Youth Support Newsletter Issue 3: July 2012

In this issue Welcome to the Summer issue of the Read what’s been Airplay Youth Support Newsletter. happening through Airplay youth workers and young people have had their hands full from attending Airplay Youth Support the Jubilee celebrations, helping out the community and creating a music video. Airplay is becoming even more popular on RAF/MOD Stations across the country around the country at: and we can’t get enough of hearing all the exciting adventures everyone gets up to. »» RAF Some of the articles in this newsletter have been written by young people making it a unique »» RAF Waddington insight into what young people think about what they have been getting up to. As we know it is crucial to have young people at the centre of all we do and engage them in making »» RAF Wyton and Brampton decisions about the activities they are involved in. A great example of this can be found in our upcoming Tri-Service Youth Forum where young people can really become ambassadors »» MOD Digby for the RAF and represent the young people in their community. They will become part of a wider youth forum with representatives from the Army and Navy, coming together to be »» RAF heard on what is important to them. »» RAF Many of you have young volunteers, peer mentors and youth forums allowing young people the chance to really make a difference to their projects and as Airplay continues to evolve, »» RAF Leeming more and more of you will be able to have young people at the heart of your projects. »» RAF Lossiemouth Maybe one day, they will take over and be running Airplay from the top….telling us what to do!

As part of Airplay, the RAFBF is investing in three main elements: Airplay near you To find out what’s happening at your local Airplay Parks: Airplay Childcare Centre, play park or MUGA, Building brand new multi-use games areas (MUGAs) and rejuvenating play parks contact the Community Support Team at your station. Search for your local Airplay project Airplay Childcare Centres: contact details at: www.rafbf.org/airplay Making childcare more accessible and affordable by building childcare centres on or near RAF stations Airplay is the RAF Benevolent Fund’s (RAFBF) £24 million support programme Airplay Youth Support: for RAF families. RAFBF is providing a Providing safe, supervised activities for kids through a network of trained youth huge range of facilities, equipment and workers, delivered through national charity 4Children activities for toddlers through to teenagers on 28 RAF stations across the UK. Here are just some examples of the activities that took place.

Little did I know that my poster would be a winner! The Poster Competition My mam got a phone call from youth club telling her the It was a normal youth club night exciting news of my win but she decided not to tell me and when SYW Kirsty Forrester asked instead let me find out from youth club that night. So I went off us if we would like to do a poster to youth club that night not knowing anything. When I arrived for the ‘RAF at the Olympics Kirsty made an announcement and everyone clapped and boy 2012’ competition. She told us was I thrilled. I was in such shock, and to think that the girl that “The more we enter the a few weeks ago doubted her entry is now a winner, that is better chance we have!” so I great. thought ‘why not’ and gave it a go. That night I enjoyed chatting I suppose the moral of the story is “Don’t doubt things cause to friends, learning more about miracles can happen!” the Olympics and designing my poster. Once my poster If it wasn’t for Kirsty I wouldn’t be a winner today. She provides was finished I entered it into lots of help and support and I would like to give her a great RAF Waddington the competition, I didn’t think big Thank You!!! Thank you so much I couldn’t have won this anything special would happen without your support!! and I even thought everyone else’s was better than mine but that’s not how it turned it! Beth Hudson (young person, age 12, RAF Waddington)

We’re also having to get everything ready Brize Norton enjoy Jubilee celebrations for a VIP opening we’re having in June so Brize Norton has been very busy getting things ready for our club is looking really clean and tidy! the Jubilee Celebrations- Carterton Town has had a whole We’re looking forward to the summer weekend of music and activities to commemorate the Queen’s and hope to get lots of fun activities done 60th year. To show our support, we have made our very own including meeting up with young people bunting to have hanging up outside the youth club, as part of from other local stations. the “best dressed window” competition. Sam Hanly (Station Youth Worker, RAF Brize Norton) RAF Brize Norton

