About the Fund’s Listening and Counselling Service

As we continue to face global uncertainty and an ever evolving operating environment,  emotional wellbeing remains a critical concern for the whole RAF Community - be they serving on deployment around the world today, families waiting at home, or veterans who are impacted by their service in previous conflicts. This is acutely relevant when you consider that they have been trained to be resilient, to deal with very challenging and complex scenarios, and so are often reluctant to reach out for support until crisis point.

Thanks to loyal supporters like The April Fools’ Club, The RAF Benevolent Fund’s free and confidential Listening and Counselling Service (LCS) is here for them all, providing non-clinical, personalised support, for issues such as stress, depression, bereavement, and thoughts of suicide. In some cases, the service has quite literally saved lives.

Each applicant has their first call from the LCS within 48 hours, and they will then receive up to eight counselling sessions with trained therapists, delivered via telephone, webcam or face-to-face. In addition to counselling sessions, those who access the service are able to use a free 24-hour emotional support helpline, and receive a complimentary membership to Headspace, a digital mindfulness platform that offers guided exercises to support mental wellbeing.

“The Fund gave me my life back”

Chris joined the RAF in 2009 with postings including Lossiemouth, Coningsby, and Minhad Air Base in 2014. He says: “The best part was the people. I met friends who became family. Every posting and every job was different, which I loved.”

However, a spinal injury in 2018 led to surgery, chronic pain and eventually medically discharged in 2023. For Chris, being discharged was heartbreaking, the RAF had been his life and family. As a result, his mental health began to deteriorate. He says: “I was in a really dark place, I was suicidal. But thanks to the Fund, I got counselling and that support probably saved my life.”

The counselling provided through the Fund’s Listening and Counselling Service gave Chris the space and tools to process his experiences, and begin to rebuild. He also received funding toward a resettlement course to train as a celebrant, a step that helped him regain confidence and purpose after leaving the Service.

The support from the Fund has not only benefitted Chris, but his family too. He said: “The counselling didn’t just help me; it helped my wife and two boys too. Without the Fund, I honestly don’t think I’d be here today. They gave me hope, confidence, and the chance to be a better husband and dad. I can’t thank them enough.”

For more information, please visit rafbf.org.uk

Listening and Counselling sessions cost the RAF Benevolent fund @ £50 per session, and the RAF Benevolent Fund provides these services free… So by purchasing a print you are making a significant contribution to every Listening and Counselling session.

Thanks for your support.