The RAF Association is viewed by many with high regard in these days of financial constraints, particularly looking back a few years when the future was far from assured. Our President summed up the Association, when he had said that he is struck by the camaraderie going back over 65 years, and this view is taken by many members, not just of our Association but by other Ex Service organisations.

The RAF Association image has improved enormously, but is still in need of further improvement. With the change some time ago within the Leicester Management structure, many systems were improved, including the National Web Site, which is an excellent communications tool within the Association. Often RAFA are criticised for its lack of innovation and forward thinking, but when members look at what is on stream currently, like the Miles More Minutes and Storybook Wings projects amongst others, you cannot fail to notice how everything has moved forward.

Membership and Fundraising remain two of RAFA's fundamental projects. Membership is on the up once again, and if you consider that we do have 32% of RAF personnel as members now, it is positive step into a better future. Approximately 3600 new members were 'signed up' during 2010. 
Fundraising is still steady, but many new ideas are taking shape, and some fundraising efforts have brought in excellent results.

Comradeship and Welfare support are two more of the cornerstones upon which the Association is founded. At the heart of our Welfare provision is the work carried out by the excellent team of Honorary Welfare Officers who give their time voluntarily to help members of the RAF family in need of Welfare support. An average of over 25,000 hospital and home visits take place annually. Sussexdown, in Storrington were transferred in 2007 to Care South, a not-for-profit organisation, which has retained the RAF/RAFA ethos, priority being given to ex-RAF people for all vacancies. 

The Wings Appeal is the Association's primary annual fundraising appeal. As with most charities, fundraising is a twelve month long activity, but the primary focus for the Wings Appeal is the first two weeks in September, running up to the Battle of Britain Day. One new innovation was the introduction of 'Brew for a Few' which is so successful it is now an annual fundraiser, and is part of the RAFALO fundraising effort on their units, including the local RAF Stations at Linton on Ouse, Fylingdales and Leeming. The average income from Wings fundraising is £2 million.

In January 2007, an invitation by the RAF to prepare a bid to manage the RAF Families Federation was made to the RAF Association, and it was a successful one. Currently the Families Federation offices are based at RAF Wittering. Chairman of the Federation, Group Captain Dawn McCafferty, was appointed in September 2007, and a team of five were appointed during October that same year. The Families Federation have been very well received by the RAF, and have a page in the RAF News. 

Communications has for some time been a major issue throughout the Association, but massive changes have been made, and whilst there are still some small issues, these are being addressed by the forward thinking management. We continue to build relationships with local and national press and media also the specialised press. 
Media Liaison has seen articles about the Association placed in both specialist publications and general newspapers and magazines. Welfare promotion has been highlighted not only to existing members but to the RAF and the general public.
The RAFALO's Newsletter 'Connect' was published for the first time in 2007, and has gained momentum, so much so that there is an increased interest by RAFA Branches in its pages.
Another innovation in communications is the E Newsletter which was again first published in November 2007 and is continuing to build in strength, and continues to supplement the Air Mail, another communications tool, which has developed to be a much better piece of reading material, with a lot of personal interest. 

Finally in respect of Communications, the RAF Comrade Contact Website was launched in February 2007. The purpose of the site is to allow serving and former members of the RAF and their families to search for and contact former colleagues, and again it has been a success story for RAFA.

Whilst the link between the RAF Association and the Royal Air Force, has always had a fairly strong bond, particularly through the Station RAFALO Teams, there is always room for improvement, and one of our Association Members, John Allison, is leading the effort to guide stations towards an even stronger link. John has been instrumental in setting up a Civilian RAFALO arrangement at Royal Air Force Linton on Ouse, near York, and it is proving more than worthwhile. The Station Commander, his OC Support and the OC SSS (Station Support Services), have all been tremendously supportive in enabling the embedding of RAFA on the Base, with provision of a shared office with SSAFA, in the newly refurbished building called the Maple Leaf Café and Community Centre. The OC SSS and John visited another local RAF Station recently, to sound out how they might be able to move forward with the same arrangements, with some positive results for the future.

We need to ensure that the Association is fit for purpose in the challenging years to come. It is therefore vital that the Association cements links with today's servicemen and women, and to do this it must be relevant to the Service today. It is imperative that we encourage all serving and former members of the RAF into membership - thus ensuring that the RAF Association is a vibrant organisation, involving all parts of the RAF family.