CONTACT 1 Te lephone: 01780 781650 Welcome email: [email protected] Website: raf-ff.org.uk from the editor Envoy –The magazine of the RAF Families We are now fully into our Families Days’ season CONTENTS Federation, published 4times ayear. having started off at RAF Valley and RAF Leeming To have your FREE copy delivered with many more in the diary.Soifyou see our quarterly to your home, inflatable gazebo at your station’s event then please Simply subscribe online: do come and see us and have achat. raf-ff.org.uk/publications/envoy-magazine In the summer edition of Envoy last year,you might remember that we Director: Maria Lyle brought to you apiece on the Ty phoon Display Pilot, Flt Lt Jim Peterson (and it really is great news that he is the display pilot for this year as Office Manager: Ruth McClelland well!). This year we have decided to ‘go green’and we bring to you the Communications Manager: Caroline Woodward Chinook Display Te am and Ihope you enjoy the read in our features’ Communications Assistant: Nick Crouch section. In particular meeting co-pilot, Flt Lt Anthony Jewitt and crewman, Operations and Policy Manager: Sgt James Begg (he’ll be the one waving the big foam hand!). Lisa Thipthorp Ifinish with news of an amazing prize draw for you worth £500! Policy Advisor (Health &Additional Needs): Alison Cotton The Victory Services Club has kindly donated to us aprize to win afree Policy Advisor (Education &Childcare): weekend break for one family (up to 2adults and 2school age children). Louise Briggs Ihave to say Ihave enjoyed the odd overnighter Evidence Manager: Richard Coleman there myself and it’s agreat place to stay when visiting London. The staff are super friendly Evidence Assistant: Kenneth Wood as well –and the food... well, I’ll leave you to Evidence Assistant (Accommodation) job perhaps find out for yourself one day.All details share: Stan Brathwaite and Alanna Gleave are in the VSC’s article later on in this magazine. Dispersed Families Project Manager: To rJohnson Front cover: Chinook Mk6A flown by the Chinook Display Te am perform arolling landing at the Published quarterly by Method Publishing, a Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2018. Image Credit: SACPippa Fowles RAF.©UKMOD division of Scottish Provincial Press Limited, on Crown Copyright 2018. behalf of Envoy Design and Ty pography: ©Method Publishing 2019 CONTENTS Editorial Matter and Illustrations: ©Envoy Printed in Great Britain by: Warners Midlands plc FEATURES Advertisement Office (UK): Method Publishing, 64 Main 14 Flexible Working in the Armed Forces Street, Golspie, Sutherland, KW10 6TG 16 Introducing the Chinook Display Contact Chris Cappie on 01463 732223 or email [email protected] Te am for 2019 19 Promoting our People –RAF Women’s Cricket Captain, Corporal Eli Dey Meet the team. 22 FEDERATION The RAF Families Federation is an independent 22 Meet the new RAF Families HEALTH &WELLBEING organisation parented by the RAF Association Federation Te am 39 RAF Widows’ Association 26 Accommodation Matters 41 Dare to Stop 28 Pilot of new accommodation system 42 Paramotor Pilots fly over 40 RAF at RAF Wittering Stations for charity FINANCIAL 43 Everyone needs abreak 30 Tr ansitioning out of the RAF 44 The Ripple Pond SUPPORTING SPOUSES/PARTNERS 46 Victory Services Club –including an rafa.org.uk 33 Forces Families Jobs: Anew amazing prize draw! Registered charitynumber employment and training platform OF INTEREST England and Wales 226686 Scotland SCO37673 34 Six Years On with the Unsung Hero 48 RAF Central Fund –new CEO 35 Unsung Hero case study –Running Jo Appointment The RAF Families Federation is supported by 36 Supporting the Armed Forces 49 New Chair for Service Children in the RAF Benevolent Fund Covenant –Inzpire State Schools (SCISS) working Group rafbf.org Registered charitynumber England and Wales 1081009 One of the latest classes – Scotland SCO38109 34 Supporting the Unsung Hero. Covenant signatory –Inzpire. 36 SUMMER 2019 raf-ff.org.uk Envoy 2 Eddie survived D-Day. 75 yearslater,whenhelost his sight, we were there. When D-Dayveteran Eddie developed maculardegeneration at theage of 91 we helped himrebuild his life. blindveterans.org.uk/eddie SUMMER 2019 Envoy raf-ff.org.uk delighted to showcase our revamped and heard some really inspiring stories from Serving IAMFamilies Federation team in this issue. Personnel who were either living with serious health 3 We are exceptionally fortunate to have found some great conditions, or were carers for parents or children candidates to join our hard working team, and as you with ahealth condition. We will be closely engaged will see in this issue they are looking forward to meeting with this great initiative, and Iinvite all of you who RAF families and working on your behalf.Amongst other have experiences in this area to contact us and let us