarkable year, I want to thank everyone connected with East Anglia RFCA for your outstanding dedication throughout 2025. Whether you are an Association Member, engaged employer, Reservist, veteran, volunteer, cadet—or a supporter—your commitment to “Connecting Defence with…