To help celebrate our 90th anniversary year in 2009, we're looking for 90 volunteers to skydive at Netheravon Airfield near Salisbury in Wiltshire on 11 July.

A tandem skydive is guaranteed to provide you with an unforgettable and exhilarating experience. All you need to do for now is fill out the enquiry form.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park commanded the Royal Air Force 11 Group Fighter Command – the squadrons which bore the brunt of the Battle of Britain. The failure of Nazi Germany to defeat the RAF in 1940 was Hitler's first major setback and forced him to call off his planned invasion of Britain.

On Battle of Britain Day in 2007 an article in the Financial Times sparked a series of letters in support of a campaign to commemorate the huge debt of recognition owed to Sir Keith Park.

The Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign has been set up to carry forward the campaign for a statue to be erected permanently on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square beneath Nelson's Column as a memorial to a British hero who defended the nation's freedom.

The campaigners are looking for people who will lend their support by acting as advocates for the campaign, passing on campaign details to like-minded individuals and organisations. If you would like to find out more about the life of Sir Keith Park or support the campaign, you can visit their website and sign an online petition.

Alf Booth, 78, from Heanor, Derbyshire, received the perfect Christmas present in December, when the RAF Benevolent Fund provided him with a brand new electric wheelchair.

After losing a second leg to diabetes in the summer, Mr Booth was informed by his local Primary Care Trust that he did not meet the criteria for an electric wheelchair. However, when he told a local charity worker about his RAF service they recommended that he approach the RAFBF for assistance.

Alf said: "This is the perfect Christmas present. I am looking forward to getting out again as I have only been out of the house once since July. This will make so many changes to my life." 

A team of four Service personnel from RAF Odiham set out on an incredible journey on 20 December 2008, driving a Land Rover and ambulance from Plymouth to Timbuktu in aid of the RAF Benevolent Fund and Help for Heroes. The team from RAF Odiham was comprised of Leigh, John and Jock, who are Chinook helicopter Air Frame Technicians, and Naomi, an Air Traffic Controller. The four are pictured with RAF Benevolent Fund Regional Fundraiser, Rosie Gibbons, centre right.

After completing the challenge, the team donated their ambulance to a local hospital in Mali, and auctioned their Land Rover in aid of local charities. If you would like to sponsor the team or learn more about their challenge, you can go to their website at www.timbuctooorbust.com or read our press release.

Buckingham Covers pay a 15% commission to the RAF Benevolent Fund on all orders placed on their website after following links in this email. If you collect first day covers, this is a novel way to help us with our welfare work while enjoying your hobby.

Buckingham Covers is the UK's premier producer of quality first day covers for collectors. The company produces many RAF and military themed collectable envelopes, commemorating historical events such as D-Day, the Battle of Britain Monument and the Dambusters - many are autographed by pilots, admirals or soldiers.

'Warzone' is an 8-part documentary series about life on Kandahar Airbase, showing on Mondays on Channel Five at 9pm.

Granada Productions worked closely with the RAF to produce the series. Their film crew spent 10 weeks in KAF following the lives and work of soldiers, pilots and Forces personnel of all ranks. The series highlights the activities of the Joint Force Harrier Detachment and covers the arrival of a new squadron from the RAF Regiment to guard the 10 square mile base and the surrounding 400 mile area.

Join the RAF Benevolent Fund in celebrating our 90th anniversary when, for one night only, we're hosting a special screening of one of the most popular British war films of all time, The Dam Busters, followed by an exclusive Q&A with current members of 617 Squadron.

The film, which recounts 617 Squadron's daring raid on 16 May 1943 to destroy dams in Germany's Ruhr district with Barnes Wallis' bouncing bombs, holds a unique place in aviation and British cinema history. Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to enjoy this classic film once again, now digitally restored for the big screen!

8pm Thursday 5 February 2009 at MacRobert Arts Centre, Stirling University 01786 466666. Tickets £7 / £5 concessions. 
All proceeds will go to the RAF Benevolent Fund.

A limited edition print titled 'Heritage' by D W Griffiths has been produced to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the RAF and is now on sale in our online shop. The print depicts MRAF Sir Hugh Dowding - Commander-in-Chief during one of the pivotal battles of the 20th Century - and RAF aircraft from the Service's history.

A run of 58 prints has been produced by 1475 (Dulwich) Squadron ATC with the aid of sponsorship from Noritsu (UK). Each print is personally signed and numbered by D W Griffiths, 1475 Squadron's appointed photographer, and priced at £25. All proceeds from sales of the prints go to the RAF Benevolent Fund.

Do you have a mobile phone that's come to the end of its useful life? Or one that you've replaced with a newer model?

Rather than throwing the old phone away or leaving it at the back of a drawer, you can help support the work of the RAF Benevolent Fund, while at the same time keeping the planet green, by sending us your phone for recycling.

Simply send us an email with the subject "Cellphone Recycling", together with your name and address, and we will send you a prepaid, pre-addressed recycling envelope.

The Gala Dinner held by the St George's Club at the Abbey Hotel in Malvern on 6 December raised £6000 via an auction and collection.

RAF Linton-on-Ouse raised £500 through their annual "Gala on the Green" family event.

York Universities Air Squadron (YUAS) raised £1000 through various fundraising activities in 2008, including a coast-to-coast walk.

RAF Shawbury annual ATC 5-a-side football tournament raised £400.

insure4charity provides an independent online insurance and mortgage service which aims to find you the most suitable product or service for your needs from a vast range of different vendors. The business is conducted by internet, email and phone only, so is able to be very cost effective. These cost savings are then passed on to charity.

The RAF Benevolent Fund receives 50% of the commission that insure4charity receives on any products you purchase through their website. Please be aware this does not mean we endorse or recommend any products listed. You should check all products carefully before buying.

Making a donation online is the most effective way to support the Fund as it saves time and money. We use a leading donation processing agency called Justgiving to ensure that your gift is handled securely and efficiently. What's more, if you are a UK taxpayer, Justgiving will automatically add a 28% tax bonus to your donation at no cost to you!

A secure online credit card donation can be made by clicking the button above.