“Having the Fund there reminds you you’re still part of the RAF Family”

For RAF veteran Robert McDowall, the support from the RAF Benevolent Fund has been life changing. With practical and financial assistance organised by the Fund’s welfare team in Scotland, Robert has been able to regain his independence and stay active in his local community.

Originally from Glasgow, Robert joined the RAF in 1965 working in supply and materials and was soon posted to RAF Stafford. Robert was deployed to RAF Gan in the Indian Ocean on a year-long, unaccompanied tour that he remembers fondly. “I enjoyed being deployed. It was hot, but it was good work. I was looking after the stores, driving forklift trucks, dispatching and receiving materials.”

Midway through his posting, Robert was urgently recalled home when his first wife fell seriously ill. He returned to his base at RAF Stafford, eventually transitioning to civilian work on the same site before moving into the manufacturing industry.

Robert stayed connected to the RAF community after his service and remained active with his local Cub and Scout group in Ayr, where he continues to volunteer. But due to a series of health challenges, Robert’s mobility is now limited. He said: “I’ve got COPD and blockages in my legs, so I can’t really walk far. Maybe 20 feet, then I have to rest.”

While attending the International Ayr Show – Festival of Flight in 2024 with his wife Joy, Robert discovered the Fund’s welfare team who were there signposting services for support, as South Ayrshire Council’s charity partner of the event.

“I spoke to Caroline at the Fund stand. Everyone was really lovely – Caroline even came out to visit me and go through the paperwork to apply for support.”

The Fund arranged for an occupational therapist assessment at Robert’s home and provided him with a grant for a mobility scooter, a hut to store it, and installed the necessary electrics.

Robert expressed: “The scooter is going to make a big, big difference to my life. Just getting into town takes me ten minutes to walk – now I can go further without relying on the bus. I’ll be able to go to the local shops, go see the Scouts, even just get around more easily. If I didn’t have the scooter, I wouldn’t be able to afford one. They’re quite dear.”

Robert reflects on how the Ayr Show is a vital link for veterans in west Scotland who may not know where to turn for support. “It can be tough adjusting to civvy life. Even if you were only in the RAF for a short time, you miss the people and the community. The Ayr Show really helps you find community again. There are people you can talk to who’ve been through the same things.

“Sometimes, especially for younger veterans or Air Cadets coming up, they might be struggling but not sure where to start. That’s why this kind of support from the Fund is so important.”

Thanks to the Fund’s practical and financial assistance, Robert is looking ahead with a renewed sense of freedom. “The support has meant I’m no longer stuck in the house. I can be out and about again. 

"Having the Fund there reminds you you’re still part of the RAF Family. I’d say to any former members of the RAF who are struggling to reach out to the Fund – the help is there for you, as it was for me.”