KEEPINGYOU IN TOUCH WelComE (WelfareCommunications Everywhere) -providing communication services to link entitled UK Service personnel on operational duty with their families and friends backhome. Free* voicemail Familyand friends based in theUK, Germanyand Cyprus can leave voicemail messages forentitled UK Service personnel currentlyserving on operational duty overseas. Entitled deployedpersonnel can retrieve voicemail messages forfreein-theatre. Online top-up service Entitled deployedpersonnel, familyand friends can top-up WelComE Account Cards via the Online Account Manager. Visit www.mywelcome.co.uk fordetails. ademark of Astrium Limited. Tr egistered aR lComE is We served. re WelComE Customer Contact Centre digm. All rights ra [email protected] Pa www.mywelcome.co.uk -© *Freewhen calling from aUK, German or Cypriot landline 255 Mobile and international call costs mayvary. Checkwithyour mobile/service provider 10 Why should YOU contact the Federation? Welcome The RAF Families Federation is funded by the RAF but sits outside the Chain of Command as an from the editor independent organisation. We represent all RAF personnel –bethey Regular,Reserve, single, married Well, what asummer… Nick and I, here in the communications team had the or in apartnership, together with their families. task of organising our team’s attendance at all of your Station families days this summer.Boy what abusy but fun time we have had! Ruth, our office manager,was We provide avoice for the issues and concerns probably sleeping at night not by counting sheep, but freebie bag collating or booking you have about life in the RAF,and we have direct numerous hire cars instead. access to senior RAF and MOD staffs as well as Government Ministers. On apersonal note, this issue of Envoy marks my two-year milestone working at the RAF FF and Ihave loved every minute. I’ve managed to meet so many groups, To do all this, we need to hear from you on issues organisations and learn so much, especially coming into the RAF community with such as quality of life, accommodation, health, no prior military experience. One of my most recent visits has included the Military education, pay and allowances Everyone’s views and Wives Choir’s Annual Conference, held at Tidworth Garrison. Jo Wilkinson and concerns are important to us. Iwent armed with our exhibition stand and received the warmest of welcomes. Keythings to remember: We even joined in with the singing workshop along with Nichola, our counterpart in the Naval FF.Well, Ican safely say we all left feeling quite energised. Singing really •Wework with the RAF/MOD and not against them did give us agood feeling and Ican totally appreciate the benefits of joining one of •Wedon’t undermine the chain of command; we the choirs. Not abad day’s work for aMonday! work with them but will dig them in the ribs on So, focusing back on this edition, I’m so excited to bring to you two great prizes for your behalf when necessary you to win. There is aweekend break for two nights at the Victory Services Club. •Wewill signpost you to the ‘best’ experts to help Amust to go to if you haven’t already used it as aweekend bolt-hole. The team are you if required all so friendly there too. Youreally will be made to feel special. •Wealways maintain your anonymity and respect There is also afree Family and Friends National Railcard up for grabs. Simply use the your privacy form in this magazine to sign up to either eBULLETIN or Envoy magazine (or both as they are free!) and send your slip in to me by Friday 28th October,your details •Wealways maintain afair and balanced approach will then go into adraw to win one of the two prizes. I’ll then have the fun part of informing the lucky winners who they are by FrFridayiday 4th November. If you don’t tell us, we can’t tell them. FrontCaption: Pictured is the first of the UK’s F-35B Lightning II jets to be flown to the UK. (c) MOD Crown Copyright 2016. CONTACT Evidence Assistant: To dd Fellows Te lephone: 01780 781650, Evidence Assistant (Housing): Stan Brathwaite email: [email protected] Regional Covenant Managers: or via the website raf-ff.org.uk Graeme Spark, Jo Wilkinson, Julie Price Office Manager: Ruth McClelland Envoy –The magazine of the RAF Families Federation, published 4times ayear. Published quarterly by Method Publishing, adivision To have your FREE copy delivered quarterly to your home, of Scottish Provincial Press Limited, on behalf of Envoy email [email protected] or via our website Design and Ty pography: ©Method Publishing 2016 raf-ff.org.uk Editorial Matter and Illustrations: ©Envoy Director: Bill Mahon Printed in Great Britain by: Warners Midlands plc Communications Manager: Caroline Woodward Advertisement Office (UK): Method Publishing, Sutherland Press House, Communications Assistant: Nick Crouch Main Street, Golspie, Sutherland, KW10 6RA Assistant Volunteer Editor: Kate Graham Te l: 01408 633871 Fax: 01408 633876 Evidence Manager: Colin Jones Email: [email protected] Views expressed in Envoy,unless stated