The Way Ahead


2012 promises to be an equally challenging year for RAF families and we will be doing our best to continue delivering a service that enables independent representation of key concerns.


Sadly, we too have not been immune from the


need to save public money and the Federation budget for 2012-2014 has been reduced as part of the Air Command required savings. We will therefore be exploring ways of reaching families and gathering vital evidence in as cost-effective a way as possible and we anticipate fewer unit visits and more online activity as a result.


The good news is that the Federation staffs remain in post, supported in part by our parent charity, the RAF Association. From our perspective, the quality of your Federation team is at the core of our ability to provide professional and credible input to the families’ debate, and we hope you agree that a strong team underpins an enviable reputation enjoyed right across the Defence sector.


2012 will see us continuing to measure the impact of the SDSR, supporting families as the next Phase of redundancy is announced, and providing advice to those required to relocate as a result of base closures. We will be focusing on the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant as it impacts on RAF families and we will be pressing the Armed Forces Pay Review Body to make appropriate recommendations to counter the effect of the extended period of pay restraint, reductions in allowances, and rising cost of living.


Another area of likely Federation effort is the DIO Transformation programme and the Next Generation Estates Contract, and we also hope to make further contributions to inform the New Employment Model. We intend to run more themed surveys in 2012 to ensure we keep our fingers on the pulse of family concerns and we will continue to communicate with all family members via our website and magazine.


In sum, 2012 promises more of the same but viewed against a backdrop of particularly difficult times for the RAF and its families. We here at the RAF Families Federation commit ourselves once again to supporting all family members in the hope that our work contributes in some small way to the operational effectiveness of the Service.


18 www.raf-ff.org.uk


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