Army Cadet budget slashed by £4m

Gordon Brown, Ed Balls and the government's social mobility tsar, Alan Miburn, have all recommended that more cadet units be set up in schools.

But cuts to the army's budget are putting pressure on the 8,500 adult volunteers who work for the cadets.

The Army Cadet Force, which works with 45,000 12- to 18-year-olds, traditionally reimbursed adult volunteers for expenses accrued during training.

But the cuts mean that volunteers are no longer eligible for financial support.

Mike Wharmby, general secretary of the Army Cadet Force Association claimed there is a "looming prospect of similar, or larger cuts in the Army's future cadet budget".

He said: "We may well see a reduction in our adult strength, especially among the more junior volunteers who have the most contact with the cadets.

"It goes without saying that if we lose our volunteers we will be unable to train the cadets and therefore many children will miss out on the benefits of their cadet experience."

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the cuts in October. A spokeswoman for the MoD was unable to discuss the army's budget.

However, she said volunteers could no longer be paid to train as cadet leaders because resources are being "focused on current operations meaning that savings have to be applied elsewhere". "There is a terrific level of enthusiasm and commitment within the Army Cadet Force and we hope that cadets and instructors will maintain that commitment," she added.