Press Release
The
RAF Families provides an independent voice for the serving RAF and their families (spouses, partners,
parents, children, siblings...) on issues of concern to them. The team communicates directly
with RAF families and gathers the information necessary to represent their views to senior RAF
staffs and ministers.
Flexing their Muscles
May 2008
| After only 6 months the
RAF Families Federation are certainly beginning to flex their muscles in the corridors of
power. Based on evidence gathered from serving members of the RAF and their families, the
Federation team have been able to represent families’ views to the Minister for Armed Forces’ Service
Personnel Command Paper; the National Recognition Study; the House of Commons Defence Committee
Inquiry into Recruitment and Retention and to the National Audit Office’s assessment of the ‘value
for money’ of Service Families Accommodation delivered by the MOD. Federation Chairman, Dawn McCafferty, said: “I have been surprised but delighted by the access we have had to very senior staffs at MOD and to Ministers. This powerful conduit enables us to represent the views of RAF families direct to those who can make a difference and I do believe that families’ views are being listened to, despite the pressures on resources and the need to meet operational commitments. “Ministers and senior staffs are well aware of the concerns RAF family members have expressed to the Federation team over recent months and we take every opportunity to represent key issues such as housing and access to schools, dental and medical facilities, to ensure that those who need to know are left in no doubt about the strength of feeling amongst RAF families. “Only last week, we took the opportunity to brief the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel), Vice Admiral Wilkinson, during a visit to our offices and I have a series of meetings lined up with senior RAF staffs to ensure we understand the ‘big picture’ as far as personnel policies are concerned. We also have meetings planned with senior staffs in Defence Estates in recognition that housing continues to be the top issue reported by all 3 Service Families Federations”. If you have an issue you want to draw to the Federation’s attention, visit their website at www.raf-ff.org.uk or call the ‘hotline’ on 01780781650. Without evidence provided by serving personnel and their families, the Federation is powerless to make a difference. So stop moaning into your cappuccino and let them hear your views. |
 Photograph: Federation
team ready and waiting to represent families’ views: Left to right: Chris Taylor, Colin
Jones, Julie Goodson, Ann Dewar (kneeling), Jenny Ward (in the back of car) and Dawn
McCafferty (in the driving seat).
|
| Back | Top |