About Us

An introduction to our activities is available as an online flash presentation.

The Army Cadet Force (ACF) is a non-profit organization with 40 000 male and female cadets across the country. Tracing back to 1859, we started off as a voluntary defence force for England during war with the French. We have continued to expand and are now independent from the Army, although we still receive a certain amount of funding from the Ministry of Defence.

Nowadays the ACF is a 'disciplined youth organization' providing structured learning and entertainment for any children aged 12-18. We concentrate on providing a foundation of military knowledge for children from all backgrounds. It is extremely difficult to fulfil our motto 'to inspire to achieve' because there is so much to be achieved.

Our activities range from military subjects such as drill, map & compass, fieldcraft and shooting to nationally recognised civilian subjects such as the St. John first aid course. If you're more adventurous, our training packages also include mountain biking, climbing and abseiling.

The ACF provides something for everyone. If you want to be a part of it, visit the Joining page.