One of the major tasks for ‘Global Branch 1370’ is to raise funds so that the ‘Royal Air Forces Association’ can carry out its charitable work within the RAF Family. This is never easy, even for the many Local Branches in the UK that operate as a closely organised group. But it is even more difficult for our Branch Members ‘flying solo’, so to speak, and usually within the area of a local RAFA Branch who’s toes we do not want to tread on.
The ‘Wings Appeal Week’ in September is the time that local RAFA Branches will be camped in the entrance of your local supermarket with an RAF Ensign covered table laden with ‘goodies’, ‘stickers’ and ‘Collecting Tins’. This is not to be ridiculed as it is a very effective and proven method of raising Awareness and Funds, but they will be there as part of their team. This is something that is not so easy for you to do as you could well be flying solo!! However, there may be one or two of you that find a local ‘venue’ that has not any other Branch booked in to collect during September and that you think could well suit you, if so now is the time to start organising it. All you need to do is to let me, Graham Croft, have the details of the store and we will arrange all the necessary and legal requirements. Plus of course we can organise delivery of the necessary goodies for you.
Whilst some of you might feel slightly put off by the last paragraph. Please don’t be. Very few, if any, of us have the Time, Ability or even Willingness to operate at the level of a physical branch. But that does not mean that you couldn’t do ‘something’, and of course we should not have to limit our efforts to September. Why not Tomorrow? Next week? Or next Month?
I intend to publish a list of suggestions as to methods of raising funds, from inviting a few neighbours to your house for ‘Tea and Cake’ to making a sponsored ‘Parachute Jump’. Prior to that we would like to have any thoughts that you may have on the subject and I would appreciate it if you could initially let me know by e-mail on wings.rafaglobalbranch1370@gmail.com as soon as possible (please put RAFA as the start of the ‘subject’ line to help me identify e-mails).
One of the ‘things’ I found out at the Conference ‘Workshop’ was that RAFA HQ can provide all sorts of useful paraphernalia, especially ‘collecting boxes’, to help us. We have only to put forward a convincing reason to have them.
I am here to provide ‘Advice’, ‘Assistance’ and ‘Ideas’. Please use this facility and also keep us informed of your progress.
RAF Association Global Branch 