Nusrat Ghani, Conservative MP for Sussex Weald, is pleased to announce that following weeks of continuous representations to Ministers regarding support for the Crowborough Cadets, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) offered a loan of synthetic flying equipment for the 1414 Squadron RAF Air Cadets.
Since the Home Office’s decision to house up to 540 male asylum seekers at the Crowborough Training Camp in October, Nusrat has been standing up for the Cadets and working with them to ensure that a suitable alternative site for their training is secured.
The Cadets have recently approached Nusrat for help regarding securing funding to deliver aviation themed learning through synthetic flying equipment for the 1414 Squadron RAF Air Cadets.
Nusrat has made multiple representations to both the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence, speaking to Ministers weekly to support the Squadron, who have been misplaced from the Crowborough Training Camp. The good news is that the MOD has offered a temporary loan of a complete, approved synthetic flying equipment set, to enable training activity until permanent equipment is secured.
Regardless of this result, Nusrat continues to make representations to the Home Office and has spoken to Minister Alex Norris MP again last week to request that funds are made available from the Home Office’s budgets and for the Cadets to be returned to their home, which is the Crowborough Training Camp.
Conservative Nusrat Ghani said: “The Cadets have lost their training facilities as a result of the Home Office’s plans to house asylum seekers at Crowborough Training Camp and Wealden District Council has failed to stand up for them.
I have been working with the Army and the RAF Cadets since day one to ensure that their needs are met and they can continue their activities from a safe, fully functional site. While the support in the form of a loan of the equipment needed by MOD is much welcome news, I continue working with the Home Office and pressing Ministers on making funds available for a permanent solution for the Cadets.
It is disappointing that Wealden District Council is once again not helping the local community through supporting the Cadets and has not made representations on their behalf or made funding available to help them. It is shocking that none of the Crowborough district Councillors have come forward to offer help for the Cadets, even though each District Councillor has an allocated £10,000 budget to spend within their communities as they see fit. I hope that one of them will step forward.
The MOD have reached out to the Cadet community and agreed to meet regularly, which is also a great result. As agreed with the Cadets, I will continue to advocate for them to make sure the community’s voice is heard. I have a further meeting with MOD planned and will continue working with the Cadet representatives to ensure their needs are met.”
