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Telephone: 01780 781650, email: enquiries@raf-ff.org.uk or via the website raf-ff.org.uk


Envoy –The magazine of the RAF Families Federation, published 4times ayear.


To have your FREE copy delivered quarterly to your home, email enquiries@raf-ff.org.uk or via our website raf-ff.org.uk


Director (Acting): Graeme Spark MBE


Communications Manager: Caroline Woodward


Communications Assistant: Nick Crouch Evidence Manager (Acting): Todd Fellows


Evidence Assistant (Housing): Stan Brathwaite


Regional Covenant Managers: Jo Wilkinson, Lisa Thipthorp and Dani Robertson Transition Liaison Manager: Louise Briggs


Dispersed Families Project Manager: TorJohnson


Office Manager: Ruth McClelland


Published quarterly by Method Publishing, adivision of Scottish Provincial Press Limited, on behalf of Envoy


Design and Typography: ©Method Publishing 2018


Editorial Matter and Illustrations: ©Envoy Printed in Great Britain by: Warners Midlands plc


Advertisement Office (UK): Method Publishing, 64 Main Street, Golspie, Sutherland, KW10 6TG Contact Chris Cappie on 01463 732223 or email c.cappie@methodpublishing.co.uk


Front cover: Thousands of people fill the Mall in London, waiting to see the RAF 100 flypast (10/07/2018) ©Crown Copyright 2018.


CONTENTS


FEATURES 8 The RAF100 Centenary celebrations –what it meant to our families


10 Flexible Working; it’s aTeam Sport 15 ASizzling Summer of Activity on 4624 Squadron RAuxAF


Te RAF Families Federation is an independent organisation parented by the RAF Association


16 What’s Next? Making the Most of Resettlement and Transition


FEDERATION 18 Accommodation Matters 23 The Common Transfer File for service children moving from one school to another


rafa.org.uk Registered charitynumber


England and Wales 226686 Scotland SCO37673


Te RAF Families Federation is supported by the RAF Benevolent Fund


24 RAF Dispersed Families project update


FINANCIAL 26 Service PayExplained: The X-Factor


28 Joining Forces –Credit Union Services for the Armed Forces


29 Resettlement Grants on returning to the Armed Forces


26


COVENANT 32 The Covenant Fund: Is my project eligible?


34 National Express Discount on Coach and Bus Travel


OUR OWN IN BUSINESS 36 The InDependent Spouse 37 Petal &Stalk –getting ready for festivities


38 Flying High for Ex-RAF Engineer with KestrelQASHealth, Safety and Quality Assurance


39 Scrumptious Bakes by Emma


HEALTH&WELLBEING 40 RAF Association launches new gift to help parents feel closer to home


41 Hundreds helped by initiatives run by the RAF Benevolent Fund


rafbf.org Registered charitynumber


England and Wales 1081009 Scotland SCO38109


42 RAF Football Association 44 Fair treatment in access to Assisted Conception


42


OF INTEREST 45 Envoy Prizes page


raf-ff.org.uk | Autumn 2018 | ENVOY


Welcome from the


editor


As the front cover leads us to expect, there are alot of positive comments towards the RAF100 Centenary celebrations in this edition –especially with the most amazing centrepiece of events in London on 10th July.Most of us at the Families Federation watched all unfold on the office TV over our lunchtime sandwiches –certainly no ordinary day especially with many of our team being RAF veterans themselves.


Equally to our own team’s excitement, we watched with asmile, all the many comments and pictures dropping onto the various social media timelines from the families… Parents, brothers, sisters and partners of the RAF community, each sharing their immense pride at being among all that was happening that day. We have added apiece here in Envoy to show asnapshot of those comments.


Staying with celebrations but moving away from RAF100, you’ll remember we provided a‘Spouses in Business and Employment’ pullout in the last edition of Envoy. That seems to have gone down extremely well (it certainly was apleasure to do!). Some of you contacted me afterwards and offered to share your own business stories so Ihave added afew more nuggets of inspiration from RAF partners and also an RAF Veteran. Ihope the stories inspire some of you to dip your toe into the self-employment water… or maybe just to make use of what their businesses offer by supporting our own –the RAF family.


If you have any articles to share, our next (Winter) edition goes live on 1st December (copy in deadline –Friday 5th October).


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