The Lord-Lieutenant and Outgoing President looks back at his three years heading East Anglia RFCA

Robert Voss CBE CStJ Hon.LLD is an experienced company director, consultant and commodity trader who has held leadership roles in national and international bodies since his early 30s, including seven years as Chair of the International Trade Council. His keen interest in fostering young people‘s entrepreneurialism has seen him judge both Young Enterprise and National Business Awards—along with establishing his own Young Entrepreneurs Challenge.

Latterly, as Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Robert also set up the highly regarded Lord-Lieutenant’s Entrepreneurs Challenge that takes place at each year’s Herts County Show. He was appointed to the Lieutenancy by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2017. Robert was already a CBE at that point, having been named in the New Year’s Honours list of 2014 for services to British industry and voluntary work. In 2020 Her Majesty also sanctioned his honour as a Commander in the Order of St John (CStJ).

Robert is patron and president of a number of local and national charities, holding the presidency of East Anglia RFCA for a full term of office between 2022 and 2025. As he handed over the role to our new President, the Lady Dannatt, at our Annual General Meeting on 24 June, Robert looked back on his three-year term through a speech delivered to Members and guests, which we are pleased to share below.

When I took over as President at this meeting three years ago we were still recovering from the effects of the pandemic which had such a huge impact on the entire world.

Cadet units had struggled to survive with the absence of face-to-face activities and numbers had dwindled. Reserve Forces likewise had found life difficult and were trying to rebuild after two years of lockdowns and considerable restrictions.

Now here we are, three years on, and we find the world a very troubled place. We sit on the edge of a deep precipice looking down a dark tunnel with no sign of light at the end.

With war still raging in Ukraine, Taiwan looking over its shoulder at big brother China and the war in the Middle East escalating daily—as well as the problems in Gaza—who knows what the situation will be, not in three years’ time but in three months or even three weeks?

Economic problems abound across the globe, with America learning to live under the Trump regime and Putin threatening all those within earshot, plus we have problems here in the UK, be it the refugee crisis or cost of living. What a world we live in!

We read daily about the under-preparedness of our military and the need to spend, spend, spend—so never has there been a greater demand for strong Reserve Forces to step up to the plate.

And how proud we are of our Reserve Forces across the region. I have spent time with units from all three services and have been very impressed with the enthusiasm and devotion to duty not only to their units but to the country as a whole.

When giving the keynote speech at HMS Wildfire, based at Northwood HQ, recently one young reservist told of his six months on patrol off Yemen, in the thick of a highly sensitive and dangerous part of the world. I know that other units have been deployed in various parts of the world on exercises and operations too.

It’s good to see 162 Hospital Squadron being established at the new Army Reserve Centre in Hitchin which I had the pleasure of opening as part of 254 [Multi-role Medical Regiment].

I made it my goal as President to build stronger links between employers in the region who support the Defence community and our cadets—the young people who give up their time to build skills and confidence in a Defence-related setting.

It was my great pleasure to host a cadet-focused employer engagement event in Hertfordshire (pictured above). We heard from several speakers explaining the benefit to their business of supporting cadets and adult volunteers.

So we must congratulate and thank the many businesses in the region who have shown their great support of our reservists and been awarded Employer [Recognition Scheme] Awards in Gold, Silver and Bronze. Without their ongoing support our reserve forces would simply disintegrate.

I have also very much enjoyed engaging with a large number of our cadets. Whether rowing with the Sea Cadets, exercising with the RAF Air Cadets or attending the annual Army Cadet Force camps at Bassingbourn, I have been very impressed with the way these young people mature whilst gaining vital new life skills which will stand them in great stead in their futures.

It has been an honour and a privilege to have served as President and I can step down safe in the knowledge that the Association is making a genuine and positive difference to our communities and to our country’s defence and security.

I know I hand over the Presidency to someone who will have far far greater knowledge of military matters than I could ever have, and I wish the Lady Dannatt well and continued success to the Association here in East Anglia.