Where to go for support
There are in excess of 1,800 military charities in the UK who support the Armed Forces community. Being aware of which one to go to – as well as what each of them can offer can leave you feeling a little perplexed as to where to start.
The RAF has its own ‘RAF Family’ of charities as well as many others offering general support.
Cobseo, as the Confederation of Service Charities, provides a single point of contact for interaction with Government, including local government and the Devolved Administrations; with the Royal Household; the Private Sector; and of course, with other members of the Armed Forces community. This allows Cobseo Members to interact with all interested parties and especially to cooperate and collaborate with others in order to provide the best possible level of support to beneficiaries.
Royal Air Forces Association
The RAF Association is a membership organisation and registered charity that provides welfare support to the RAF Family.
The RAF Family includes all serving and ex-serving personnel and their dependants. To be eligible for welfare support, for both themselves and those who depend upon them, service personnel need to have served a minimum of one day in the RAF.
Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund
The RAF Benevolent Fund provides a range of support aimed at Serving and former RAF personnel and their families. This includes welfare breaks, grants to help with financial difficulty, getting about inside and outside the home. They also help with specialist advice on benefits such as Job Seeker’s Allowance claims for partners when they return from an overseas posting. For the younger members of the RAF family there is also the Airplay programme which now includes a digital version for those not living on RAF Stations.
RAF Central Fund
The RAF Central Fund is an independent charity that works to safeguard the health and wellbeing of serving RAF personnel through grant funding to enable them to take part in sports and physical activities at all levels. This support is provided at an individual level through its Sports Grants, at a Station level, and by providing vital funding to the RAF Sport Associations.
RAF Charitable Trust
The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust’s mission is to promote the Royal Air Force, to support its people now and into the future and to encourage air-mindedness and the aviation-related education of youth. By:
- Staging the Royal International Air Tattoo, the Royal Air Force Concerts, and other similar activities
- Giving financial grants to satisfy the Trust’s objects
- Funding scholarships and other awards
RAF Museum
Discover the two fantastic sites for the RAF Museum at Colindale in North London, and Cosford in Shropshire.
Both are free to enter and offer a great day out for all. The RAF Museum’s purpose is to share the story of the Royal Air Force, past, present and future – using the stories of its people and collections in order to engage, inspire and encourage learning.
RAF Sports Federation
Sport, adventure and physical activity is a crucial component in developing RAF personnel into a world-leading fighting force. But for personnel to reach their potential, they must participate in the right environment. The RAF Sports Federation is central to providing that environment.
