ANNUAL REPORT2015 TRUSTees’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS for the year end 31 December 2015 Principals, Trustees and Senior Management Team Patron Trustees and Directors Contents Her Majesty The Queen Chairman Mr L Haynes D Eng BA (Hons) FCILTR FRSA FOREWORD: CHAIRMAN AND CONTROLLER 04 President Honorary Treasurer HRH The Duke of Kent KG GCMG GCVO ADC(P) Mr A Lea BA (Hons) Members Ms F Brindle MSc BSc (Hons) VALUES 06 Vice-Presidents Mr D Cheyne MA (Cantab) Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham Mr S Critchley MA (Hons) D Phil FCA GCB CBE DFC AFC DL FRAeS (deceased October 2015) Air Vice-Marshal S Dougherty MSc MBBS FRCP FFOM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES 08 Marshal of the Royal Air Force The Lord Craig of DAvMed DObstRCOG FCMI FRAeS Radley GCB OBE MA DSc FRAeS Mrs A Hastie MA (Hons) Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Keith Williamson GCB AFC ADC Mr A Irvine BA (Hons) MCSI WELFARE Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon Air Commodore A Opie MDA MA BSc FCIPD RAF 10 GCB CBE ADC FRAeS Ms M Orzel OBE QVRM MSc PGDE RGN RSCN Lady Humphrey OBE Air Commodore A Vaughan OBE BA Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns FUNDRAISING 18 GCB KCVO CBE FRAeS Air Chief Marshal Sir Roger Palin Senior Management Team KCB OBE MA FRAeS FIPD Controller Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire Air Marshal C M Nickols CB CBE MA FRAeS FINANCIAL REVIEW 20 GCB DFC AFC DSc FRAeS Sir Adrian Swire AE DL MA Director of Strategy and Fundraising Group Captain M C Neville CBE BSc (Hons) Council Director Finance TRUSTees’ reporT 24 Chairman Ms L Baliga FCCA (retired June 2015) Mr L Haynes D Eng BA (Hons) FCILTR FRSA Ms V Fakehinde BSc (Hons) ACMA CGMA (appointed October 2015) Deputy Chairman INDEPENDENT AUDITor’s REPORT 28 The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton DL Director Welfare and Policy Air Commodore P Hughesdon MA FIoD Honorary Treasurer Mr A Lea BA (Hons) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 30 Members RAF Benevolent Fund Principal Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford GCB CBE ADC RAF and Registered Office Air Marshal Sir Baz North KCB OBE MA FRAeS RAF 67 Portland Place, London W1B 1AR Air Vice-Marshal S Dougherty MSc MBBS FRCP FFOM DAvMed DObstRCOG FCMI FRAeS Air Vice-Marshal N Bairsto CB MBE Air Commodore A Neal AFC FCMI Mr S Critchley MA (Hons) D Phil FCA Mrs A Hastie MA (Hons) 4 5 Chairman’s Foreword Controller’s Foreword FORE ORD W W The past year has seen continued progress for the RAF Although we remain acutely aware of the need to minimise ORD Benevolent Fund, with a number of new services introduced the cost of running the charity so that we can pass as much FORE to further improve our support to our beneficiaries and an on to our beneficiaries as possible, we saw some modest increased fundraising performance which allowed us to expansion in the past year. This was a direct result of sustain that vital welfare work. Our Reaching Out Campaigns introducing a number of new welfare programmes, all part of through regional media resulted in a very significant number our response to our research on RAF veterans or the assessed of new cases for us, reinforcing our view that many who needs of the serving RAF community. We have also built on need assistance also need help to find us. This, linked to the the success in our fundraising of the past couple of years to completion of a comprehensive piece of research on the increase our effort in a number of areas; this will ensure that needs within the RAF Family, has allowed us to prioritise and we can continue to fund further new welfare programmes in focus our resources to those areas of most need. the near future to address a wider range of needs, particularly amongst the elderly and those still serving. The charity world in general, and some charities in particular, have found themselves in the media spotlight for much of As a general welfare charity, we find ourselves increasingly the past year. While we rightly find ourselves in independent working with others collaboratively. Our casework has surveys as one of the most trusted charities, reflecting what always been undertaken for us by others, such as SSAFA and we believe are our high ethical and moral standards in areas Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), but we are now finding such as fundraising and governance, we have nevertheless that more of our delivery of welfare services can best be taken the opportunity afforded by this increased external done by working with specialist charities. New programmes scrutiny of the sector to review all of our relevant policies have been started with Anxiety UK and Community Network and practices. Few changes were required and we believe to add to more longstanding