{"id":13232,"date":"2026-08-10T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veilles-affaires-sociales.fr\/?p=13232"},"modified":"2026-08-10T04:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T04:00:00","slug":"meeting-the-need-of-the-raf-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veilles-affaires-sociales.fr\/?p=13232","title":{"rendered":"Meeting the Need of the RAF Community"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Royal Air Force (RAF) Benevolent Fund and the wider RAF welfare sector provide support to a sizeable community of Serving and former-Serving RAF personnel and their families. To inform future strategic planning around the delivery of support to the community, the RAF Benevolent Fund commissioned RAND Europe to undertake research into the evolving size, demographics and support needs of the RAF community.<\/p>\n

To inform the RAF Benevolent Fund\u2019s welfare support and strategy development, we used a mixed methods research design, drawing on existing research and newly collected quantitative and qualitative data. Firstly, we used modelling and simulation approaches to forecast the size and demographics of the RAF community out to 2040. Secondly, we conducted a survey with Serving RAF personnel and partners to understand the prevalence of issues among a sample of the RAF Serving Community and identify relationships between support needs and respondents\u2019 demographic and Service characteristics. Thirdly, we conducted interviews with Serving as well as ex-Serving RAF personnel and partners to explore their experiences of Service, challenges experienced during and after Service and their understanding and experiences of the support available to them. Throughout the project, we engaged with stakeholders to inform our research design, validate findings and ensure the relevance of our recommendations. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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Our research suggests that the size and demographics of the Regular RAF community may not change substantially out to 2040. The size of the Reserve RAF community is more uncertain, with recent declines in the size of the Volunteer Reserves and ambitions to increase the size of the Volunteer Reserves in the 2030s. The RAF former Serving community is shrinking and is expected to become smaller, younger, and more diverse by 2040. One important characteristic of the Veteran community will be its intergenerational makeup.<\/p>\n

RAND\u2019s research with Serving Personnel and partners revealed a broad spectrum of experiences. Many expressed a strong sense of pride in their service, yet they also encountered difficulties due to frequent moves and separation from loved ones. The study found that financial concerns, employment opportunities for partners, and affordable childcare all play a role in shaping the wellbeing of the Serving community. Among partners, loneliness and mental health issues appear to be common, often connected to heavy workloads and the demands of childcare, which in turn affect overall wellbeing. <\/p>\n

Among the former Serving community, the transition from military to civilian life remained a defining pressure point at which many former SP and their families may require additional support, particularly for those experiencing abrupt and unplanned departures. Existing data and responses from our interviewees highlighted heightened risk of mental health conditions, growing concerns around social isolation and loneliness and concerns around financial security.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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