Volunteer Police Cadets Week - Day 7/7 💙 The future of Volunteer Police Cadets belongs to young people. As Volunteer Police Cadets Week 2026 comes to an end, I’ve spent some time reflecting on what this programme means to me, the people involved and, more importantly, where we go next. Over the past seven days, I’ve shared my own journey, celebrated our volunteers, highlighted the skills our cadets develop and spoken about the opportunities VPC creates. But today, I want to look forward. What should Volunteer Police Cadets look like in the next 5, 10 or even 20 years? For me, the answer starts with listening to young people. Not just asking them what they think, but genuinely involving them in shaping the programme they’re part of. Giving them opportunities to influence decisions, develop activities, take on leadership responsibilities and challenge us when we could be doing things differently. Youth voice shouldn’t be an optional extra. It should be at the heart of everything we do. We also need to keep asking ourselves some important questions. Are we reaching young people who might benefit most from the programme? Are we creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, valued and included? Are we giving our volunteers the training, resources and support they need? And are we measuring success by the number of cadets who join policing, or by the difference we make to young people’s lives? Because whilst traditions have their place, we should never be afraid to evolve. The challenges facing young people today are different from those faced by previous generations. Our programmes must continue to adapt, innovate and respond. Having been involved in VPC since 2015, first as a cadet and then as an instructor, I’ve seen just how much this programme can offer. But I also believe its greatest potential is still ahead of us. We shouldn’t simply aim to maintain Volunteer Police Cadets. We should aim to make it the best youth development programme it can possibly be. To every cadet, instructor, volunteer, police officer, staff member and supporter who makes VPC possible - thank you. And most importantly, to our young people: thank you for your enthusiasm, your commitment, your ideas and for constantly reminding us why this work matters. The future of Volunteer Police Cadets isn’t just something we should build for young people. It’s something we must build with them. 💙 Day 7/7 - That’s a wrap! #VolunteerPoliceCadetsWeek #VolunteerPoliceCadets #YouthVoice #YouthWork #YouthDevelopment #BedfordshirePolice #Volunteering