Royal Air Forces Association The Royal Air Forces Association ( RAF Association or RAFA ) , is the largest single Service membership organisation and the longest standing registered service charity that provides welfare support to the RAF Family - providing friendship , help and support to current and former members of the Royal Air Force and their dependants . Receiving no government contributions , the RAF Association is completely funded by the generosity of their members and through vital donations from their supporters in the general public and businesses . The Association exists in the recognition that RAF personnel and their immediate families dedicate their lives to their country , and to ensure that such a sacrifice do not result in suffering , poverty or loneliness . Whether it ’ s an injured airman fighting to get back on his feet , a young child missing their parent away on overseas operations , or a World War II veteran needing a shoulder to lean on , the RAF Association is there to help all generations of RAF Service personnel and their families . The RAF Association currently has a membership of over 65 , 500 includes serving RAF personnel , veterans and non - service individuals who want to show their support for the work they do . With a UK - wide caseworker network of over 540 volunteer Welfare Officers undertaking over 68 , 000 welfare contacts annually , help ranges from simply providing conversation and friendship to preparing and submitting application forms for financial assistance . 70th Anniversary . The RAF Association celebrates its 70th Anniversary in 2013 , making it one of the longest standing Service charities . The early welfare work of the Association started with its charitable work in the 1930s by helping unemployed members in need through benevolent schemes and the distribution of Christmas hampers , continuing through to the Association ’ s formation in 1943 . The foundations of the charity ’ s present structure were laid during the remaining wartime years , and the Association was fully prepared for the consequences of demobilisation , which began in 1945 . Welfare officers , employment officials and legal advisers were appointed at National Headquarters and at local branch levels . At the Air Ministry ’ s invitation , officials attended Release Centres to inform demobilised Air Personnel how the Association could help them . The work of the RAF Association has stayed relevant and it continues to help those who have served for at least a day in the RAF from its beginnings through to the present day . History . In 1929 , in the Sergeants ’ Mess at RAF Andover , three men named Vernon Goodhand , Joe Pearce and Warrant Officer Bartlett met to discuss the formation of a single organisation dedicated to the welfare of serving and ex - serving RAF personnel : one which would replace the many smaller organisations that had grown to keep former servicemen in touch since the end of the First World War . By 1930 a provisional committee had been formed called " Comrades of the Royal Air Forces Association " and the first general meeting of the new organisation took place at the Queen ’ s Hotel , Leicester Square , London . Air Ministry support for the Comrades came in 1933 when the Air Council officially recognised the organisation and Lord Trenchard accepted the Presidency . Throughout the early thirties the new Association made rapid progress , establishing benevolent schemes and distributing Christmas hampers to unemployed members . Then , in 1936 , King George VI gave his patronage – and the Association has been honoured with Royal patronage ever since . Following the outbreak of war in 1939 , the Women ’ s Auxiliary Air Force reformed , and the Women ’ s Royal Air Force Old Comrades Association ( created in 1919 ) opened its membership to all ranks of the new female air service . In 1941 , the two Old Comrades organisations for airmen and airwomen merged , resulting in a combined membership of nearly 20 , 000 . By 1943 , with more than a million serving in the RAF , the organisation ’ s name was changed to the Royal Air Forces Association . A National Council , under the chairmanship of Air Chief Marshal Sir John Steel was formed to replace the Central committee of CRAFA . The foundations of the charity ’ s present structure were laid during the remaining wartime years , and the Association was fully prepared for the consequences of demobilisation , which began in 1945 . Welfare officers , employment officials and legal advisers were appointed at National Headquarters and at local branch levels . At the Air Ministry ’ s invitation officials attended Release Centres to inform demobilised Air Personnel how the Association could help them . In 1947 membership reached a peak with around 200 , 000 members and some 565 branches throughout the UK and in some overseas territories . During this time , membership enrolment reached as many as 10 , 000 a month and , with the danger that the organisation might have become oversubscribed , the decision was made to distribute most of the administrative work over nine separate areas , each with its own HQ . The Association has continued to maintain its Royal links and HM the Queen currently acts as Patron . We were also honoured and proud to have the Duke of Edinburgh as President in 1954 and 67 , and the Prince of Wales in 1986 . At the start of the 21st Century it was clear that the Association needed to adapt to an ever - changing society and its welfare needs . The RAF Association underwent a complete reorganisation and Central Headquarters relocated to the heart of the country in Leicester , and in the process amalgamated the Association ’ s Areas into five . In recent times the Association has continued to be at the forefront of providing support to the RAF family . As well as continuing to help those who served in World War II , we have given assistance to vast numbers of Service personnel including veterans of the conflicts in Korea , The Falklands and The Middle East , and those affected by the ongoing campaign in Afghanistan . Wings Appeal . The Wings Appeal is the RAF Association ’ s on - going fundraising campaign that runs throughout the year . It is the fundraising arm of the Association and helps raise the vital funds needed to support serving and ex - RAF personnel and their families , whenever they are need . As the RAF Association does not receive any government funding , we are dependent on the generosity of the public and the selfless hard work of our volunteers who help raise vital funds for the Wings Appeal . The RAF Association ' s fundraisers come in many forms ; including RAF Association Branch members , members of the serving RAF , ATC cadets , employees of companies who support us and individual members of the public . The types of activity which volunteers undertake include : Welfare . The kind of welfare support provided by the RAF Association is wide - ranging : everything from providing home visits and respite care breaks , to offering advice and , in some circumstances , financial assistance in times of difficulty . In a typical year , these are just some of the ways the RAF Association helps Servicemen and women , past and present . Wings Video Mail . Wings Video Mail is the RAF Association ’ s latest innovation to allow RAF personnel serving in Afghanistan , stay in touch with family and friends , offering a secure , personal way to send a one - minute message free of charge back to the UK . With MoD policy , real - time visual communication such as video calls and Skype aren ' t practical on the front line so Wings Video Mail will offer the perfect alternative to all RAF personnel wanting to feel as close to home as they can . A total of 8 of the distinctive blue , touch screen Video Mail recording booths are located in specific areas across Afghanistan such as Bastion and Kandahar . Storybook Wings . Storybook Wings provides a vital link between these parents and their children . It enables parents to record bedtime stories , along with personal messages , for their children to listen to while they are away , helping to ease the anxiety caused by separation . The RAF Association provides recording equipment to parents for them to record their chosen stories . Thanks to generous donations received from members and the general public the Association is able to fund the special editing and sound mixing equipment needed by our volunteer editors . Once edited , a soundtrack is added to give each story a really special feel . The completed CD is then sent to the children in a personalised CD cover , and is ready for them to listen to whenever they like . The RAF Association now supports 35 stations who participate in this growing and popular project , and RAF personnel are also able to record stories while in Theatre , with two recorders in Afghanistan plus another at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands . Homes from Home . The RAF Association jointly owns and runs three respite care homes situated across the country in some of England ' s most picturesque locations . The Homes from Home offer respite short stays and breaks . The fully trained and friendly staff are able to provide specialised care and support for those who need that little extra assistance , with facilities available to cater for a wide variety of needs . Each of the homes provides a warm and friendly environment with plenty of opportunities to meet like - minded people . rafa YOUTH . rafa YOUTH is the RAF Association ' s youth membership scheme and is aimed at all young people aged 13 – 17 who love flying , gliding , aviation , the Royal Air Force or who just want to be part of something special . rafa YOUTH aims to help increase the RAF Association ' s long term numbers ; encourage volunteering , support and increase awareness of the Association ’ s purpose as well as helping to promote youth development through air - related activities . It is hoped that youth members will continue their membership of the RAF Association as adults when they turn 18 and move on . All 13 to 17 year olds who are in uniform as Air Cadets , CCF ( RAF ) , GVCAC , Air Scouts and Air Explorer Scouts are eligible to join rafa YOUTH .