RAF base picked up charity award

The award recognises the station which has raised the most money strictly through sporting events on a per-head basis.

Hel at Plaisterers’ Hall in London, the ceremony was attended by hundreds of RAF personnel, veterans, and supporters of the RAF Benevolent Fund. Now in its ninth year, the Fund’s annual awards celebrates the outstanding contributions of the charity’s fundraisers, volunteers, and partners.

As the station’s chosen charity of the year, personnel at RAF Shawbury raised £9,034 for the RAF Benevolent Fund in 2020 through a range of sporting events. This included the RAF Shawbury 10K in February which 500 runners took part in, raising £5,500 for the Fund. In September, the station hosted its annual Motorcycle Rider Safety Day for 90 riders, raising additional funds for the charity.

Fundraising at the station was spearheaded by the Shawbury Station Charities Committee and the event project officers drawn from across the Unit.

Wing Commander Alan Jones said: “It is an honour for RAF Shawbury to be recognised in this way and to be able to support the wider RAF family through our fundraising activities. We look forward to continuing to raise funding and awareness of the RAF Benevolent Fund, so that they can provide much needed support to the RAF family.”

Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot, Controller of the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “After making the difficult but necessary decision to hold our annual awards ceremony virtually last year, it’s been an absolute pleasure to see so many friendly faces once again in person this year as we celebrate the efforts of our supporters and fundraisers.

“Last year was a challenging time for the whole of the RAF Family, and the awards are a great opportunity to recognise all of the fantastic work that allowed us to continue supporting RAF veterans, serving personnel and their families throughout the pandemic and beyond.

“I’d like to pass on my congratulations to all of this year’s winners, particularly RAF Shawbury for their tireless support. The enthusiasm, creativity, and generosity we saw over the course of 2020 was truly inspiring, so from all of us here at the Fund – thank you.”

The RAF Benevolent Fund is the RAF’s leading welfare charity, providing practical, financial, and emotional support to RAF personnel, veterans, and their partners and children. In 2020, the Fund spent nearly £35,000 supporting personnel and their families based at RAF Shawbury. This included the provision of Airplay youth clubs and Ben Clubs for younger children as well as RAF-wide services such as the Fund’s Listening and Counselling service, relationship counselling service, free Headspace memberships and Thrive wellbeing workshops for RAF partners.