ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Trustees’ report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2019 PRINCIPALS, TRUSTEES AND CONTENTS SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM REPORT TRUSTEES’ TRUSTEES’ REPORT PATRON Air Vice-Marshal Simon Dougherty Chief of Staff/Director of MBE MSc MBBS FRCP FFOM DAvMed Governance Forewords 4 Her Majesty The Queen DObstRCOG FCMI FRAeS Air Commodore Paul Higgins MA (until 1 June 2020) BA (Hons) FCILT FCMI Air Commodore Ro Atherton Director of Finance Aims, objectives and values 6 PRESIDENT Ms Victoria Fakehinde BSc (Hons) Ms Frances Brindle MSc BSc (Hons) ACMA CGMA HRH The Duke of Kent KG GCMG Mr David Cheyne MA (Cantab) In 2019 we spent 7 GCVO ADC(P) Director of Fundraising and Wing Commander Marie-Noelle Orzel Communications OBE QVRM MSc PGDE RGN RSCN Mr John Trampleasure Progress against our 2019 strategic aims and 2020 plans 8 LIFE VICE-PRESIDENTS (from 1 June 2020) (until 1 May 2020) Mr Mike Straney (from 4 May 2020) Marshal of the Royal Air Force The Lord Craig of Radley GCB OBE MA Director of Welfare and Policy 1919–2019: A century of the RAF Benevolent Fund 10 DSc FRAeS TRUSTEES Air Commodore Paul Hughesdon MA FIoD Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Chair Graydon GCB CBE ADC FRAeS Mr Lawrie Haynes DEng BA (Hons) Our six key aims 12 FCILTR FRSA Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier Honorary Treasurer CENTENARY KCB CBE DFC ADC MA RAF Supporter promise 25 Dr Stephen Critchley MA (Hons) DPhil CAMPAIGN ADVISORY Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns FCA GCB KCVO CBE FRAeS BOARD Members Fundraising 26 Air Chief Marshal Sir Roger Palin KCB Ms Kathryn Adamson Mr Duncan Barber OBE MA FRAeS FIPD Ms Frances Brindle MSc BSc (Hons) Mr Bernard Brown Lady Hillier Mr David Cheyne MA (Cantab) Lord Charles Bruce DL Financial highlights 28 Lady Humphrey OBE Mr Graeme Craig Ms Jane Burrows Wing Commander Sarah Davis MBA Mr Malcolm Crayford OBE Financial overview 30 MSc FCIPD (from 1 June 2020) VICE-PRESIDENTS Ms Clair Hassard Air Vice-Marshal Simon Dougherty Mr John Isabel Ms Melissa John Strategic risk management 33 MBE MSc MBBS FRCP FFOM DAvMed DObstRCOG FCMI FRAeS Mr Andrew Martin (until 1 June 2020) COUNCIL Dr Michael Oliver OBE DL Governance 35 Air Commodore Simon Harper OBE Air Marshal Peter Ruddock CB CBE Chair MA RAF (retired 11 June 2019) Mr Lawrie Haynes DEng BA (Hons) Mr Richard Shirley INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT 38 FCILTR FRSA Mr Richard Ingham The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton Wing Commander Marie-Noelle Orzel Deputy Chair DL The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton DL OBE QVRM MSc PGDE RGN RSCN Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 40 Mr Graeme Shankland Honorary Treasurer CBE ADC Dr Stephen Critchley MA (Hons) Air Vice-Marshal Elaine West CBE DPhil FCA Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Principal and Registered Office Members 67 Portland Place, London W1B 1AR Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier SENIOR MANAGEMENT KCB CBE DFC ADC MA RAF (retired 26 July 2019) TEAM Controller Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston Cover photo: Jacob Newson meets Air Vice-Marshal The Honourable CBE ADC Second World War veteran, and former David Murray CVO OBE (until 20 April Spitfire pilot, Allan Scott DFM at a Air Marshal Andrew Turner CB CBE 2020) MA MSc BA FRAeS CCMI RAF special event in Oxfordshire, organised (from 23 May 2019) Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot CBE by Aces High. Jacob raised £6K for the (from 20 April 2020) Fund in 2019 Air Vice-Marshal John Cliffe CB OBE 2 3 TRUSTEES’ REPORT TRUSTEES’ MARKING 100 STANDING SIDE YEARS OF THE BY SIDE WITH RAF BENEVOLENT Lawrie Haynes, Chair, Royal Air Force THE RAF FAMILY Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot CBE, Controller, Benevolent Fund with veteran Emlyn Barwick Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund FUND at Princess Marina House IN 2020 AND BEYOND In 2019 we celebrated our centenary by launching an ambitious 2020 will be a challenging year. But we have bold plans to build new campaign to find the veterans who need our help – and it has on our 2019 successes, and help the RAF Family members who been a resounding success. need us most. As we approached the end of our first century, relationship with currently serving RAF personnel, The first airman we ever helped needed his to provide an activity and wellbeing pack. And we felt exceptionally proud of our achievements. spending £7.2M to meet their needs – including boots resoled so he could work when he was to support mental wellbeing, veterans, serving Side by side, shoulder to shoulder, we had been mental wellbeing and supporting families – a 24% discharged. From supporting him in 1919 to personnel