On Monday 8 December 2025, 1312 (City of Southend-on-Sea) Squadron Air Cadets were proud to mark a significant milestone with the official opening of our new Squadron Headquarters, based within the Southend Army Reserve Centre.
The new building forms part of a Joint Cadet Centre and is now home to both our squadron and the Southend Detachment of C Company, Essex Army Cadet Force. The centre is one of the first in the UK to follow a nationally recognised shared building design, purpose-built to support collaboration between cadet forces while providing modern, sustainable facilities for young people.
The centre was officially opened by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, who was accompanied by a number of distinguished guests and senior representatives from across the cadet forces and local community. Also in attendance were the Mayor and Mayoress of the City of Southend-on-Sea, senior officers from Essex Army Cadet Force and RAF Air Cadets, representatives from East Anglia RFCA, and other invited dignitaries.
As part of the visit, the Lord Lieutenant inspected cadets on parade before touring the new facilities. Cadets from both organisations were able to showcase aspects of their training and activities, with many of our guests taking the time to speak directly with cadets and even join in with demonstrations. The visit concluded with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to formally mark the opening of the Joint Cadet Centre.
For the Squadron, the move into this new building offers a welcoming, modern environment that supports our cadets’ development. Sharing the building with Essex Army Cadets also strengthens an already positive working relationship, creating new opportunities to collaborate, share resources, and broaden the experiences available to cadets.
We are incredibly grateful to all those who have supported this project and attended the opening, and we are excited to begin this new chapter for the Squadron. The new Joint Cadet Centre provides a strong foundation for us to continue delivering high-quality training, adventure, and opportunities for young people in Southend-on-Sea for many years to come.
We are also mindful that this move brings to a close an incredibly long and significant association with London Southend Airport. For decades, 1312 Squadron was located on the same plot at the airport, with our original building tracing its roots back to RAF Rochford. That connection to aviation history has been a defining part of our identity as an Air Cadet squadron.
While we are incredibly sad and disappointed to have had to leave the site, we remain extremely grateful for the support and relationship we have enjoyed with London Southend Airport over many years. We hope this move marks not an end, but a new chapter in that relationship, and that we can continue to work alongside the airport, albeit from a little further down the road.
