BRANCH NEWSLETTER MAY/JUNE 2016 Thetford and District Branch Branch Charity No. 1070702 www.rafathetford.org.uk 1
Branch Team - RAFALO s Quiz Night Look out for fundraising collections As the summer is starting and our events season is underway, many of our Branches and new Fundraising Team Leader volunteers will be organising fundraising collections for the Wings Appeal in town centres and in supermarkets across the UK. We would like to invite as many of you to join us as possible for these collections, so will contact you when there is a collection being held near you. The money we raise will help us to support serving and ex-serving personnel when they are in need. I am a member of the RAF Association and I wondered if you would be interested in joining too? The vital role of our members cannot be over-stated, we lead the Association. The Royal Air Forces Association is a huge family pulling together to make a difference. Today, nearly half of the regular RAF are members, with new people joining all the time. They are joined by veterans, families and those who simply want to do their bit to help. Some members get more actively involved by raising essential funds and volunteering in many other important ways. Many of our volunteers support the Association s crucial welfare work and have been trained to nationally accredited standards to help them deliver the best service possible. As members of the RAF Association, we all stand together because it s the right thing to do. None of us knows what our future holds, but we do know that the RAF Association will be there to support the RAF family whenever we are needed. If you would like to join visit www.rafa.org.uk/join now or call the membership team on 0116 268 8783/8762. Office opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. 2
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He won the Bear - RAF Honington Expo Branch Stand - RAF Honington Expo 5
Armed Forces Day 2016 Armed Forces Day 2016 6
LESSONS OF WAR In the 1970s I lived and worked in Munich and I paid a visit to the former Dachau concentration camp on the outskirts of the city. It didn t take long to realise the horrors of the establishment but I was both surprised and impressed that all German schoolchildren in the area were taken to Dachau as part of their schooling so that they could see for themselves the horrors of war quite a lesson! Now 40 years later, I have seen a similar approach to education, this time in France. To mark the centenary of the so-called Great War no war is great per se, and traditionally we always say that we must learn the lessons of the tragedies of war but I sometimes wonder whether we ever do. The French government has proposed that all schools somehow involve their children during the 2014-2018 period to remind them of the horrors and the sacrifices of that terrible war, and my village has taken part, not only through participation in ceremonies to honour the war dead but even more so this year. Why this year? Because 1916 saw the longest single battle in French history 300 days and 300 nights at Verdun. This year, the history curriculum at the village college for 15-16 year olds has centred on the First World War, and Verdun in particular, the highlight being a major visit to the battlefield itself, a voyage on which I was invited to participate. I have never studied the First World War at length, particularly as aviation was very much in its infancy at the time I had certainly heard of Verdun but was completely unaware of any details; I knew more of the Somme as that battle involved the British, indeed I had an uncle who had served and survived that terrible catastrophe, but the visit to Verdun proved to be a shock all of our systems. The visit, made a month ago, was very well organised and involved 3 full days touring the battlefield 3 days for one battlefield? Impossible, I hear you say, but we did not see anywhere near everything. Verdun, in north-east France guarded the approach to Paris and was recognised as a key objective for the Germans equally, the French also realised the importance of the objective, deciding that Verdun must be retained at all costs. But what a cost! In the first 10 hours of the battle, German artillery fired 1,000,000 rounds at the French yes, 1 million in 10 hours! In total, during the 300 days, 60 million artillery rounds were fired I simply can t get my brain around such numbers. After the battle, in which some 2,500,000 troops were involved, losses were enormous: some 300,000 dead and 450,000 injured. Such figures are beyond my comprehension but witnessed by the countless military cemeteries in the area; the main national monument alone houses the bones of 130,000 unidentified French and German soldiers. It was in front of this building that, famously, François Mitterand and Helmut Kohl held hands in reconciliation in 1984. The Verdun battlefield has been preserved as a national monument; the original trenches remain, six villages destroyed by the artillery totally disappeared have never been rebuilt, shell holes remain all very moving, and I was forced to reflect that I was lucky to be an aviator and not a soldier on the ground in 1916! I lost track of the number of cemeteries in the area German ones only allowed to mark graves with a black cross but the sight of row upon row of white crosses for the French dead was a salutary lesson for the young French children. We honoured the dead from our village with simple ceremonies, even finding the grave of the great-grandfather of one of our young students the young lad was overwhelmed by the symbolism of his relative s grave, a solitary cross among 16,000 in that one cemetery. The French Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris bears the body of a Verdun dead soldier selected at random from 8 coffins; the other 7 are buried in Verdun, the eternal flame being rekindled after the annual 11 November Remembrance Day ceremonies in Paris. While there, I watched the eyes of the young students it was clear they were greatly moved, slowly appreciating the enormity of the battle and its consequences quite a lesson of war. May 2016 Victor Papa 7
