Month of the Military Child: BenPlay at RAF Benson

Continuing with our Month of the Military Child stories this April, we take a look at how our BenPlay programme supports RAF parents and children at RAF Benson.

In 2024, we provided a Station grant of £2,340 to RAF Benson for its BenPlay Let’s Act musical theatre group for three to five-year-olds, which aims to improve confidence by developing performing skills.

Emma Shishmanian, who teaches the Let’s Act musical theatre group at RAF Benson, said: "I really enjoyed teaching the children at RAF Benson for a summer term of Let's Act Mini Musical Theatre. We had beautifully engaging and energetic classes throughout the term, with all children learning and working hard on their musical theatre skills of singing, dancing, acting and spoken dialogue.

“All children were engaged and quickly learnt what was expected of them within class, working well as part of a team, building connections and friendships with each other.”

One parent, with two children who attend the Let’s Act group at RAF Benson, said: “My two girls absolutely love Let’s Act. I was initially not sure if my three-year-old was too young for a club, but how wrong I was! They both ask all the time when their next class is, and they adore every minute of it! I’ve seen their confidence grow and they have made lovely friendships too.”