Over half a million of new funding is being invested in the UK Fire Cadets. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) secured the grant, totalling £532,333.40, from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of the Government’s £7.5 million Uniformed Youth Fund. The funding is set to significantly expand the reach and impact of the UK Fire Cadets programme, creating transformative opportunities for hundreds of young people aged 13–18. Through structured, skill-building activities, participants will develop confidence, leadership, and a strong sense of civic responsibility – empowering them to make meaningful contributions within their communities. 

This investment forms part of the Government’s wider Building Creative Futures package, unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which aims to reconnect young people with real-world experiences and tackle the growing challenges of isolation and digital overexposure.   

Specific strategic objectives of the funding include increasing capacity in areas of unmet demand, particularly Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 1-5 and Youth Investment Fund areas; engaging harder-to-reach groups, including young people with SEND, those eligible for free school meals, young carers, looked-after children, and ethnically diverse communities; and generally improve wellbeing and develop essential life and work skills for young people.  

Fire and rescue services from across England were invited to apply for a mix of start-up awards and bursary funds through a formal grant application which will result in:   

The creation of 343 new Fire Cadet places for young people across England, and support to recruit 100 new Fire Cadet lead volunteers.  

  • Support for existing units through replacement of end-of-life equipment, uniform and PPE, particularly in areas of deprivation (IMD 1–5).  
  • Funding to deliver accredited training including the Level 2 NFCC Introduction to Working with Children and Young People and a new Fire Cadet Leaders Course.  
  • Enhancement of digital resources via the StayWise fire safety education platform, shaped by the UK Fire Cadet Voice Forum.  
  • Continued partnership with the Fire Angel Leadership Foundation Programme, empowering female cadets to become future leaders in the fire service.  

 Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Phil Garrigan, said: 

“We are proud to have secured this vital investment for the UK Fire Cadets programme. This funding will allow us to reach more young people – particularly those from underrepresented and underserved communities – and offer them meaningful opportunities to build confidence, develop valuable skills, and connect with their communities in powerful ways. The Fire Cadets programme is about more than just skills,it’s about shaping futures, fostering resilience, and inspiring the next generation to make a difference.”

Dan Moss, NFCC Project Executive for the Uniformed Youth Fund, said: 

“This funding is a transformative opportunity for the Fire Cadets programme ensuring that our facilities are accessible to more young people across England. It supports our mission to provide safe, inclusive, and high-quality environments where cadets can develop life skills, confidence, and leadership, to help build a stronger more resilient future generation that thrives. I am so proud to be part of a national movement that puts youth empowerment at its heart.”

The grant will support the development of new Fire Cadet units in Cheshire, Cumbria, Essex County, Greater Manchester, Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Humberside, Kent, Lincolnshire, London, Merseyside, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Surrey, Tyne & Wear, and East Sussex. Existing Fire Cadet Units receiving bursary support will include Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Hereford & Worcester, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Royal Berkshire, and West Sussex.  

The funding will also support eight female Fire Cadets who have been selected to join the new Fire Angel Leadership Foundation Programme to take part in UK-based training before an expedition to Sweden in February 2026. The overall objective of the Programme is encouraging the development, and empowerment, of more future female leaders in the fire and rescue sector.   

Georgina Gilbert, co-founder of the Fire Angel Leadership Foundation Programme, said:  

“Leadership isn’t about standing in-front, it’s about bringing others with you. For us, it’s always been about courage, teamwork, and self-belief in the toughest environments, whether that’s on the ice on Antarctica or closer to home as fire fighters.

“These eight inspiring Fire Cadets are about to experience something really special, the chance to lead, experience setbacks and try again, to support one another, and to find their own inner strength. Learning to lead in challenging environments builds more than skills; it builds self-esteem, confidence, and the quiet resilience that stays with you for life.

“Sweden is where we did much of our own polar training, and we know first-hand how transformative it can be. This is more than just an experience, it’s a journey of self-discovery that will shape who these young people become, as leaders and as individuals.

“We’d also like to thank the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for recognising the importance of giving young people these opportunities, to challenge themselves, to grow, and to see what they are truly capable of.”

ENDS  

Notes  

  • UK Fire Cadets (UKFC) is a national uniformed youth organisation supported by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and run by individual fire and rescue services throughout the UK (all four UK nations). Unlike other cadet forces it is free of charge, and works with young people from all backgrounds. 
  • There are currently more than 2,550 Fire Cadets volunteering out of 210 Fire Cadet Units, with the target age of the Fire Cadet Programme being 13-17 years old. 
  • Fire Cadets is not about creating future firefighters but instead aims to support young people in developing a range of skills which are transferable to other areas of education, work and life. 
  • The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is a charity and an independent membership association and the professional voice of the UK Fire and Rescue Service. NFCC supports fire and rescue services to help them to save lives and keep their local communities safe.