Royal Air Force Centenary Celebrations RAF 100 On 1 April 2018 the RAF will mark the centenary of its formation as the world s first independent air force. This will be an important opportunity for those in the RAE and the RAF family to commemorate their past, celebrate their success and also inspire the public as to their contribution to the UK s national security and prosperity. The RAF100 programme of events will start in October 2017 and end in September 2018 and a number of flagship events will take place across the UK between March and September 2018 including a service in Westminster Abbey and a parade along the Mall, followed by a Royal Salute and flypast. The four main RAF charities (RAE Association, RAF Benevolent Fund, RAE Charitable Trust Enterprises and RAE Museum) have taken the unprecedented step of creating a joint venture charitable company, the RAF1 00 Appeal Ltd. Its purpose is to deliver a coherent and collaborative campaign realising both income and profile. There is also an opportunity to put forward any ideas that will help COMMEMORATE the achievements of the RAF and all who served, CELEBRATE the RAE of today, or INSPIRE people in your local community and beyond: Further updates will be given as more information becomes available. ACO 75th Torch Relay Route To mark this very special 75th Anniversary year for the Air Cadet Organisation, a UK-wide Torch Relay has been organized that will engage Sqn Cadets from all four corners of the country. Your Association is helping to sponsor the Torch Relay. Wouldn t it be great if your Branch could support their efforts as the Torch passes through or close to your town or Branch during the Summer. Provisional Calendar July 2016 3 July Battle of Britain Anniversary Memorial Day INFORMATION 5 July Committee Discussion Group Sergeants' Mess, RAF Honington 13.30 12 July Branch Meeting Sergeants' Mess, RAF Honington 19.30 15 July Branch Lunch Club The Warrener 12.00 16 July RBL 95th Anniversary Ceremony Specsavers, Thetford 11.30 21 July RAF Honington Families Day Sports Field 12.00 27 July ATC Families Evening Barnham Camp TBA August 2016 9 August Branch Meeting Sergeants' Mess, RAF Honington 19.30 19 August Branch Lunch Club Sergeants' Mess, RAF Honington 12.00 September 2016 6 September Committee Discussion Group Sergeants' Mess, RAF Honington 13.30 11 September Barnham Fete Barnham Village Hall All Day 13 September Branch Meeting Sergeants' Mess, RAF Honington 13.30 16 September Branch Lunch Club Norfolk Terrier 12.00 17 September Branch Stand - Bob Day Thetford Market Place All Day 17 September Street Collection Thetford Town 09.00 18 September Battle of Britain Remembrance Service St. Cuthbert's Church, Thetford 10.30 21 September 10K Fun Run RAF Honington All Day 30 September Graduation Parade and Hosted Visit Sergeants' Mess 08.30 8
Befriending: RAF Association wants to take the lonely under its wing 21st December 2015 The Royal Air Forces Association is calling for volunteers to join our new befriending service and ensure members of the RAF family are not lonely or isolated. The first phase of the launch will cover RAF Waddington, Coningsby, Cranwell and Scampton, with a UK-wide launch planned for March 2016. Sophie Witkowski, Association Head of Welfare, said: We are launching the first phase of our befriending service in Lincolnshire as we know there are a lot of ex-raf personnel in the county, as well as a large serving population. The light blue link is a good starting place for friendships, as most serving and former serving RAF personnel enjoy sharing stories. The Association will provide training for volunteers, who can be any age over 18. They will be paired with those in need of a friend and will visit or telephone them two or three times a month to provide company, conversation and perhaps also run a few small errands. For more information on how to become a volunteer befriender email volunteers@rafa.org.uk or call 0116 266 5224. Recent Royal British Legion research found that isolation and loneliness is particularly acute within the ex-military community, with one in six individuals reporting relationship/isolation issues. If you or someone you know could benefit from the Association s new befriending service, call our welfare team on 0116 268 8751. NEWS: Royal Air Force Veterans to Receive SkillForce Training Veterans working for SkillForce are developing new skills thanks to a cash injection from the Royal Air Forces Association. National education and veterans charity SkillForce, which works with more than 200 schools nationally, has received a grant for professional skills training. SkillForce employs predominantly ex-services personnel in a range of roles to support their transition back into civilian life. The RAF Association is contributing towards the professional development of 15 veterans in coaching, communications, first aid, mentoring and safeguarding. Ben Slade, Chief Executive, SkillForce, said: We transform the lives of veterans by supporting their transition from military to civilian life. The majority are instructors working in schools on our character education programmes helping young people to develop resilience, self confidence and the belief to succeed. I would like to thank the RAF Association for their wonderful support. During the last 10 years, we have