Station Champions: your RAF Benevolent Fund needs you!

We've recently recruited volunteer Station Champions across RAF stations nationwide, to help us raise awareness of our cause, reach those in need and fundraise for the RAF Family.

We know that many members of the RAF Family are keen to get involved with the work the RAF Benevolent Fund undertakes. Our Station Champions provide that opportunity, acting as a vital link between serving personnel, the RAF community and the Fund. We want to harness the great relationships we have with our Champions to encourage personnel up and down the home nations to learn more about the Fund, how we can support them, and how they can give back.

Our Station Champions can be found on a number of stations, but we're always on the lookout for more support from enthusiastic individuals. As a Station Champion, you can volunteer your time, help generate fundraising ideas, assist with putting up Fund branding or even organise your own events – all to spread awareness of the Fund.

To keep things fun and fresh, we've created a Station Champion Toolkit, packed with ideas that can help individuals become a fantastic advocate on station and for the Fund. Each Station Champion will also receive a Welcome Pack, have an induction meeting with their Community Fundraiser, and be invited to two events per year with fellow Champions to learn from each other, bounce around great ideas and keep up to date with key Fund activity.

Cpl Katie Bennett, Station Champion at RAF Halton, said: "I absolutely love being a Station Champion here at RAF Halton. My current role means I see first-hand the work that the Fund does for people like me, be that through emotional support services for individuals or station grants that benefit the whole unit. Being a Station Champion means I can give back to the Fund. I've helped to organise fundraising events in the gym, galvanised personnel to hold gate collections and even started a regular newsletter to keep people updated on Fund activity. It's been great working with the charity too, they are always there to support me, offer ideas and encourage me."

Charlotte Barmby, Community Fundraiser at the RAF Benevolent Fund, also championed the scheme: "Our Station Champions are vital to the RAF Benevolent Fund. By helping us raise awareness of the welfare services available to their colleagues and fundraising for the RAF Family, Champions allow us to reach more people in need. I've met so many individuals on stations that want to give back to the Fund and this is the perfect way to do that – we've got loads of ideas and are always keen to hear any you may have! We're so grateful for the time and effort our Champions go to which is why it's important for everyone to know that it really does make a massive difference to our outreach to the serving RAF community."

Last year, the Fund spent more than £26M supporting 63,700 members of the RAF Family.