RAF Benevolent Fund releases 2024 Impact Report

The RAF Benevolent Fund has released its 2024 Impact Report, marking another year of high demand and high impact as it continued to deliver vital practical, emotional, and financial support to the RAF Family.

As the needs of serving personnel, veterans, their families and the bereaved evolved, the Fund remained focused on providing personal, practical, and lasting support – reaching 64,876 people worldwide and adapting its services to meet the holistic picture of their lives.

In 2024, over 32,500 serving personnel and their families benefitted from the Fund’s community activities and events such as its youth programme Airplay, station Families Days, and Station Grants. Over 19,000 serving personnel and their families received direct support from the Fund, with assistance ranging from financial grants and benefits advice to mental health services, with the Fund’s work guided by the needs of the people it supports.

The charity also supported 3,964 veterans, their families and the bereaved through initiatives like veteran meet-ups, Group Friendship Breaks, and Dementia Reminiscence Groups, which help to reduce loneliness and foster meaningful connections. In 2024, the Fund provided direct assistance to 9,300 members of the RAF veteran community, offering support through its advocacy service, mobility equipment, and help with day-to-day living costs.

The Fund spent £15.1m to support members of the RAF Family in 2024, offering timely, compassionate and tailored help. In 2024 – recognising increasingly challenging times – the charity’s vital services continued to support those in uniform, families, veterans, and the bereaved in 30 countries, with 91% of beneficiaries reporting an improvement in their quality of life.

Enhanced wellbeing for the RAF Family remained a key priority for the Fund in 2024. Over 2,000 individuals accessed support through the Listening and Counselling Service, including RAF doctor Sam May, who said: "After struggling following a sports injury, the counselling from the Fund was really helpful. It was important to me to have a non-judgemental place to talk and share the load with someone who could help me figure out coping strategies."

The Fund also helped around 400 households access nearly £2 million in unclaimed benefits through its advocacy and benefits advice services. Support to maintain independence was another key area, with funding provided for vital home adaptations and bespoke mobility aids. The RAF Benevolent Fund Housing Trust gave housing and housing-related support to 357 people across 196 adapted homes in 2024, providing stability and dignity for those living with complex needs.

Chief Executive of the RAF Benevolent Fund, Air-Vice Marshal Chris Elliot, said: “I am delighted to share our 2024 impact which brings to life the tangible difference we have made together to improve the lives of so many people across the RAF Family. In another year of high demand, we were able to provide vital support to those navigating financial hardship, illness, bereavement, and mental health challenges.  

"Whether they served recently or decades ago, for many years or just one day, our promise remains the same: one day of service, a lifetime of support."