things we will be engaged with over this period, Iwant know,aswework with them to better shape policy to DIRECTOR to highlight our Forces Families Jobs platform, where support you. Our new Policy forces friendly employers will be advertising jobs for family Advisor post for Health and members of those in the RAF.This is atri-service project Additional Needs will of and there are already many employers engaged –please course be focussed on this keep an eye on our news feeds and website as we will area, and Alison will bring circulate details when it goes live in September. ahuge amount of relevant Iattended the launch of the Chronic Conditions and experience to lead work Disability in Defence Network in London recently, here. DIRECTORFROM THE We provide first-classcarefor veterans Residential nursing care, rehabilitation, Specialist services include respite and award-winning end of life physiotherapy, occupational therapy, care for physically disabled ex-Service neuropsychology, speech therapy, and personnel and their families socialand recreation activities :#B '#BD <%C#B'1><#%*$133 ;@ #% 01903 213458 #B 8<@<> www.careforveterans.org.uk Care for Veterans CELEBRATING 7<!#B" 5#;@D* ,#;%"1B& 9#1"* 100 /#B>?<%A*/D@> 6;@@D(* ,+22 .-0 YEARS 4) 01903 213458 OF CARE =) [email protected] 1919 -2019 The Queen AlexandraHospital Home since1919 RegisteredCharity No. 1072334 SUMMER 2019 raf-ff.org.uk Envoy 4 FOREWORD Image shows CAS, Sir Stephen Hillier and Lady Hillier celebrating after he returned from the final farewell tour FOREof the Tornado to Scotland.WORD By Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier and Lady Elaine Hillier So hereweare at the end of our time in the RoyalAir Force. It’s over 39 yearssince one of us first walked through the gates of the RAF CollegeCranwell, and 35 years(12,824 days!) since we became amarried couple within the RAF Family. If thatmakes us sound old, it’s about howwefeel after such abusylast 3years! Along the way,there have been two The reality is that the idea of the RAF (now grown-up) children, 9operational Family has to change over time, as we deployments, and numerous exercises change how we live our lives. Compared and other extended periods of to 30 years ago, our lives do now separation. There have been 15 posting seem more complex, with pressures, notices, we’ve lived on 10 different RAF challenges and indeed expectations that Stations, and we are currently in our 21st could not have been imagined back then. home. There have been the enormous So the RAF Family can only succeed privileges of command at Squadron, by being good at adapting to inevitable Station and Group level, and, now,the change. RAF itself.Wewould never pretend that we understand every aspect of the But it’s not the case that everything has benefits and challenges of RAF Family changed during our time in the RAF life, but we think our experience gives Family.Infact, there’s probably more us at least some insight, so we’d like to that’s the same than is different. The share some parting thoughts with you. spirit, character,ethos and traditions of the RAF are undoubtedly the same: The first is that the RAF Family today is really quite different compared to People with the willingness and ability 3decades ago. Perhaps that’s obvious, to do what it takes to get the job done; and perhaps some might wish us to prepared to volunteer and to put the somehow get back to ‘how it used to needs of others before themselves; ready be’. Well, people were saying the same to develop and make the most of every thing in the 1980s, and they’ll probably opportunity.Where there has been be saying it in decades to come too. change, much has been very positive SUMMER 2019 Envoy raf-ff.org.uk and welcome: Much increased levels of spousal personally head towards the exit door,wewould 5 employment; greater levels of home ownership; simply offer that the Federation can only succeed more family stability; increasing support to the if everyone in the RAF Family engages with it fully, breadth of family units; the adoption of flexible not only when things go wrong, but in day-to-day employment. But we all know there are just as many experiences, enabling the Federation to make things challenges to deal with: family separation; the cost easier and better for others. FOREWORD (and availability) of childcare; future accommodation models; medical and dental care; standards of Our final words: We both want to say what an accommodation; special needs education; and, again, enormous privilege it has been for us to be part spousal employment opportunities. of the RAF Family over so many years. It’s been the most incredible journey and we’ll miss it In getting to grips with all these current challenges, enormously,even as we look forward to the next and the new ones which will inevitably emerge in phase of our lives.