Families of serving RAF personnel and veterans in Suffolk who are finding life tough will be offered unique training to help them identify, and deal with, the symptoms of poor mental wellbeing.

The Royal Air Forces Association, the charity that supports the welfare of the RAF family, is offering mental wellbeing awareness training at venues across the UK, some of which will be in Bury St Edmunds.

The initiative, named Finding It Tough?, is open to all RAF veterans and their families, plus partners, parents, siblings and children (over 18) of anyone serving in the RAF, as well as anyone working on an RAF station (e.g. MOD civil servants and defence contractors).

The specially designed training aims to equip people to be more resilient to life’s pressures. It will also help people to offer support to others struggling with mental wellbeing issues, and to signpost them to organisations that may be able to help.

Air Marshal Sir Baz North, President of the RAF Association, said: “The continuing stigma around mental wellbeing issues is something which must be addressed in all walks of life. The free courses that we are offering are a vital step towards this.

“These courses will help people to identify the characteristics and traits associated with poor mental wellbeing so that timely and supportive action can be taken.”

Training sessions will be delivered on various dates in Bury St Edmunds, with the first starting on Friday 20 March at the Active Business Centre, on St Andrew’s Street South.

For more information and to book a place on one of the mental wellbeing awareness courses, visit www.rafa.org.uk/finding-it-tough/

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About the Royal Air Forces Association

The Royal Air Forces Association (or RAF Association) is a membership organisation and registered charity that has been providing welfare support to the RAF family for 90 years.

The Association recognises that RAF personnel and their immediate families dedicate their lives to their country, and we believe that such a sacrifice should not result in any form of suffering.

Our initiatives provide practical, emotional and financial support to tackle loneliness, isolation, worry and poverty among all generations of RAF personnel and their immediate family members.

We were a good friend to more than 85,000 members of the RAF family in 2018. They benefited from our wide range of services including befriending, mental health awareness courses, professional childcare training for spouses, bespoke casework support, and help to secure emergency grants.

Our refurbishment of RAF contact houses enables serving personnel to spend quality time with their families, and our provision of free Wi-Fi on stations helps personnel to stay in touch with loved ones.

The RAF Association, through its wholly owned company RAFA Kidz, also provides affordable nursery places for the children of RAF parents, who may be frequently relocated in their jobs and could otherwise struggle to find appropriate childcare.

Our membership of more than 70,000 includes serving RAF personnel, veterans and members of the public who want to show their support for the work that we do.

Charity numbers: 226686 (England and Wales), SCO37673 (Scotland).