News and Events

Our VPC cadets are frequently offered opportunities to become involved with external projects and take on influential roles as ambassadors, where they can play a crucial part in helping to drive and influence national initiatives and projects. An example of this is as a Youth Ambassador. Project deSHAME is one such project and is a collaboration between Childnet, Save the Children (Denmark) and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Reece Monson (pictured far right) one of our VPC Sunderland cadets explains further:

GMP Police Cadets Natasha Watkins and Shannon Donnelly recently accompanied the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, Kui Man Gerry Yeung, to one of his formal events in Manchester. The formal ceremony of the Signing of the Roll and the Portrait Hanging of the High Sheriff took place in the Assize Hall at Crown Square and was attended by the Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Edith Conn and the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Eddy Newman.

In April 2017, Northumbria Police launched their very own Mini Police Scheme by introducing 75 Mini Police new recruits to their Marine, Mounted and Dog sections. The Chief Constable and Police & Crime Commissioner visited the launch and handed the new recruits their uniforms, which was an exciting time for the new officers, their families and teachers, who all came along to the event.

Last year, Cleveland Police Cadets won two national awards, the National Volunteer Police Cadet Award, for Best Social Actions, and the Lord Ferrers Volunteer Police Cadet Team Award for their outstanding work in supporting people living with dementia. On a recent visit to the County, Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Policing, met up with some of the cadets to congratulate them and find out more about their endeavours.

On the weekend of 28 - 30 July, 200 cadets from 16 forces battled it out to be crowned the best unit in the country at the annual Volunteer Police Cadets competition.

As part of their Social Action Plan, a group of cadets from Middlesbrough Police Cadet Unit recently organised a day out for eighteen children who were visiting from Chernobyl in the Ukraine. After contacting the charity Chernobyl Children's Life Line, which supports children affected by the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and explaining what they wanted to do, the charity readily agreed to the cadets taking the children to Preston Park in Stockton on Tees.

On 24th July, as part of the Cadets' Social Action Scheme, the Redcar and Cleveland Cadets facilitated a day trip to the Beamish Museum in County Durham for a group of people living with dementia.

120 Volunteer Police Cadets from around Hertfordshire recently came to Police Headquarters in Welwyn Garden City to take part in the 5th Annual Police Cadets County Competition 2017. There are almost 300 young people signed up to the police cadets in Hertfordshire across the ten districts and each region sent 11 cadets to participate.

Around 200 police cadets will battle it out to be crowned the best team in the country during an action-packed event at RAF Cosford in Shropshire this weekend (28 – 30 July).

To mark the end of another fantastic cadet year, Leicestershire Police recently invited cadets and their families to attend a Recognition Parade at Force Headquarters. More than 100 cadets marched in front of their loved ones, and took part in formal uniform checks from senior officers.

Welcome to our latest newsletter update. We start with a report on the national conference, which was the largest yet and re-affirmed all the great work going on across the country and our continuing expansion that currently makes us the fastest growing uniform youth group in the country!

The VPC held their fifth annual conference at Ryton College of Policing over the weekend of 9-11 June. The conference was opened by Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer, National Police Chief Lead for the programme, and the key note speaker was Charlotte Hill, the CEO of the 'Step up to Serve' campaign (www.stepuptoserve.org.uk). Charlotte gave an inspirational talk to the 140 delegates from 37 forces on the benefits of youth led social action, whilst highlighting the very close links between the aims of the #iwill campaign and those of the VPC

On 9th June, Mark John, Rachel Ward, Jack Shrine and Owain Davies, from Neath in South Wales, travelled to the VPC National Conference at Ryton Police Training College in the West Midlands. The 3 day conference focussed on the current volunteering system, future developments, information sharing and best practice for all forces to develop their schemes in the future.

The Barry Police Youth Volunteers are piloting the new Volunteer Police Cadet digital platform.

In early May nine VPC leaders from Lambeth, Kingston, Sutton and the Central team set off up to bonny Scotland to complete a 3 day self-sufficient expedition in the Cairngorm mountains.

Barry Police Youth Volunteer, Joseph Salmon, has secured a place on board a tall ship during the summer holidays as part of a local competition organised by Barry Town Council.

11 Police Youth Volunteers and 6 leaders from the Barry unit recently took part in the Welsh 1000 Walk. This is a major annual event whose aim is to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer's society. The walk was organised by PS Mark John, Barry Police Youth Volunteer leader and coordinator.

Police cadets from Staffordshire's newest unit received a visit from special guests during April's meeting at the Burton Albion Community Trust. Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis, Deputy PCC Sue Arnold and Assistant Chief Constable Emma Barnett visited the new Burton unit to find out how the cadets were settling in and assist with a unit inspection.

On Friday 5th - Sunday 7th May, a team of Merton and Wandsworth Volunteer Police Cadets had the privilege of taking part in a unique and dynamic military exercise weekend at Longmoor Barracks in Hampshire.

On Sunday 23rd April, fifteen Merton Volunteer Police Cadets joined 500 other VPC's, and young people from other organisations, on duty as key support crews throughout the route of the Virgin London Marathon.

A group of Volunteer Police Cadets from East Herts were recently given a special accolade at this year's High Sheriff of Hertfordshire Awards for Partnership Working.

Grimsby cadets recently attended a special attestation event where they were invited, one-at-a-time, to take an official oath and be awarded the title of Police Cadet by Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Scott Young.

Wandsworth Volunteer Police Cadets were, once again, proud to support the 2017 Wandsworth Young Person of the Year Awards, held at the Civic Centre on Tuesday 25th April, with Mayor of Wandsworth Cllr Richard Field, and other VIP guests, in attendance.

“Volunteers strengthen our police forces and make a vital contribution to keeping our communities safe"