The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust (RAFCT) came into being in January 2005 following a governance review of the RAF Benevolent Fund, which led to the reorganisation of the RAF Benevolent Fund Development Trust (RAFBFDT). The RAFCT retained the objectives of the RAFBFDT, although its scope was widened to include the RAF family of charities as potential beneficiaries.
The original Trust was established in the 1950s with a grant of £30,000 from the Air Council with the aim of reviving the legendary Air Pageants of the 1920s in order to promote the RAF. This fund had lain almost dormant until 1975 when Air Marshal Sir Denis Crowley-Milling, Controller of the RAF Benevolent Fund, decided that he wanted to re-establish military airshows as a way to raise money and awareness for his charity and aid recruitment to the Royal Air Force.
At around this time the fledgling International Air Tattoo, which had been founded in 1971 in support of the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA), was looking for new support after RAFA cancelled the 1975 airshow following the withdrawal of a major sponsor. Crowley-Milling recognised the opportunity and stepped in. As time passed the objectives of the Trust were widened to include charitable purposes which were of benefit to past and present members of the RAF.
When the governance review recommended the Fund shift its focus away from airshows, the seed was sown for another charity to take over the ownership of the world-famous Air Tattoo and its parent company. In late 2004, the new name for the Development Trust - The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust - received Ministerial approval and the new organisation was established in January 2005. HRH the Duke of Kent graciously extended his patronage of the Air Tattoo to include the charity and a Board of Trustees was established, chaired by Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Knight.
In July 2008, Sir Michael Knight retired as Chairman and handed over the reins to Air Chief Marshal Sir John Cheshire.
Since establishing itself as the latest addition to the Royal Air Force's family of charities, RAFCT has been providing financial support to a wide variety of projects and initiatives.
At the heart of the Trust is its commitment to young people, to initiate and develop within them an enthusiasm for aviation in all its guises. In doing so, the Trust aims to inspire the next generation of aerospace professionals, whether engineers, pilots or ground crew. To this end, RAFCT has forged strong links with the Air Cadet organisation, supporting activities that directly enrich the young cadets' training experience. These have included funding flying scholarships, a trophy for Flying Excellence and the purchase of equipment for ATC training. RAFCT has also agreed to become a main sponsor of Air Cadet magazine and is providing bursaries, through the Maritime Air Trust, to support ATC cadets through their education at college or university. The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust is also keen to support adventure training activities, most recently the Ulysses Trust's Expedition Jubilee Eagle, which organised a successful trip to Ghana for 20 cadets from Middlesex Wing. One of the most recent Air Cadet initiatives to win the support of the Charitable Trust is the provision of flight simulators and radio equipment to support Commandant Air Cadets' plans to create 12 Regional Activity Centres across the UK.
Other charities within the RAF family are also benefiting from the success of the RAFCT. RAFCT was quick to engage with the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), the RAF Benevolent Fund and the RAF Museum to ensure that the aims and ambitions of the Trustees complement, rather than duplicate the outstanding and enduring work of those long-established charities.
But It's not just veterans and the young who stand to benefit from the success of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust. RAF stations have also been invited to apply for grants for projects that enhance the environment of service personnel and their families, particularly for projects benefiting those preparing for, or serving on, front-line deployments. Among the first to benefit were RAF Odiham and RAF Honington.
RAFCT welcomes charities and organisations that are part of the 'Royal Air Force family' to submit bids for project-based grants, which meet the Trust's mandate. Trustees of the RAFCT will approve applications for grants.
The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises (RAFCTE) is the trading arm of the RAFCT. It promotes the work of the RAFCT generating profits in order to assist the Trust in fulfilling its charitable objectives in support of RAF charities, whilst maintaining the highest levels of quality and service at all times. The trading operations of the RAFCTE include the organisation of the Royal International Air Tattoo, the Royal Air Force In Concert Tour, the successful mail order catalogue service Air Tattoo Trading and the publication of the Royal Air Force Yearbook.