trained more than 600 ex-services personnel, giving them the opportunity to draw on their military expertise, and develop new skills. Rory O Connor, the Association s Director of Welfare and Policy, said: Transitioning back into civilian life can be a challenge for some people when they leave the RAF and we re pleased to be able to help some of them with this funding. SkillForce is expanding its work nationally, which includes developing new employability programmes to prepare young people for the world of work. We currently employ 131 staff in the field, 67% of whom are ex-services personnel. To find out more about working for SkillForce visit: http://www.skillforce.org/workfor-us/ The RAF Association is contributing towards the professional development of 15 veterans in coaching, communications, first aid, mentoring and safeguarding. Read more: http://www.skillforce.org/ /royal-air-force-veterans-skill / 9
Membership All Areas have an Objective for this year of increasing their membership by 10% net. At the end of 2015 the membership of our Area stood at 23,491. Therefore, we need to increase our membership by the end of 2016 to 25,840 to meet the Objective. As at 31 May our membership stood at 23,332. However, this number does not include 1,093 members who have not yet renewed their membership for 2016. As many Branches can testify, it is much easier to recover a lapsed member than recruit a new one. I would therefore urge all Branches to make personal contact, either by a phone call or visit, with those of their members who have not yet renewed to determine why someone has not renewed. It might be that there is a welfare problem which neither the Branch nor Area HQ is aware of. Branch Closures I regret to inform you that the Steyning & Adur Valley Branch closed on 31 May 2016 and the Holbeach Branch closed on 1 June. Royal Air Force Centenary Celebrations RAF100 On 1 April 2018 the RAF will mark the centenary of its formation as the world s first independent air force. This will be an important opportunity for those in the RAE and the RAE family to commemorate their past, celebrate their success and also inspire the public as to their contribution to the UK s national security and prosperity. The RAF 100 programme of events will start in October 2017 and end in September 2018 and a number of flagship events will take place across the UK between March and September 201 8 including a service in Westminster Abbey and a parade along the Mall, followed by a Royal Salute and flypast. The four main RAE charities (RAF Association, RAF Benevolent Fund, RAF Charitable Trust Enterprises and RAF Museum) have taken the unprecedented step of creating a joint venture charitable company, the RAF 100 Appeal Ltd. Its purpose is to deliver a coherent and collaborative campaign realising both income and profile. More information about RAF 100 can be found here: http://www.raf.mod.uk/raf100/ There is also an opportunity to put forward any ideas that will help COMMEMORATE the achievements of the RAF and all who served, CELEBRATE the RAF of today, or INSPIRE people in your local community and beyond: Get into gear The Branch is about to enter the annual busy period, where we need manpower and lots of it. Two major events take place on Saturday 17 th September, which are are Wings Day, when the Branch Stand will be located in Thetford Market Place and manpower is needed to erect the Stand and to man it throughout the day, but if that isn t enough the Branch will be making a Street Collection in Thetford and will need volunteer collectors to do a two hour stint, from 09.00hrs to 15.00hrs. If you could find time to help us out, it would be gratefully appreciated. 10
Talking Air Mail Goes Digital Talking Air Mail is another way in which the RAE Association keeps members in touch with the RAE family. To improve the sound quality, while embracing newer technology, Talking Air Mail has moved from CDs and cassettes to mp3 players. We have been inundated with a hugely positive response from the volunteers who were able to make the visits to deliver the mp3 players. They demonstrated a great amount of flexibility and commitment to fulfil the task of distribution and we were delighted that so many were keen to help the Association in this way. Volunteer, Shaun Griffin said: I delivered the excellent Air Mail reader today to Mr Swales. He was delighted with the reader and despite his poor eye sight is fit and well. He described the player as easy to use and great sound quality and he considered himself lucky to have been sent it. Several of those receiving their new mp3 player were identified as having a need and a desire to be linked with one of our new befrienders, enabling them to take advantage of our new service to combat loneliness. It was reassuring to note that none of the players were rejected by users despite some only ever being used to cassette players we expected a few users to find the new technology daunting but everyone saw the additional benefits of adopting it. Five more members have asked to be added to the distribution list for Talking Air Mail knowing that they will find it a much easier way of keeping up to date with news from the Association. We hope our beneficiaries will notice the improved sound and also enjoy the added benefits of having access to the huge range of additional material now available to them, free of charge, from the Royal National Institute of Blind People. If you know of any member who would like to receive Talking Air Mail, they can contact call Lisa on 01780 783645. 11
Rock Olympics Final Events Local Stalls Chariot Race POZ Magic LIVE Music Jurassic Encounters BBQ and Bar Families Day 2016 Thursday 21st July 1500-2100 Outside D Hangar II Sqn RAF Regt 12