Fund awards £61,650 grant to SSAFA to support mental wellbeing services

The RAF Benevolent Fund has awarded a three-year grant totalling £61,650 to SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

The grant will go towards SSAFA’s Mentoring Programme and Norton House services which aim to improve mental wellbeing and reduce isolation and loneliness in the RAF community.

Norton House, Stanford Hall, provides accommodation and respite for the friends and family of serving personnel, as well as a Mentoring team, who help service leavers transition into civilian life.

The funds will help support SSAFA’s Mentoring programme that aims to provide holistic, one-to-one, face-to-face support for service leavers during transition and up to two years post-discharge.

Irene Greenwood, Welfare Programmes Manager at the Fund, said: “Working closely with military charities is an essential part of the Fund’s support to the RAF Family, allowing us to deliver a wide variety of projects which underpin their aims to improve the lives of their serving personnel and their families.”

She continued: The work that SSAFA undertakes is vital; even more so during these uncertain times globally and the Fund stands by ready to help wherever we can.”

Jonathan Sandall, Director of Fundraising, Marketing & Communications at SSAFA, said: “SSAFA is very appreciative to the RAF Benevolent Fund. The donation will help support our Mentoring programme that aims to provides long-term, one-to-one support for service leavers during transition and up to two years post-discharge.

“The monies will also fund our vital work at Norton House, Stanford Hall which provides accommodation and respite for the friends and family of service men and women who are undergoing treatment for illness or injury at the neighbouring Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre.”

Danni’s story

Danni served 22 years in the RAF and had a fantastic career that sadly became tainted after they came out as non-binary transgender. 

The trauma faced during their last few years in service made the transition out of the military especially difficult for Danni.

In a short space of time, Danni was connected to their SSAFA mentor, Geoff Wood who they credit as being crucial to shaping their future. Danni said: “He gave me a really good opportunity to say the things that were bothering me. He was able to help me by listening to me and not judging what I was saying, I felt comfortable talking to him.”

Danni continued: “The mentoring service has provided me with long term stability, and I would recommend it to anyone who needs it.”

Gerard’s story

When Gerard Smith graduated from RAF College, Cranwell aged 24 it was a childhood dream come true. However, Gerard became increasingly ill during his officer training at RAF Honington. 

What started with headaches and numbness, evolved into vomiting and other symptoms which interfered with his training. Pressure was building up in Gerard’s brain and a scan in 2021 revealed a rare tumour the size of a tangerine. 

Gerard was hospitalised for four months undergoing eight operations and not knowing if he would survive. He lost his speech and all the power in his right side; he couldn't walk or use his right arm.

Gerard’s mother Paula said: “Norton House has been fabulous for us. It's a home from home. The very first time we went down there, it was the first time in eight months that we, as a family, were just able to relax and switch off. It just made it so easy for us, at a time where everything else was so difficult.

Paula continued: “When I think about how for the first three months of 2023, Gerard couldn't speak or move his right side or even sit up in the bed unaided, to see him out walking for miles in the woods at Stanford Hall and up and down stairs is just nothing short of miraculous.”

Gerard has also been referred to SSAFA’s mentoring service to assist him through the medical discharge process and beyond.

You can find out more about the Fund’s external grants programme here.