World Mental Health Day: Q&A with Air Commodore Simon Harper

This World Mental Health Day, we spoke to Air Commodore Simon Harper, Director of Grants, Services and Programmes at the RAF Benevolent Fund, about the ways the Fund can be there to support those serving during difficult times.

Simon served for 34 years in the RAF, including as Station Commander at RAF Halton. He has experienced firsthand some of the challenges that military life can present for serving personnel and their families.

From your experience, what are some of the posing challenges serving RAF personnel and their families may face?

Due to the transient nature of military life, RAF families are often required to relocate to different bases and locations frequently, sometimes at short notice. My family was no different, and I know how disruptive this can be particularly to children’s education.

Deployments can place significant strain on families with the absence of a partner or parent for extended periods often leading to emotional and practical challenges for the family left behind, including feelings of isolation when moving far from family and friends.

Building new support networks in unfamiliar locations can be difficult, as well as finding suitable childcare and ensuring educational stability for children and that is why the Fund has invested over £40 million supporting children and young people over the last 20 years.

What emotional support does the Fund provide for serving personnel and their families to help overcome these challenges?

To support emotional wellbeing, we offer a free membership to Headspace for serving RAF personnel, Reservists, their partners, and any members of the RAF Family who are currently using our listening and counselling service, that supports and enhances mental wellbeing, also have the option of this free service.

Headspace is a 'gym membership for the mind' providing access to guided mindfulness exercises, delivered straight to your phone or browser, in bite-sized 10-minute sessions. 

Mindfulness has been shown to have a positive impact on mood and mental wellbeing – increasing levels of happiness, reducing levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and improving sleep quality.

How can serving life affect communication within families?

The demands and unique challenges of serving life can often put a strain on families, and so learning to improve communication becomes a necessary skill. Our online Building Stronger Families platform is tailored specifically for RAF personnel and their families, which aims to equip you and your family with effective communication tools and skills to help develop and maintain meaningful relationships.

Each topic has been designed with support for relationships and families of the RAF in mind and includes useful self-help reflection tasks, videos and information on areas including resolving conflict, family life and parenting, communication and being a couple.

What advice can you give to families who may need a break from everyday life?

We recognise that every family is different and that most do superbly well managing daily stresses and strains. Of course, there are times when a break can provide important benefits that contribute to overall health and wellbeing.

Taking a break allows you to rest and recharge, reducing the risk of burnout and improving overall health. It also allows the perfect opportunity to reconnect with loved ones.

We offer a selection of wellbeing breaks for those experiencing pressures or challenges who could benefit from a break away. The Fund’s very own holiday home, the Folly, in the seaside town of Bridlington is also available for welfare breaks for serving RAF personnel and RAF veterans all year round.

How can military life affect RAF children and young people?

In our Growing up in the RAF report, we identified that the main worries of RAF children and young people are deployment and frequent home moves, having to leave friends behind and disrupted education.

Over the last 20 years, we are immensely proud to have provided bespoke support for RAF children and their families, including significant investment in childcare centres, play parks, mental health support and our Airplay programme.

Airplay has a hugely positive impact not only on the lives of young RAF children, but also their parents who tell me that they are grateful to have a safe, supportive and fun space for their children where they can fully embrace and celebrate being a part of the RAF Family.

How can I get in touch with the Fund for support?

It’s really important for RAF personnel and their families to know that the Fund is there to support them whenever they should need it, whether its financial, practical or emotional support. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us by visiting rafbf.org/support or calling 0300 102 1919.