British adventurer opens flagship Army Cadets training centre

Young people in Lincolnshire and further afield will enjoy more life-changing experiences and adrenaline-fuelled adventures following the official opening of a new Cadet training facility.

Beckingham Cadet Training Centre (CTC), located between Sleaford and Newark, has been built to give Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force a dedicated site, enabling the youth organisation to organise more local training weekends for up to 150 Cadets at a time.

The multi-million-pound facility is expected to boost retention and recruitment and contribute to the Government’s ambitious plans to grow the Cadet Forces across the country by 30% by 2030.

Jordan Wylie MBE, a British adventurer and star of Channel 4’s ‘Hunted’ series, marked the site’s official opening by unveiling a commemorative plaque during the opening ceremony on Saturday, 9th May.

His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Mr Toby Dennis, and Colonel Sir Jonathan Van-Tam MBE, Honorary Colonel of Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force (ACF), were amongst the invited guests who were treated to a tour of the three accommodation blocks and the main indoor space and its teaching, dining and ancillary areas.

An award-winning facility

Jordan said: “As the National Ambassador for the Army Cadets, I see how much benefit our amazing Cadets receive from being part of this youth organisation, and this major new Cadet Training Centre reinforces how important Army Cadets are to both the Army and the country.

“Army Cadets gives young people an advantage in education and the workplace, and the opportunity provided can be genuinely life changing.”

Stuart Williams OBE is the Chief Executive of East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA), which project managed the build as part of the organisation’s remit overseeing the Army Cadet estate in the region.

He said: “Our Beckingham Cadet Training Centre will lift the Cadet experience and enable youngsters to develop more skills and enjoy more adventures as a result of regular local camps.

“On a regional level, this site will help Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force work towards the Government’s ambition of growing the Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030.

“We are very proud of this award-winning facility, which perfectly demonstrates our ability to manage large infrastructure projects on behalf of Defence.

“We are an essential, effective and enduring partner to the Ministry of Defence, supporting, enabling and championing our Cadet and Reserve Forces because they add so much value to society.”

Colonel Ian Sackree, Commandant of Lincolnshire ACF, added: “We are incredibly grateful for this significant investment in our current and future Cadets and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.

“East Midlands RFCA and Lincolnshire ACF have held a longstanding shared ambition to build a CTC at Beckingham, but planning and design, and funding complexities have inevitably meant that this brilliant facility has taken time to arrive.

“The new CTC comes on top of significant investment elsewhere in the Lincolnshire ACF estate, including new Detachment buildings at Skegness and Bourne, confirming that in spite of an obviously tight fiscal climate, Cadets really do matter to the Government, Ministry of Defence and RFCA.

“This new CTC is a real game changer for us. We will no longer be at risk of short-notice cancellations to Beckingham Camp in favour of other priority users, and can plan our weekends with certainty.

“Furthermore, the modern accommodation and toilet and shower facilities, coupled with ‘one stop’ IT-enabled classrooms, a contemporary refectory, welfare facilities, and offices means that both Cadets and adults will be much better looked after and supported, and Cadet teaching and learning, and personal development will be so much more efficient.

“This substantial project would not have been possible without the hard work of the East Midlands RFCA team, the herculean efforts of the Lincolnshire RFCA Professional Support Staff alongside their day jobs, and our volunteers who worked tirelessly to commission the centre following contractor-handover.

“The weekends already held here in 2026 have already made an immensely positive difference to the Cadets, and will do so for many years ahead."

Excellence in sustainability

Architects Maber and contractors Triton Construction were appointed to oversee the project, which has been praised for its focus on sustainability.

The development has been nominated for one of the Ministry of Defence’s prestigious Sanctuary Awards. Back in 2024 it was also named ‘Sustainable Project of the Year’ in the Graphisoft UK Awards.

Sustainable materials, such as timber frames, recycled car tyres and a green roof, have all been used in construction and waste has been minimised thanks to offsite fabrication.

To protect the unique ‘ridge and furrow’ ground patterns that date back to the Anglo-Saxon period, the new structures and connecting walkways are all elevated off the ground, making them appear to float.

Ben Webster, Head of Estate at East Midlands RFCA, said: “Working on the new Cadet Training Centre at Beckingham has been a labour of love.

“Primarily it has been extremely rewarding to work on a project that will make such a difference to Cadets and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.

“But also it has been satisfying to work through the sustainability challenges and create an environmentally-friendly site that preserves the site’s natural and historical settings.

“A huge credit to our team and our main contractors Maber Architects and Triton Construction for their hard work, commitment to the vision and creative solutions.”

The new facility sits adjacent to Beckingham Camp, a popular, shared facility which the Cadets were finding it increasingly difficult to book.

Work to create the new site – made possible thanks to funding from the British Army – finished towards the end of 2025. The facilities, a vast improvement on what came before, are already in use.

Beckingham CTC’s official opening marks the completion of a trio of major improvements to the Cadet estate in Lincolnshire. In 2025, brand new facilities were also opened in Bourne and Skegness.