Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme

Our Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme welcomes all young people aged 13 to 17 living in Surrey. The scheme provides a safe and inclusive environment for cadets to learn about policing, develop positive relationships with the police and actively support their community.

We have seven Volunteer Police Cadet (VPC) Units across our Force and hope to open additional units in the future! Our existing units are located in the boroughs of Elmbridge, Guildford, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath and Woking.

Our VPC units meet one evening a week during academic term time and cadet deployments and events also take place at weekends and during the school holidays.

Why join us?

Joining our Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme comes with a range of benefits including:

• Making new friendships – Connect with like-minded peers and build lasting relationships.
• Exciting activities – Take part in police-related training, games and team-building exercises.
• Community involvement – Support your local area through volunteering and social action projects.
• Personal development – Gain confidence, leadership skills, and an understanding of policing.
• Career insights – Learn about policing in Surrey and explore potential future careers.

Becoming a volunteer police cadet in Surrey can help you develop a wide range of valuable skills including:

• Communication skills – Improve your ability to interact confidently with different people.
• Teamwork – Learn how to collaborate effectively in group settings through team activities.
• Problem-solving – Develop your critical thinking and decision-making ability.
• Leadership – Gain experience in taking initiative and guiding others.

How does it work?

You will attend a weekly evening session at one of our VPC units across the county. Our VPC unit sessions take place during academic term time and planned events are also scheduled at weekends and during the school holidays.

Our units meet at the locations and times shown in the table below:

Our weekly cadet sessions include activities, games and team-building tasks. You will also learn all about policing and your community.

Your learning will be centred around our cadet curriculum, and this will include inputs on police-related topics involving guest speakers and visits from specialist teams such as police dogs, firearms and drones to name a few! You will also have the opportunity to visit various units and departments within Surrey Police during your time as a cadet.

In addition to your weekly cadet session, you will be asked to volunteer an average of three hours every month supporting policing teams and our communities.

As you progress, you will be encouraged to take additional personal responsibility in areas such as mentoring new cadets and developing your ideas for cadet deployments into your community.

How can I get involved?

Visit vpc.police.uk to find out more about the National Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme and contact us at [email protected] for more information about becoming a volunteer police cadet or cadet leader.

To request the support of our volunteer police cadets, contact us at [email protected].

Safeguarding

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all young people involved in our Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme, we have established robust safeguarding procedures, supported by a comprehensive safeguarding policy.

Should you have any concerns about any member of the scheme (e.g. a young person or a leader) you can report these as follows:

• You can report directly to us by emailing [email protected]. We would always advocate contacting us in the first instance.
• You can report your concerns directly to the National VPC Safeguarding and Standards Team at [email protected].
• If you wish to report independently to the VPC Scheme, this can be made to Independent Office for Police Conduct on 0300 020 0096 or [email protected].