“Airplay provides a safe space full of understanding for our daughters”

For Sarah Wright and her husband Dale, who have been part of the RAF Family for nearly 25 years, the RAF Benevolent Fund’s Airplay youth programme has been an essential support system. It has played a key role in theirs and their daughters' lives while living on Station at RAF Henlow.

Dale joined the RAF in 2001 and will be retiring from his Flight Sergeant role at RAF Digby in 2025. After tours at RAF Cottesmore, RAF Marham and RAF Leeming, the Wright family were able to settle at RAF Henlow.

Married in 2006, Sarah and Dale moved to RAF Henlow in December 2015 when their eldest daughter, Phoebe, was two years old and have lived there ever since. Dale completed two tours at RAF Henlow before transferring to RAF Digby in Lincolnshire in 2023, where he spends most of his week.

The Wright family’s children both attend Airplay, the Fund’s youth programme which provides safe, supervised activities for children and young people aged five to 18 through a network of trained youth workers across RAF Stations nationwide and overseas. This includes Ben Clubs which are aimed at children aged five to seven.

Sarah said: “Phoebe, who is now 11, attended Ben Play at Henlow when she was very little and joined Ben Club at the age of five. After a few years, a couple of friends from school invited her to Airplay and she has been going ever since.”

In 2017, Sarah and Dale's daughter Lois was born. Lois made a friend while at a baby group when she was little, however her friend and her family moved to Cyprus for four years. They have since returned, and the two girls rekindled their friendship at Airplay at RAF Henlow, which Lois now attends with her sister.

Sarah said: “I think what they enjoy most about Airplay is being able to hang out with their friends taking part in activities of their choosing. There may be organised activities in the sessions, but these aren't compulsory, if they want to sit together and play a board game or make up their own game, then they are free to do so. It is also separate from school and teachers and the seriousness that comes with that. And they love the tuck shop!”

Sarah continued: “Phoebe has had the opportunity to go rock climbing, Paintballing, Go Ape, Laser Tag and theme parks with Airplay. Their Airplay Youth Worker, Julia, will usually attend Station events such as the Halloween disco, Easter events, or the Summer Fair and she will get both girls involved in the activities."

Airplay helps Sarah during the times when Dale is away working at RAF Digby. “It gives me a couple of child-free hours to get lots of jobs done at home. It is also helpful during school holidays; it means I do not have to take a day’s leave when my husband is away from RAF Henlow in the week.”

Sarah thinks Airplay provides a ‘safe space full of understanding’ that allows her daughters to interact with other children and young people who are in similar situations with serving parents often away on deployment. She said: “I believe Airplay has hugely built the confidence of both my girls. They don't get treated like children and, now they are older, they attend the Airplay Youth Forum where they help to make decisions about what activities are arranged throughout the year.”

Airplay also supports young people with the anxiety of school transitions. Sarah said: “Phoebe will be moving to secondary school in September, and not only will she know the children from her class, but she will also know some children who already go there because she knows them from Airplay. I am hoping this will ease the transition.”

Sarah added: “The kind of support and interaction Airplay provides is not available in the civilian world. I do not believe similar exists in the local area with the same availability at a very reasonable cost. Airplay has had a hugely positive impact on our family.”