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Children at RAF Henlow

Month of the Military Child: Fund increases support for RAF families in 2025

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To mark the Month of the Military Child, the RAF Benevolent Fund, highlights how it continues to invest significantly in its family services across RAF Stations both in the UK and overseas, providing greater support for RAF families in 2025.

RAF families face unique challenges, including frequent relocations, long deployments, and the emotional toll of separation1. These pressures can be especially tough on parents with young children – with a recorded 31 per cent of Service families with a child aged under five2 – as they navigate the demands of military life while trying to maintain a sense of stability and routine for their families.

The Fund provides a range of family services available at RAF Stations across the UK, including the Ben Play and Ben Parenting programme for parents, carers and children from 0-5 years. The scheme aims to enhance parenting skills, build knowledge on children’s developmental needs, and also provides activities to stimulate and support the development of babies and toddlers.

Some of the areas of focus for the programme include post-natal support, making friends with other new parents, first aid for babies – and bonding sessions which run outside of main work hours so either parent can attend. It also includes emotional wellbeing for parents, emotional and social development for babies, baby communication and language, play, music and the arts.

In 2024, the Fund provided over £41,400 in grants towards Ben Play sessions across 18 RAF Stations who applied for funding.3 For 2025, the Fund has allocated £100,000 in grants for Ben Play, a 141.5 per cent increase on last year.4

The Fund’s financial and practical support to RAF Stations and serving families ensures that families have access to essential services. 

Let's Act group of children performing
Let's Act musical theatre group for three to five-year-olds at RAF Benson. 

The Ben Play grants support groups at RAF Stations including Let’s Act, a musical theatre group for children aged three to five years old at RAF Benson; the Wonder and Awe tots’ group, where service families can meet for a brew and the children can make a mess and play, at RAF Marham; and Stay and Play, a space at RAF Henlow created for children 0-5 years old to spark imagination, curiosity and creativity. These groups have a significant impact on the socialisation and wellbeing of the children and parents who attend.

Warrant Officer Sarah Tuckwell, Service Community Support Officer at RAF Henlow, said: “The support provided by the Fund in the provision of our Stay and Play Ben Play group is really valued by the RAF Henlow community and our sessions in the community centre are consistently well attended.

“We provide different areas for the children to experience, catering to the whole age group, with a variation of stimulating activities week on week to explore, play and interact with.”

One parent who attends the Wonder and Awe group at RAF Marham said: “My child has benefitted from the Ben Play group at RAF Marham, which offers a great variety of toys, equipment and materials to explore. I have also found it great to get out and be sociable, especially seeing as Marham is so rural, it is lovely to have something local.”

Air Commodore Simon Harper, Director of Operations at the Fund said: “We are thrilled that we have been able to increase our financial support for Ben Play and Ben Parenting programmes across RAF Stations that assist parents with young children. We are proud of our Station Grants initiative which plays a vital role in ensuring these valuable services continue to run. Along with our Airplay programme that has been providing regular weekly activities for young people for the past 15 years, we remain committed to supporting RAF families.

“It's deeply rewarding to hear about the positive impact of Ben Play, providing much-needed relief and easing the pressures of military life. Having served in the Royal Air Force for 35 years myself, I understand first-hand the challenges serving families face, and it’s truly gratifying to know that we are making a positive difference."

  1. Growing up in the RAF report 2021
  2. UK Tri-Service Families Continuous Attitude Survey Results 2024
  3. RAF Benevolent Fund data and insights 2024
  4. RAF Benevolent Fund data and insights 2025