Direct Marketing Fundraiser
Salary circa £31,000
Closing date: Friday 7th May 2010.

This is an exciting new role in a dynamic fundraising team based in our office in London and will involve raising significant support from individuals through the direct marketing programme. You will have responsibility for monitoring the recently increased investment in supporter development and recruitment through direct marketing, and have overall responsibility for organising all aspects of the direct marketing programme.

You will be educated to degree level or equivalent, with proven success in a direct marketing environment and experience of supporter care. You will also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and show initiative, flair and enthusiasm for the work of the RAFBF.

Download the DM Fundraiser job profile

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Louise Gibson, Head of Relationship Marketing on 020 7307 3349.

To apply, please send your CV together with a covering letter detailing why you believe you are suitable for this role to :  holly.mcfarlane@rafbf.org.uk

Once again this year, a great St Georges Day Event was held at the Gunmakers Pub in Marylebone, London.  Starting at lunchtime the day’s entertainment included wartime songs from Kas, the Forces Sweetheart as well as the Barrow Boys Pearly Kings and Queen.  Also in attendance were some fantastic Chelsea Pensioners.

The RAF Benevolent Fund were there in force, selling raffle tickets to win items including a signed Red Arrows Print, and raising over £600.00.

Thank you to John Wraith and Alistair Gentleman for your support again this year.

At 83 years old, Geoffrey Griffiths was our oldest Skydiver last year at our 90th Anniversary Skydive event.

After opening a JustGiving account a year ago to raise money for the skydive, Geoffrey has now finally managed to raise the amazing total of £5167.82.

Geoffrey says “When we jumped, the ground looked like a very high resolution photo and it was incredibly noisy as we fell at about 100mph. Then there was a bang as the parachute opened, and suddenly it was totally silent, but now we could clearly see the hangar on our airfield, getting bigger and nearer. Finally our feet gently touched the grass, and we were back in the real world, the dream over.”

THANK YOU Geoffrey, from all at the RAF Benevolent Fund for this wonderful achievment.

In recent years the RAF Benevolent have been hard at work developing Founders Day in the annual RAF calendar.  The Royal Air Force was created on 1st April 1918 and a year later came the RAF Benevolent Fund.  The concept of Founders Day has therefore been developed to celebrate the ‘birthdays’ of both organisations at the same time each year.

We are delighted that Founders Day has gone from strength to strength each year, with RAF stations across the UK carrying out Gate Bucket Collections on or around the 1st April.

This year we have seen a phenominal increase in support within the London & South East Region and are delighted that across three stations so far at RAF Odiham, RAF Halton and RAF Benson they have raised over £1500 from collections.  This is a significant increase from 2009 and we hope that each year Founders Day will become more and more recognised in the annual diary.

Thank you to everyone’s support so far - a marvellous achievement!

We have places available for the 5k and 10k ‘off-road’ series runs in October 2010 near Redhill in Surrey.  The event is organised by British Military Fitness on a real 4×4 off-road track.

 It’s tough, it’s muddy, it’s wet, it’s off-road, there are obstacles……but it’s fun!

 If you would like to run and raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund then please get in touch with Rosie Gibbons on 07525 800138 or at rosie.gibbons@rafbf.org.uk

The RAFBF are delighted to be working with PROJECT 65 Forces March again this year, which is an impressive 131 mile challange from Ilfracombe to Bulford Camp.

For further details please visit www.project65.net

The RAFBF held a bucket collection at Rodney Parade, Newport, prior to the Gloucester and Gwent Dragons Heineken Cup match recently and were delighted with the results!

In an hour and a half the trusty team of collectors, Leanne, Hannah, Jane, Tania, Emily, James and Stacey managed to raise £429.33!!! Thank you to the supporters who so generously donated and the collectors for donating their time. It was a great but freezing cold day out!

The team minus James ready to collect the pennies

Flt Lt Bryan (Seb) Coe of 47 Sqn RAF Lyneham, kindly organised a 10k race at RAF Lyneham in order to raise vital funds for the RAFBF.

We are delighted to announce the the monies have been counted and the cheque has now been received for a whopping £1441.83. Rather a spiffing amount I think you will agree!

I’m pictured here with Flt Lt Coe and as you can see despite the drizzle and grey sky, i’m proud as punch with the donation.

Huge thanks to everyone who took part and many thanks Seb for organising it all!

Biggin Hill International Air Fair are very kindly supporting the RAFBF this year at their fantastic airshow in June. The show will be themed “Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain “Bravery, Sacrifice, Freedom”.   To find out more and purchase tickets please go to their website at http://www.bigginhillairfair.co.uk/

Early on a beautiful Saturday spring morning, deep in the rolling hills of Surrey, there gathered a flock of very clean, lycra clad ladies and gents.  However, after a hilarious group warm up routine by one of the marvellous BMF instructors, the race was started and off they all trotted, to return some time later across the finish line, rather tired, wet and caked in mud!

This was the off-road 5k and 10k Running Event held by British Military Fitness in Redhill, Surrey.  Two wonderful supporters, sisters Wendy-Jane Carter and Lindsay Carter took part on behalf of the RAF Benevolent Fund.  Not only did Wendy and Lindsay prove to be super runners today, they have also managed to raise over £600 between them which is wonderful news….thank you ladies.

The course consists of a number of hills along with mud and various obstacles en-route making it a great variation on the usual 10k!

We have more places available for the October run so please get in touch if you would like to secure a place.

Thank you so much again to Wendy and Lindsay for your efforts, you were amazing!