Reservists from 3 Royal Anglian Regiment worked with the RFCA estates team to increase biodiversity at the new Constitution Hill Cadet Centre.

The Joint Cadet Centre was recently upgraded by the RFCA Estates team to accommodate the Catton detachment Army Cadets, 231 (Norwich) Squadron ATC and staff of Norfolk and Suffolk Wing ATC.
As part of the MOD drive for environmental management, the build was completed under the DREAM framework. Sustainable features are built into the project right from the design and planning stage, all the way through to how the site’s environmentally-friendly features are used effectively by the site users.
The reservists at 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment further enhanced the site’s biodiversity by adding pond flora, trees, bird boxes and bat boxes in the grounds.

All of the site users will be able to enjoy the outdoor spaces within the perimeter of the site.

Cadet Flt Sergeant Troy Reynolds has been with the squadron for 4 years. He admitted to the reservists from 3 Royal Anglian: “I’ve never actually planted a tree before.” Lauren Griffin-Edmondson is a cadet warrant officer who has been an air cadet for 7 years, she added: ”I imagine in a few years’ time, cadets will be able to practice putting up bashas thanks to where we chose to plant these new trees today.”

Flt Lt Kristian Crittenden is the new Officer Commanding of 231 (Norwich) Squadron. His first recruiting event at the newly refurbished Cadet Centre brought in 40 new cadets and 15 new adult volunteers for the 231 (Norwich) Squadron alone. The Air Cadets meet at the Norwich cadet centre on Mondays and Thursdays and the Army Cadets Catton detachment meets there on Wednesdays. In addition they will often plan additional activities at the Centre at weekends, and the ATC Wing staff are based there weekdays.

Reservists met the cadets at their new Joint Cadet Centre and planted trees together

Captain Tim Jones and CSgt Glen Keeble from 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment train out of the Norwich Army Reserve Centre, not far from the Constitution Hill Cadet Centre. They came to meet the cadets and their instructors at the Cadet Centre for the installation of the bird and bat boxes, to add pond flora and for the cadets to plant some trees.

This project is part of the RFCA Estate Optimisation Programme (REOP). REOP is a major Defence investment which aims to optimise the “Volunteer Estate” (comprising the Army Reserve Centres and Cadet Centres owned and managed by the RFCA on behalf of the MOD) to be more efficient, and to change from a historic footprint to one that supports today’s demands.

Their Reserve Unit sponsored the additional features for the benefit of the cadets and to build on the good relationship that exists between the reservists and local cadet units.

3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment are headquartered at our Army Reserve Centre in Bury St Edmunds. Within the Battalion, reservists also train at our Norwich, Lowestoft, Chelmsford, Hertford and Peterborough Army Reserve Centres, with additional locations outside East Anglia. Supportive links between the Reserve units and their local uniformed cadet organisations are nurtured by RFCA membership through the RFCA County forums.