Reserve Forces

Highland RFCA supports the Reserve Forces in a variety of ways, from maintenance of their buildings to welfare and recruiting support. 

Cadets and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers

Highland RFCA employs 49 staff to provide essential administration and logistic support for the Army Cadet Force. This includes safeguarding, stores ordering and accounting, providing the vehicle fleet and ensuring compliance with the Army’s rules and regulations. We employ a Wing Support Officer who conducts a similar role for some detachments of the RAF Air Cadets. Highland RFCA’s Board approves grants to subsidise music, adventure training, battlefield tours and other beneficial activities for Cadets of all three services.

Estate Management

HRFCA is the estate manager for the Reserve and Cadet estate, keeping the estate compliant and modernising or rebuilding it when funded by MOD. Each year it also reinvests rate rebate reclaimed on cadet properties in improving the Cadet estate. The Estates head office in Dundee is supported by area offices in Inverness, Aberdeen and Dumbarton.

Finance

Highland RFCA obtains its funding through the Council of RFCAs from central Government and via local sources of income: the latter is used for estate development, community engagement, welfare grants to units, and for our core activities supporting the Volunteer Reserve Forces and Cadets.

Engagement

One of HRFCA’s core functions is to engage with the wider community to inform it of the contribution made, and the role undertaken, by the Reserve Forces and the Service Cadet organisations in the Highland area. We achieve this through supporting, publicising and attending a range of events that bring the Armed Forces community into contact with the civilian population.

Created in 2019, the Community Engagement and Outreach Committee advises the Executive Board. Chaired by Lieutenant Colonel G F Moncur MBE, it draws on HRFCA members from a range of backgrounds including public and private sector organisations.

The aims of the committee include increasing diversity within the HRFCA membership and Area Committees, assisting the Single Services and Cadet organisations in achieving their diversity and inclusion objectives, and gaining a deeper understanding of those affected by disability, disadvantage and social exclusion in our communities.

By reaching out to and engaging with under-represented groups, we hope to build new partnerships and achieve an Association whose diversity better reflects the society from which it draws its support.