RAF Benevolent Fund
The RAF Benevolent Fund exists for the relief and assistance of all ranks who are serving, or have served, their widows, partners, children or other dependants, who may need assistance by reason of poverty, disability, sickness, infirmity or otherwise. In 2005 the Fund spent just over £20m helping in excess of 30,000 members of the RAF family in various ways.The Fund supports serving personnel are by providing assistance with housing to the widows/widowers with dependent children of RAF personnel who die in service, or who are medically discharged as a result of becoming severely disabled and who have little prospect of future employment. This may be in the form of a loan to assist the applicant with the purchase of a property or by the outright purchase by the RAF Benevolent Fund Housing Trust of a property which the beneficiary can occupy in return for a means-tested accommodation payment. At any one time about 250 properties are owned by the Housing Trust. The Fund can also provide grants to people in need of housing or furniture following relationship breakdown.
Similarly, if there is financial need, the Fund will assist with the cost of boarding school fees for children of personnel who die or become severely disabled while serving, and may also provide financial assistance with the tertiary education of such children. The Fund also has close links with the Duke of Kent School in Surrey,
Website: RAFBF Duke of Kent School
Parents can apply for assistance with the costs of travelling to hospitals to visit children who are ill or disabled and undergoing medical treatment.
The Fund has facilities for convalescence holidays at Princess Marina House in Sussex and at the three respite homes run with RAFA: Flowerdown House at Weston-super-Mare, Richard Peck house at St Annes and Rothbury House in Northumberland. The Fund also has Seacot House which is a family respite home, recently developed by the RAF Benevolent Fund to provide 1 or 2 week breaks for members of the serving RAF. Its purpose is to provide support for RAF families, with or without children, who find themselves facing difficulties over and above the usual stresses and strains of Service life, and are in need of an affordable respite break.Webpage: RAFBF Respite Care
Other forms of assistance include:
- Grants to meet general needs, including domiciliary care and equipment
- Grants, or providing low cost loans, to assist with home repairs and modifications
- Grants to top up the cost of residential, nursing, or respite care
- The loan of wheelchairs, scooters and other mobility aids
- Advice on sheltered housing, resettlement, retraining and starting a small business
Accident, misfortune or tragedy can hit any one of us and it is good to know the RAF Benevolent Fund is there to listen and to assist wherever possible. Finally, it is important to stress that the RAF Benevolent Fund helps both officers and airmen alike. There is a misconception that the Fund only assists officers; in fact, the statistics show that for every one application from an officer, there are five from non-commissioned personnel.
All serving personnel are invited to contribute one half-a-day's net pay per year to the RAF Benevolent Fund. The donations are deducted from pay monthly under the Payroll Giving Scheme.
The Officer Commanding Personnel Management Squadron (OC PMS) is the point of contact on Stations for all matters relating to the RAFBF; all applications for RAFBF assistance should be submitted through OC PMS for endorsement by the Stn Cdr.
RAFBF Poster
Address:
THE ROYAL AIR FORCE BENEVOLENT FUND
67 Portland Place
London
W1B 1AR
Tel: 020 7580 8343
Also at:
Address:
20 Queen Street
Edinburgh
EH2 1JX
Tel: 0131 225 6421
Registered Charity No.: 207327
Website: http://www.rafbf.org
ROYAL AIR FORCE BENEVOLENT FUND PROVIDES FREE RELATIONSHIP SUPPORT THROUGH RELATE
For almost 90 years the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAFBF) has been helping serving members of the RAF with a wide range of problems. Now it is trying to find the best way of supporting those who have difficulties in their relationships.
Working with Relate
The RAFBF is paying Relate to provide up to six counselling sessions and a number of training courses at three RAF stations, including this one, during 2008 as part of a pilot project. If the pilot project is successful, the RAFBF will consider funding similar services for all RAF stations in 2009.
Which stations are included in the pilot project?
RAF Brize Norton, RAF Marham and RAF Leuchars.
Who can take part?
All serving personnel at this station and their partners. Whether you are married, living together, in a same-sex relationship, separated, divorced or single, Relate's confidential service can help you to deal with your relationship difficulties. You can take part on your own or with a partner.
What help is being provided?
Face-to-face counselling sessions will be available at each of the three stations and at the nearest Relate Centres. Telephone counselling will also be available, including for those currently deployed overseas.
The counselling sessions will give you the opportunity to talk about your relationships - past, present or future. They can help you understand how your family is affected by your relationship, how you can improve your relationship, how you can manage a separation constructively, or how you can get over a break-up.
Four training courses based on Relate's popular Lifeskills Programme will also be available at each of the three stations. Each course focuses on one of the following topics: building strong relationships, coping while a partner is away on deployment, coming to terms with the end of a relationship, and empowering partners of serving personnel to support each other by providing a listening service.
How can I get access to these services?
Serving personnel based at this station, or their partners, should call 0845 0775556 (charged at local call rates, except from mobiles). You will then speak in total confidence to a trained Relate consultant who will be able to provide you with some immediate support and talk you through the options available.
Is the service confidential?
Yes. Everything you say to a Relate consultant, counsellor or trainer will remain confidential. No-one in the RAF will be told that you have accessed these services. You will need to give your service number, or your partner's service number, but this is solely so the RAFBF can check that it is only paying for those eligible for the services.
More detailed information about the services provided at each of the three stations is available at the HIVE and the welfare office or online at: Website: www.rafbf-workitout.org.uk
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