otherwise, are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of Envoy,the RAF or the Ministry of Defence. No responsibility for the quality of goods or services advertised in Envoy can be accepted by the Publishers or Printers and advertisements are accepted on the express condition that the advertiser warrants that they in no way contravene the provisions of The Trades Descriptions Act 1968 nor any other prevailing legislation in the United Kingdom. The Publishers reserve the right to refuse acceptance of any advertisement without stating areason. raf-ff.org.ukraf-ff.org.uk Autumn 2016 1 When Ineeded help to get back to work afterbeing medically discharged from service, the RAFAssociation wastherefor me. Make a SAC(T) Paul Case real difference to the RAFfamily Become amember of the RAFAssociation today TheRoyal AirForcesAssociation is ahuge family of 62,000 members,all pulling together to make adifference– and we’d likeyou to join us. As amember,you canmakeareal,significantdifference. Please join todayand help us continue being therefor the RAFfamily. rafa.org.uk/join [email protected] 0116 268 8762 Or contactyour local branch –you’ll find details on our website 2 Autumn 2016 raf-ff.org.uk Contents 10 6 In the News COVENANT FEATURES 32 The‘Missing Link’ Anew networkofArmed Forces CovenantChampions 8 F-35B Lightning visits has beenintroducedonRAF stations to help spread 1stJuly 2016,ahistoric dayfor the UK as the future the word aboutthe ArmedForcesCovenant. of the RAF combatair fleet, the F-35B Lightning,flew over it’s prospective ‘home’; RAF Marham in Norfolk. HEALTH ANDWELLBEING 10 Manston.... is it still open? 8 34 RAF Community Support update DFTDC Manstonconducts various training courses Includes information oneN Th uffield Centreatthe forRAF firefighters,DefenceFire&RescueService JointService Mountain Training Centre(JSMTC) and firefighters and military and civilian non-specialists. The Services Cotswold Centre. 12 An Opportunity ForAll 35 TheInvictusGames This year sees the tenthanniversaryofthe RAF The2016 InvictusGames were held in Orlando, Football Association setting up its headquartersat Florida. Helena Hamlyn from The RoyalBritish Legion RAF BrizeNorton. shares acouple of RAF stories. 14 Thea’sStory 36 Ashining light Evading the Gestapo in Holland abook full of gripping 12 ‘Family,friendsand the RAF BenevolentFund have stories. Interviewwiththe remarkableThea Coleman- beenashining lightinour darkdays’. TielrOOy. 39 Time forToni to look forward FEDERATION Three weeksafterher 28th birthday, mother-of-twO Toni Dagnall suffered her second debilitating stroke in 20 Accommodation Matters twomonths. Housing informationand accommodationupdates from your Federation. FAMILY 22 Housing options? 40 Domestic abuse, the RAF and you Understanding the options to makeinformed choices 35 The RAF is areflectionofthe societyfromwhich we now, and knowing whatfinancial initiatives are recruit and sadly, if it happens out there,ithappens in available forthe ArmedForces. the Serviceaswell. BUSINESS NEWS 42 Skills forLifeAward TheOutward BoundTrustare offering 100 24 Support through Project Fortis scholarshipsfor their Skills forLifeAward in summer Project Fortis is anew online network, setup3years 2017. agobyagroup of technology experts and veterans. 26 Admin lady to Milipreneur 36 OF INTEREST Mission: to makealiving with creativeskills and 44 Beyond the obvious create things thatmakepeoplehappy. Mostpeople know aboutthe RAF HIVE service, which 27 Ink. Apassion fordesign ranges from deploymentsupport to basic information requests, no task is toobig or toosmall. Iwasn’t expecting my lifetochange the wayitdid, not justprofessionally but also personally. 45 Do youfeel lucky... Superb prizes from the Victory Services Club and LEGALAND FINANCIAL National Rail in our free to entercompetitions.Ifyou 28 StampDutyLand Tax don’t enteryou can’t win! Thinking of buying additional properties to thatofthe 42 one designatedasyour ‘family home’? raf-ff.org.uk Autumn 2016 3 DIRECTOR DirFROM THE ector Iquite enjoy some of Jeremy maintenance and we continue to with us the evidence and views you Clarkson’s stuff,especially the way challenge both CA and DIO to have given us on topics ranging from he starts his motoring column with a perform. Please keep your evidence accommodation (inevitably), childcare story often completely unconnected coming –even if CA performance is and quality of life to overseas issues to the car being tested and then showing encouraging signs, we need and pay &allowances. We are under manages at the end to link together to make sure they sustain it. no illusions, and nor should you be, the story with the car.I’ve been that public sector pay restraint is trying to work out how Imight We ran atri-Federation survey on about to end but we hope that we link my fabulous motorcycle trip the Future Accommodation Model can at least influence the AFPRB with to the Black Forest with tales of for the MOD –ifyou completed it your evidence about what matters grotty kitchens, broken boilers and then abig ‘Thank You’.