the children are lovely and have found they can always have Ryan and April say goodbye a laugh with me. Doing lots of trips and activities has been Volunteers; Ryan and April will my highlight and has made my volunteering experience be leaving Airplay Scampton this memorable.” summer for pastures new, each of them have written a little about April says: “I have been volunteering at RAF Scampton what they like the most about youth club for 2 years and enjoyed every moment. It has been volunteering. interesting to work with the different age groups and going out on the trips has been the highlight of my time as a volunteer. Ryan says: “I have really Arts and crafts with the younger members has definitely been enjoyed volunteering at RAF a messy experience but some, that I will never forget.” Scampton youth club. The staff have been welcoming and you Ryan and April (volunteers, both age 18, RAF Scampton) can always have a laugh. The past 2 years have been amazing; RAF Scampton

bags of litter around on camp. We Litter picking went to Holly and Willow park and On the 17th May 2012, the Youth Council organised a Litter around some streets on camp. Pick event. We had a very good turnout of around 30 people. We did this event as one of our themes called ‘Proud of our Megan Lloyd (young person, age community’ and it was a successful event as we picked up 18 13, RAF Leeming)

Raf Leeming “Yesterday we did gardening and Wednesday we did graffiti it Giving back to the community was very fun” Amelia aged 10 During the June half term holiday, the young people completed a piece of work revolved around community and how they I came to the graffiti project and I really liked it, we used see themselves within it and how others see them. The different spray paint and made a new sign” Callum aged 8 young people took part in a graffiti project, their ideas were transferred onto a MASSIVE new sign for the community “I enjoyed doing the graffiti because it lets us be creative; it is centre where the club is based. also lots of fun. I also enjoyed cleaning the memorial because I knew that it was for the community” Brooke aged 11 The Parish of Coningsby is entering a competition for the Best Kept Village Award and to support the efforts within the “I enjoyed the graffiti because it’s something to do every day. community the young people a also helped to tidy up the It’s a chance to be creative and have fun that’s the main thing” war memorial in Coningsby, by litter picking and weeding the Jamie – Leigh aged 9 flower beds. These are some of the young people’s thoughts on the activities; “I have enjoyed myself, I am glad I have come here because it is fun and it keeps me occupied. I enjoyed doing “I had a great time at youth club this week because we did gardening” Demi aged 9 gardening and the graffiti project. I took part in this great opportunity because it’s something to do and the other reason John Milne (Station Youth Worker, RAF Coningsby) is because I’m part of the community” Liam aged 11

We wrote our own words for Young people take part in a music video “We are young” and “Alone” The music video was BRILL we had lots of fun. We went out as well as our own rap “Not to do record the video in funky wigs and glasses and bright Afraid”. My favorite part of the braces and ties. song was the ‘we are young’ bit. It was very funny. We didn’t quite get the whole video done RAF Brize Norton because we ran out of time. I enjoyed going down the slide at At the end our parents came to Willow park in my bright costume for the video.The song was watch what we had done. fun we spent a bit of time making the song. Amy Fletcher (young person, Raf Leeming age 10 RAF Leeming)

Below are a few comments and feelings about the trip the Youth club residential 2012 young people put together themselves: A group of young people from RAF Wyton and Brampton “I think this is the best residential trip ever”, “The instructors aged between 10-13 years were enthusiastic and very funny” spent a fun-packed activity weekend at PGL, Caythorpe “We had lots of activities to do, we did abseiling, kayaking, low Court Centre near . ropes, archery. I enjoyed kayaking the most because I loved getting wet, even though the walk back to the rooms was We set off on Friday 1st June freezing.” with Pebble Evans (CDO) and Eloise Riches (SYW), and Don “The staff were very funny and made us sing silly rhymes. We Maclarty was kind enough to made Jubilee thrones which Pebble and Eloise had to sit on. I drive us up to the Centre. We don’t want to leave!” all had a wonderful time (albeit RAF Wyton and Brampton a little wet at times). Eloise Riches (Station Youth Worker, RAF Wyton and Brampton) scheduled throughout the term the usual Thursday night Scampton Sports sporting sessions haveseen a bigger uptake. The young During my time as a volunteer sessional worker I have been people have engaged in a variety of sports from badminton, instrumental in the support of teambuilding through sport. handball and basketball to the unusual of note a derivative Thursday Night’s Youth Club Seniors had up until recently version of Benchball utilising a Swiss Ball and so aptly always engaged in the same 5-a-side indoor football clashes named“Swiss” Benchball. with the same personalities each week. By developing a programme of alternative team sports,previously sport shy James Bailey (Volunteer Sessional Worker, RAF Scampton) young people were challenged and with a balance of activities