work with others such as CAB, that we remain at the forefront of best practice in all areas Relate and 4Children. These are intended to address old of our operations. age issues such as social isolation and dementia, as well as depression amongst all ages and the enduring pressures on None of this would be possible without the very capable the families of the RAF, which remains on sustained long- and hardworking staff who have managed to generate term overseas operations. more than £24m last year and use it to transform the lives of those who need our assistance. But I must finish by also Finally, we continue to develop the assessment of our work recognising the incredible generosity of so many individuals to provide the evidence of the impact we are having on and organisations who donate to us so that we can continue beneficiaries’ lives. We know that we must increasingly be with that work. We could not do it without you – thank you! able to demonstrate to generous supporters that we are putting their money to the best possible use. Lawrie Haynes Air Marshal Chris Nickols Chairman, Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Controller, Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund 6 7 Our Vision V Every member of the RAF Family should have V ALUES access to support whenever they need it. Our Mission ALUES ALUES V We are the RAF’s leading welfare charity, providing financial, practical and emotional support to all members of the RAF Family. We are here to help serving and former members of the RAF, as well as their partners and dependants, whenever they need us. Public Benefit Statement Objects and Activities When reviewing the Fund’s aims and Since its formation, the Charity’s objectives and in planning future activities objects have been to provide relief and policies, the Trustees have given careful and assistance to past and present consideration to the Charity Commission’s members of the Royal Air Force and general guidance on public benefit and to its their dependants who are in need as supplementary guidance on public benefit a result of poverty, disability, sickness, and fee charging. Where a contribution is infirmity or otherwise, and to maintain invited, for example towards the costs of the RAF War Memorial on the Victoria a respite break or occupying a residential Embankment, London. property, the beneficiary’s means are always taken into account when assessing In October 2008, the Charity’s objects an appropriate contribution, so that no were expanded to enable it also to member of the RAF Family is prevented from promote the efficiency of the Royal accessing the services of the Fund because Air Force by providing support and they cannot afford the full cost. The Fund assistance to Service personnel and also provides a public benefit as it promotes their dependants with a view to efficiency in the RAF, thereby underpinning enhancing their morale and well-being. esprit de corps and contributing to the defence of the United Kingdom and its interests. Through its External Grants programme, the Fund also enables other charities to maximise their public benefit, where applicable to and in support of the RAF Family. 8 9 C Key Welfare Developments HARI IES MEETING THE NEEDS CASEWORK T Strategic Report I OF THE RAF FAMILY During 2015, we launched the Fund’s V HANDBOOK T I ABLE T research project Meeting the Needs of C A In 2015 we spent the RAF Family, which has provided us Charitable Activities: with a vital bedrock of information, both A C T ABLE about the size of the RAF Family and also I T Achievements, Performance V I its needs. The report is available on the T and Impact £18.2m IES Fund’s website. As intended, this has HARI C Achievements and Performance supporting given us a secure base from which to Trustees agreed that activity during 2015 assess the impact of our work and grow should place emphasis on the following: 41,500 our support for those in need. • Provision of essential and vital welfare members of the During 2015 we: support to the RAF Family; RAF Family • Introduced and embedded the Advice • Encouraging new applications for and Advocacy Service; support through cost-effective • Introduced and developed the Reaching Out Campaigns; Individual Support Service; • Researching the changing dynamic • Designed and launched the Building of the RAF Family’s welfare demand; Stronger Families course; Trustees prioritise annually the support • Based on that research, promoting we provide. Our first priority is to support • Agreed a much wider range new welfare initiatives; individual benevolence and we have of domiciliary support. • Promoting the Fund’s brand and image continued to stimulate demand through All of these elements are now delivering across a wider target audience; outreach campaigns designed to highlight positive effects.