What we do
Our welfare mission statement
The Royal Air Forces Association is committed to providing confidential, professional and fair services to members of the wider RAF family from the youngest recruit to the oldest veteran and their families. Ongoing training and support for welfare volunteers and staff ensures services are consistent and of the highest possible standard. All will be treated with dignity and respect at all times.
Help when you need it
Our dedicated welfare team is here to help. Whether you need someone to talk to, help finding financial support, some time away to rest and recuperate or something else entirely, we can help find a solution.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re currently serving, or you’re a veteran or a family member, whatever you need, don’t be afraid to ask.
How we help the RAF family
With thousands of members and volunteers across the UK and further afield, we have the network needed for a personal, one-to-one approach. Our befriender and caseworker volunteers attend nationally accredited training courses, and are DBS checked so you can be confident in the services we provide.
We carefully and sensitively deliver all the support we offer to members of the RAF family to suit the needs of each individual we help. We work in partnership with other organisations to make sure we can provide the correct support for you. Our befriender and caseworker volunteers attend nationally accredited training courses, and are DBS checked so you can be confident in the services we provide.
Who do we help?
Today, there are over 1.5 million people in the RAF family who are either serving or who have served in the RAF (whether as a regular or reservist) and their spouses, partners or dependent children. We know family doesn’t stop there, so for some of our work we also count parents and close relatives, air-minded youth organisations, contractors and civil servants supporting the RAF as part of the family. You do not need to be a member to receive our help.
Just a typical working year for the RAF Association
In a typical year, these are just some of the ways that we help our servicemen and women, past and present. You can find out more information about all of this great work on this site.
- Over 74,000 members offering friendship and support to one another
- Our network of volunteer welfare officers make over 115,000 welfare contacts visits and calls offering personal support to meet each individual’s and family’s needs
- We give expert advice and professional assistance on War Pensions and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, achieving more than £550,000 in pension and compensation payments
- We help 2,500 people enjoy a much needed Wings Break
- We keep families connected through our Storybook Wings for more than 95,000 days
- We fund the refurbishment of comfortable contact houses on stations, so more than 25,500 serving personnel could be visited by family and friends
- We assist around 85 RAF veterans or their widows/widowers to lead safe, independent lives in our sheltered and supported housing
- Through the RAF Families Federation we give RAF personnel and their families the chance to influence future policy
- We distribute more than £1.9m in welfare grants to serving and ex-serving personnel
This important work needs your support. Please look around the site to see how you can help us be there for the RAF family whenever they need us.