and their families can still access our with the RAF Family every step of the way for 100 rise compared to 2018. spending £28.2M helping 71,700 members of Listening and Counselling Service. Additionally, years. But, ever ambitious, we wanted to mark the RAF Family today, we have come a long way. serving personnel and their partners can access We simply could not have achieved all this without our centenary not just with celebrations, but by However, our principles haven’t changed. We are the Headspace mindfulness app. the incredible support of those who responded doing what really matters: helping more people always there for veterans, serving personnel and magnificently to our campaign. Thank you so We are fighting back in every way we can, and than ever before. their families in their time of need – whatever life much. I would also like to thank our hard-working always looking for new ways to stand shoulder throws at them. Through our research we estimated there were staff for their immense efforts this year, our to shoulder with the RAF Family during this most approximately 300,000 RAF Family members out dedicated trustees for their time and expertise That includes the Covid-19 pandemic, which difficult time. We are also still striving to keep there whose lives our support could improve. and our amazing donors and fundraisers for has made life tough not only for the RAF Family, our long-term goals of helping ever more people, The challenge was they weren’t aware we contributing so generously. I would particularly but the whole world. We are working extremely and raising the funds to do so, on track. We are could help them, or were too proud to ask. We like to express my gratitude to our outgoing hard to be there for everyone who needs us incredibly grateful to those who continue to needed to change that – and our bold ‘Join the Controller, David Murray, for his remarkable during these difficult times, swiftly expanding support us in this tough climate. Search. Change a Life’ campaign was the answer. achievements during his tenure at the Fund and and reconfiguring our services to meet the new In 2020 I am honoured to become part of an Launched in June 2019, it has an audacious goal: welcome our new Controller, Chris Elliot. challenges we are all facing. organisation I have long admired, which makes to double our reach from helping 53,000 people It is down to all of you that we can be there for the Combatting isolation has long been a key focus such a huge impact on lives. I look forward to in 2018 to 100,000 by 2021, by asking the public RAF Family during their toughest times, whatever for us, and is even more so now. Around three working with the talented team here to overcome to help us find veterans who have fallen ‘off the life may send their way. The global Covid-19 crisis quarters of the RAF Family are over 65, and many the challenges ahead, help every member of the radar’ but urgently need our support. makes 2020 a tough year for the Fund and for the of them were experiencing loneliness before the RAF Family who needs us, and make the Fund 2019 saw us make tremendous strides towards world. But we will continue to be the RAF Family’s pandemic. Shielding and self-isolation on top stronger than ever for its next 100 years. this aim. Alongside superb centenary celebrations, oldest friend – loyal, generous and always there – has made life very difficult. We are making sure we supported an amazing 71,700 RAF Family come what may. there is always someone for veterans to talk to, members – a quarter more than in 2018 and expanding our Telephone Friendship Groups, exceeding our yearly target. We improved the calling more veterans regularly to check in, and lives of many more veterans, supporting them making our Community Engagement Workers to the tune of £21.0M – a 39% increase on 2018 available on the phone. – with everything from grants to help with living For RAF Family members in need of financial help, costs, care home fees and mobility equipment, Lawrie Haynes we have also made it possible to apply for grants to wellbeing breaks and initiatives to combat Chair, Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund without face-to-face contact. For RAF children, we Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot CBE loneliness. And we also maintained our close have made £2.5K available for each RAF station Controller, Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund 4 5 AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND VALUES IN 2019 WE SPENT TRUSTEES’ REPORT TRUSTEES’ OUR VISION OUR PURPOSE 34% 39% UP ON £21.0M UP ON No member of the To understand and 2018 £28.2M SUPPORTING RAF 2018 SUPPORTING VETERANS AND RAF Family will ever support each and THEIR FAMILIES face adversity alone. every member of the MORE THAN 25% RAF Family, whenever UP ON 2018 24% 71,700 £7.2M UP ON they need us.