There was a bouncy castle and even the adults had a shot Jubilee Garden Party with all us kids bouncing all over them. We also had a chance On the 4th June, we were given to make ice cream sundaes, and there were lots of sweeties invitations to a “Garden Party” and sauces to cover the ice-cream. Overall we had a great to celebrate the Royal Jubilee afternoon. Celebrations. The party had tons of fun games and activities We had a once in a lifetime opportunity, we saw the Olympic and was held in torch. We went to Tomintoul by bus, but we only just got into Gale’s garden. There was a visit from Prince Andrew, while he Tomintoul before the police closed the roads!!!!!! We walked was there we preformed a skit over to our spot and sat on the kerb and had our packed by our Overly Dramatic crew. lunch. This guy came by on a unicycle and made us practice He seemed to really enjoy it. He our cheering skills. It was another awesome day. even had a go at the coconut Shy but he didnt manage to hit Lucy Bufton 12, Ellis Majid 11, Louis Wicks-Randy 12, Chase RAF Lossiemouth one! Nelson 11(young people, RAF Lossiemouth)

We all wore our Airplay T-Shirts Families Day at Digby and throughout the day and RAF Digby decided to hold a Families Day and asked the managed to get the Station youth club if they would be involved. Months before, we Commander and a few other discussed what activities we would like to see at the families important people in the stocks! day, what stalls we would like to run and what charity to raise Very soon there were lots of money for. We decided to have a tuck shop, stocks, hook people around to see what was a duck, the lollypop stick game, balloon pop and name the going on, needless to say they teddy. We decided to raise money for F.A.B who provide started to spend some more fun and challenging holidays and activities for children from money. There were loads of other bereaved military families. stalls too and even a fly past from MOD Digby the . At the end of the On the day we all met at the Youth Club to make sure that day Airplay were asked to go into the hanger (where most of all the equipment was ready and had to blow up hundreds the things were happening) and draw the raffle and then we of balloons! We set out the stalls in our tent and started to announced the winner of our ‘Name the Teddy’ competition. encourage people to come and visit us and SPEND THEIR We had managed to raise £150 for F.A.B!!! MONEY! Given the weather conditions and the fact that we were outside, I didn’t think that a lot of people would come. Sam Law, (young person, age 12, MOD Digby)

More about Airplay

Airplay is the RAF Benevolent Fund’s (RAFBF) £24 million The RAFBF is also constructing new Airplay Parks (state-of-the- youth support programme for the . The RAFBF art games areas and play grounds) on RAF stations nationwide, developed the project as part of its commitment to relieving strain giving RAF young people access to the facilities they deserve. on RAF parents wherever it can. Finally, the charity has constructed or refurbished Airplay Childcare Centres at 28 RAF stations, helping to deliver more affordable, The RAFBF is funding Airplay youth workers (trained by national accessible childcare for serving parents. charity 4Children) on stations across the UK, to help RAF Community Support Teams deliver enhanced programmes of Some 80 Airplay youth workers are now in position at RAF safe, supervised activities for young people living on and around stations across the country. Over 43 new Airplay Parks have stations. been constructed, with many more to come. Over £13 million has already been spent delivering Airplay Childcare Centres at 28 RAF stations.

For more information visit www.rafbf.org/airplay

© 4Children July 2012 Designed and published by 4Children, www.4Children.org.uk