Police cadets
Warwickshire Police cadets is for young people who wish to engage in a programme that offers them an opportunity to gain a practical understanding of policing, develop their spirit of adventure and good citizenship, while supporting their local policing priorities through volunteering, working with partner agencies and positive participation in their communities.
About our cadet schemes
To become a Warwickshire Police Cadet, you must live or go to school in Warwickshire and be aged 13 to 18 years old.
We have three units in Warwickshire, one in Nuneaton that covers North Warwickshire, one in Leek Wootton that covers South Warwickshire and one in Rugby that covers East Warwickshire.
We have a Junior scheme for cadets aged 13 to 16 years who are still at secondary school and a Senior scheme for cadets aged 16 to 18 years.
To apply to become a Senior cadet you must be a current Year 11 student when applying and would remain a cadet for two years, whilst in further education.
Recruitment for our Junior and Senior schemes will open from 1st January to 28th February 2026. The 2025 recruitment window closed in February 2025.
When do the sessions take place?
North Warwickshire Senior cadets meet every Thursday evening between 6.15pm and 8.30pm.
South Warwickshire Senior cadets meet every Thursday evening between 6.15pm and 8.30pm.
East Warwickshire Senior cadets meet every Tuesday evening between 6.15pm and 8.30 pm.
North Warwickshire Junior cadets meet every Tuesday evening between 6.15pm – 8.30pm.
South Warwickshire Junior cadets meet every Wednesday evening between 6.15pm – 8.30pm.
East Warwickshire Junior cadets meet every Thursday evening between 6.15pm – 8.30pm.
For more information about the session locations, please email [email protected]
As a cadet you will...
- make new friends
- get to take part in fun and exciting activities
- support your own community through volunteering and social action projects
- challenge yourself to learn and develop new skills
- attend weekly meetings to learn about policing and issues that affect your community
- attend personal safety training, learn about first aid and search techniques and take part in team-building and social activities
- be trained in leadership skills and conflict resolution
- become a positive role model and advocate for your younger peers
- be part of volunteering activities to prevent crime in your community, such as talking to the public to give them security advice, helping them download tracking apps on their mobiles, or register their valuables
- gain an insight into British policing
- Senior Cadets will have the opportunity to achieve a BTEC level 2 extended certificate or a BTEC level 2 Diploma, covering the following modules: developing effective teamwork skills, developing effective communication skills, and volunteering in the community.
Activities
Activities that will be open to you include:
- supporting local policing teams at high profile public events
- delivering crime prevention advice
- visiting vulnerable and elderly residents in local care homes
- assisting the public at community events
- mystery shopper operations with our partners in Trading Standards to kerb the underage sale of alcohol, knives, fireworks and cigarettes.
Each year we also have a five-day residential stay at an outdoor activity centre, where cadets take part in a whole range of exciting and daring activities. Our Cadets also support a wide range of charity events and often get involved in fundraising activities and national events like Remembrance Day.
Warwickshire Police Cadets Schemes are the perfect opportunity to meet new people, make friends, improve your life skills and volunteer in your community. You will gain a lot from the scheme and being able to put it on your CV will make you stand out to any employer!
Please contact us at [email protected] if you need any assistance or have any further questions, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
FAQs
Browse our frequently asked questions below for more details.
You don't need any experience, skills or qualifications to be a cadet. All we ask is that you commit to attending regularly, and strive to improve yourself and your local community.
All potential cadets will be vetted. The purpose of this vetting is not to routinely preclude any young person from membership but rather to allow the cadet leaders to manage any potential risk that is highlighted.
We are only able to offer places to young people living in Warwickshire. Each cadet unit is linked to a policing area, of which there are three in Warwickshire, and young people wishing to join should live within one of those policing areas.
If you live outside Warwickshire, please contact your local police force to see if they run a cadet scheme. You can do this by calling in at your local police station or contacting the force through its website.
We currently do not offer open evenings. During recruitment windows each year, we hold sessions where you can come and meet our leaders and existing cadets to help you decide whether to apply. Look out for announcements about when recruitment will next open!
There are other volunteering opportunities within Warwickshire Police, including the Special Constabulary and Police support volunteer roles.
Plus, you can take a look at our current paid vacancies too, and perhaps join us as an officer or staff member: Careers
Alternative options to police cadets are the cadet schemes within the:
- Army
- Air
- Sea
services, or other youth uniform organisations, such as:
- Scouts
- Guides
- Boys' Brigade, Girls' Brigade
- St John Ambulance
There should be local provision in your area offering excellent activities and opportunities for young people. Additionally, you may wish to contact your local council about other youth provision in your area.
Units meet once a week in the evening (you can see the times and days above for specific locations and age groups) and are additionally involved in activities at weekends and during school holidays.
The cadets is a voluntary scheme but we do ask cadets to give a small amount of money to the unit through weekly subscriptions. This will be used to cover some basic expenses involved with running the scheme.
However, if individuals have particular financial difficulties then a resolution can be discussed with local leaders.
There is no specific equipment you need in order to join the cadets. We provide a uniform to cadets at no cost, however you will have to provide black shoes/boots. We recommend bringing a pen and notepad to write down notes and information at cadet meetings or events.
Please email [email protected] to ask about the possibility of arranging a visit. We also hold sessions during recruitment windows each year, which you can find out more about in the 'Open evenings' FAQ.
Joining the Cadets will provide you with an insight into policing, however, it will not specifically assist your application.
In most cases the answer to this is yes. However, each case will be considered on its own merit.
Police cadets help and assist in the community by getting involved in stewarding local events such as fairs, town shows, carnivals and other local events. We also assist in high profile events in your area. Read more about the activities you could get involved with higher up on this page.
During your time as a Cadet you will be expected to follow a structured development programme. You can email [email protected] if you want more details about what this looks like. Plus, read more higher up this page about the activities you could get involved with and the qualifications that are open to Senior cadets.
Contact us
To find out where your local unit is, or to find out more about becoming a Cadet, please email [email protected].