DEPARTING WORD
A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR RAF FAMILIES Departing word from Dawn McCafferty I
t is with very mixed emotions that I write this, my last Foreword for Envoy aſter five years at the helm of the Federation. As many will know,
by the time you read this, I will have taken up command as the Commandant of the Air Cadet Organisation, returning to uniform as a full-time Reservist.
Whilst thrilled at my new appointment, it is with some regret that I leave the RAF FF as it has been very much my ‘baby’ since I launched it along with my new team back in November 2007. What I can say is that the Federation has evolved to exceed even my own very high expectations and I am extremely proud of the role we have played supporting RAF families through a particularly challenging time.
Who could have known when we first launched that SDSR and all its associated misery was just around the corner? We have witnessed some amazing transformation programmes – closures of bases, grounding of aircraft fleets and, of course, the painful but necessary force reductions creating a two-Phase redundancy programme and enforcing the loss of many talented personnel, both uniformed and in the Civil Service.
And who could have foreseen the profile that all three Service Families Federations would gain
as we ‘flexed our muscles’ in the corridors of power and gained access to, first the Service Personnel Command Paper External Reference Group, and then the Armed Forces Covenant Reference Group? Our evidence session with the Armed Forces Pay Review Body was formalised as a vital element within the Body’s work, and we have become established witnesses in front of House of Commons Defence Committee Inquiries, where our evidence is welcomed for its independence and its relevance, drawn direct from the family members we represent.
Behind all this high profile activity, the team has delivered sterling support to well over 1,800 individual family members seeking an independent and confidential support service. We have visited almost every RAF station, including a number of overseas locations, and we have contributed to a very wide range of community and family events. In sum, I think we’ve certainly made our mark in our first five years of existence and, as I leave for pastures new, I am confident that the team is in extremely good shape to continue its work in support of you all.
I cannot leave without paying tribute to simply the best team a boss could ever wish for. Ann, Jenny, Julie, Colin, Stan, Jenny and Nick have been inspirational in their support to me and to
the wider RAF family. Their skills and motivation continue to impress on a daily basis and their enthusiasm for their role ensures that every family is given individual support and every bit of evidence garnered is put to good use. Our strap line of ‘Investigate, Influence, Change’, underpins every aspect of our work but it’s the motto – ‘We’re in Your Corner’ that ensures we always remember who we are here to represent.
I thank everyone who has enabled the RAF Families Federation to grow from its humble beginnings to the ‘force for good’ it is today. I wish everyone in the RAF Family all they would wish for themselves it the years ahead and I hope our paths will cross again soon.
The Federation is here for You T
he RAF Families Federation is here to represent the concerns of RAF personnel and their families on the issues that affect the RAF family. We operate
entirely outside the RAF chain of command, so we can always promise an independent and confidential service.
By gathering the facts, we put your views and concerns in front of the people who matter, such as senior RAF and MoD staffs and Ministers. Influencing change, where it is needed, for the better.
6 Envoy Autumn 2012
So whether you’re in uniform yourself, a spouse, a partner, a parent, a child or a sibling of a member of the RAF, we are here to act on your behalf.
And do remember that if you don’t regularly get to see a copy of Envoy you can request your own copy. We will send each issue free of charge. There is a registration link on the website, you can call the Federation on 01780 781650 or email:
enquiries@raf-ff.org.uk
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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