Area Vice Presidents

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Area Vice Presidents

At Area Conference, Air Vice Marshal Grahame Jones and Wing Commander Bob Shepherd were elected as Area Vice Presidents.

Area Conference – Resolutions

The following emergency Resolution was carried at Area Conference and will therefore be supported by the Area Delegate at National Conference:

“This Conference reminds Central Council that a resolution adopted by Conference is binding on the Association and it is incumbent on Central Council to ensure that the staff implements the resolution in the spirit in which it was adopted and the supporting comments behind the resolution are taken into account in its implementation”.

Annual Conference 2015 - Eastbourne – 15 - 17 May 2015

The letter giving details of Conference was despatched to Branch Secretaries in December, by E-mail or hard copy (where required). It is important that the pro forma is returned direct to the Conference Organiser (Kelly Brotherhood) at CHQ, 117.5 Loughborough Road, Leicester, LE4 5ND ( ) and not via Area offices. It is also imperative that it is returned by the due date (Friday 17th April 2015). In recent years many Branches have not made contact until as late as the week prior to Conference. It is necessary to complete and return the form even if accommodation has been booked, either direct, or through Area HQ - again in recent years many Delegates have assumed that as they had booked their accommodation there was no need to return the pro forma.

Branch Clubs – Quarterly Returns

Branch Clubs are reminded that their Quarterly Returns were due as at 31 March 15, those who have not yet sent in their Quarterly Returns to their respective Area Office, please do so as soon as possible.

Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary – Area Event

As part of the ceremonies to commemorate the 75th Anniversary to commemorate the Battle of Britain, the Area Council has agreed that a sunset ceremony will be held at North Weald airfield in the late afternoon of 12 July 2015. Whilst it is appreciated that some of our Branch Standard Bearers will be attending the ceremony at Capel le Ferne on that day, the Area Council would like as many as possible of those Branch Standards not attending Capel le Ferne to parade at North Weald. Further details on the event at North Weald will follow but in the meantime Branches should note the event and plan accordingly.

Phantomeers Reunion

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II aircraft was in service for 26 years with the RAF from August 1968 with 228 OCU at RAF Coningsby to October 1994 with 74 Sqn at RAF Wattisham. This was an amazing aircraft which served the RAF as an excellent truly multi-role combat aircraft, big, ugly (to most), brawny and frightening. Most of the aircrew that flew this beast of an aircraft loved it, the ground crew had a love hate relationship with an aircraft that was demanding and difficult to work on, in fact she was a pig to work on. The vast majority of Phantom Engineers (Phantomeers) loved the beast and because of the overlapping of trade boundaries much rivalry and camaraderie was born producing a common bond and dedication that has been rarely witnessed before or since.

We, the "Phantomeers" have a reunion every two or three years, our next is being held at the Holiday Inn Bridgefoot Stratford upon Avon Warickshire on Saturday 23 May 2015. Full information is available at our web site

Come to Flowerdown House and enjoy your perfect break

Rest and relaxation, convalescence or simply for a change of scenery with the family, everyone needs a break from time to time and our Wings Break Home, Flowerdown House in Weston-super-Mare is just the job. Spacious comfortable rooms with fully accessible en-suite facilities and delicious home-cooked food, you are sure to have a great time. Flowerdown House is pleased to offer short stay breaks. These can run for a minimum of 3 nights between Tuesday and Monday, subject to availability. Short stay breaks are charged at a rate of £45 per person per night B&B and £58 per person per night full board with meals prepared by the in-house Chef. All non-care rooms are available for short stay breaks and most dates are still available throughout March and April so why not call Flowerdown House 01934-621664 or .

Volunteering update

We have been busy over the last month progressing with the Pilot, to recruit five new Caseworkers in the South East, working on the Recognition Policy for all volunteers and working on the plans for Annual Conference.

A report recommending ways to recognise our volunteers, will be submitted to Central Council on 18 April. We want to be able to credit your tireless work, as well as make plans for how we will thank new volunteers joining the team, alongside you. From the feedback we have gathered so far from you, we appreciate that many of you desire no recognition and a simple and genuine ‘thank you’ is enough. However, we want to be able to suggest to Areas and Branches a range of ways they can thank and recognise their volunteers. Examples include: certificates for Cadets, thank you cards for volunteers who you know will appreciate it and Area/regional celebrations to help welcome new volunteers. It will be down to individual Areas and Branches to decide what would work best for their volunteers.

At the Area Reunion for Wales, Midlands and South Western Areas, in Torquay on 21 March we ran a workshop and met many active and enthusiastic members. Thank you for all the comments, suggestions and questions about how we take volunteering forward over the next year. We hope all of your respective Area Conferences and Reunions were enjoyable, whichever one you attended, and that you are looking forward to Annual Conference, where we will meet many more of you, next month and share some of our work with you.

A word cloud created by members at the Wales, Midlands and South Western Area Reunion. ‘Why do you volunteer?’

