What are the CARAs?
The CARAs (Cadet Adult Recognition Awards) are Cadet nominated awards which recognise and thank Cadet Force Adult Volunteers within the Cadet Services in the Lowlands of Scotland.
There are ten sponsored CARAs, two per Army Cadet Battalion (winner & runner-up), two for the Sea Cadets (E&W) and two for the Air Cadets (E&W). Cadets will be able to nominate their chosen CFAV through an online application on the RFCA website.
Year in, year out, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) selflessly dedicate their time and energy to ensure Cadets get the most from their Cadet Experience. It is our hope that The CARAs will give Cadets across the Lowlands an opportunity to say thank you to the volunteers who mean so much to them.
Cadets will be able to independently nominate the CFAV of their choice for a CARA by using the online nomination form on the Lowland RFCA website. The nomination form will offer Cadets the option of a written or video submission. All nominations will then be reviewed by Lowland RFCA, whereupon a winner will be picked for each category.
Each of the ten CARAs has been sponsored by a local business. The award will consist of a £50 gift voucher and a certificate. The award ceremony itself will take place on social media, allowing everyone to be involved!
Who can I nominate?
CARAs are for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers. In other words, adult volunteers who make your Cadet experience possible. Each Cadet has a nomination!
What should I think about when nominating?
- How has this CFAV particularly helped you?
- How has this CFAV gone above and beyond to make your Cadet experience better?
- Can you think of any examples to support your nomination?
Publicising the CARAs?
We will be posting on our channels over the coming months, please do share these posts where possible.
Some assets will be uploaded here once voting opens for you to use to promote the CARAs
CARAs 2026
Nominations for this year’s CARAs will take place between Monday 14th September and Tuesday 27th October.
This year’s ceremony will take place on Friday the 5th of December.
Sponsors 2026
Meet our CARAs sponsors for 2026
Awards Sponsor: TBC
Sea Cadets West: Malin Group
Sea Cadets East: Forth Ports
Air Cadets West: SCS Construction Ltd
Air Cadets East: TBC
Glasgow and Lanarkshire Winner: Indigo E-Commerce Digital Ltd
Glasgow and Lanarkshire Runner-Up: Morris & Spottiswood Ltd
West Lowland Winner: Kilmarnock Football Club
West Lowland Runner-Up: Indigo E-Commerce Digital Ltd
Lothian and Borders Winner: Scottish Power Ltd
Lothian and Borders Runner-Up: Murray Plate Group
Nomination Instructions
Nominations for 2026 will open on the 14th September.
- Get parental/guardian permission to nominate and to submit your/family email address.
- Decide whether you want to make a written or a video submission.
- Have a really good think about why your CFAV is so worthy, what makes them stand out from the crowd!
- Written Submission: Written submissions must be no longer than 200 words. We would recommend writing your nomination in Pages or Word and then copying and pasting into the form below – that way you can check the word count in advance.
- Video Submission: If you are wanting to make a video submission there are a few things to think about.
Make your submission at the top of the page using the digital form.