I’ve been speaking to some of you recently and a couple of the more common questions I have been asked by members include:

‘Will the new volunteers we are recruiting become members?’ The answer to this is ‘We hope so!’ We will certainly be asking our volunteers if they would like to be members, at an appropriate point in their volunteer journey and after they have completed their induction and training. We want to grow our membership as well as the number of people that volunteer for us and appreciate the fact that so many of you are keen to help us do this.

One of the ways you can help is to make new volunteers feel welcome, part of the RAF family and a valued part of the Branch.

‘Can you help me find volunteers for my Branch?’ We can help you to try and find volunteers for your Branch. We are developing role profiles and forms so you can seek help with recruitment. Any interested volunteers will then be pointed in your direction and then it will be up to you to induct, train and welcome them. Contact Katharine Montgomery on or on 0116 268 8794 if you need help with finding volunteers.

Annual Service of Remembrance and Dedication of Memorials 2015

Every year the RAF Association, along with service families and local branches, celebrates the lives of those RAF personnel past and present honoured in our Garden of Remembrance based at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire. This year’s annual Service of Remembrance and Dedication of Memorials to be held on Friday 19th June 2015.

Royal Air Force personnel and their families dedicate their lives to the service of their country. Sometimes they pay the ultimate sacrifice in service, while some succumb to illness and others pass away in the fullness of time, leaving behind comrades, friends and their loved ones.

The service will honour all of those remembered in our garden and will dedicate the crosses and stones placed in the Remembrance Garden during 2014/15

Details of the service are as follows:

Location: RAF Association Remembrance Garden

National Memorial Arboretum

Alrewas

Staffordshire

DE13 7AR

Date: Friday 19th June 2015

Start time: 10:30

Finish time: 13:00 approximately

If you have any questions regarding the event, please contact Vinny Manak on 0116 268 8791 or email .

Royal International Air Tattoo RAF Fairford 17th-19th July 2015

Between 1st February and 31st May, Earlybird tickets will be available priced at £31 for the Friday ticket, £41 for a Saturday ticket and £41 for the Sunday ticket.

The standard advance ticket will go on sale 1st June, priced at £36 for the Friday ticket £46 for the Saturday ticket and £46 for a Sunday ticket.

For full admission ticket details and to see the wide range of optional upgrades designed to enhance your enjoyment of the Royal International Air Tattoo 2015, visit

Shoreham Airshow 22ndAugust – 23rd August 2015

The Royal Air Forces Association Airshow at Shoreham organised by the Shoreham-by-Sea Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association is one of the premier family airshows in the UK. The airshow regularly attracts the best UK and European display acts to its unique “garden party” atmosphere. Shoreham is the oldest licensed airfield in the UK and has a beautiful Grade II listed art deco style Terminal Building.

The show is held to support the work of the Royal Air Forces Association. Since the shows inception, the event has raised over £1.8 million for RAFA. Theflying display will feature strong support from the armed forces as well as exciting aerobatic and emotive historic aircraft displays. On the ground there will be extensive static displays, arena displays, classic cars and trade stalls.

Ticket Information

• Advanced tickets for Shoreham Airshow will be available ONLINEat
• Tickets purchased in advance are valid for either show day but not both.
• Tickets may be purchased on the day of the airshow by CASH or CHEQUE ONLY.

Ticket Prices

VE Veteran Returns to Squadron He Formed in 1951

2248 Squadron’s first Commanding Officer shares his experiences of VE day with current cadets.

Rutland squadron was formed in 1951 by former WW2 mosquito pilot Flight Lieutenant George Kirk, now aged 94 he returned to his former squadron to share his experiences of the iconic end to WW2.

Rutland cadets asked the veteran a variety of questions about his flying days in the ‘wooden wonder’, the nickname for the mosquito, his experiences the war and the ATC during the 1950s.

Cadet Corporal Yasmin Makinde said: “It’s amazing that the squadron’s first CO was a WW” pilot and is still able to come back and talk to us about his experiences, he’s truly inspirational.”

With the 70thanniversary of the iconic date approaching, the event was filmed by BBC’s Quentin Rayner and is scheduled to be aired at the beginning of May.

During the filming, 2248 Squadron’s first Commanding Officer had a surprise in store for their current CO Paul Bowden, and presented him with his promotion to Flight Lieutenant.

Flt Lt Paul Bowden said: “We are lucky to be one of the few squadrons in the Corps to still have their first Commanding Officer who is still a strong supporter of the squadron. It’s great to think that the opportunities that we are able to give youngsters today stem from the foundations George laid all those years ago.”

Donations For March 2015

Area Welfare

Respite Care Fund

GRAND TOTAL £1,811.61

Ken Clarke

South East & Eastern Area Director

Patron: Her Majesty The Queen

Registered Charity 226686 in England & Wales. SCO37673 in Scotland