**Charity Commission Report 2023**
## **Overview**
The Association has recovered from the impact of two years of the pandemic. The national team of volunteers did everything they could possibly do to minimise the adverse toll on our routine business. The war in Ukraine and the resultant impact on cost of living and inflation didn’t help our desired engagement levels or the balance sheet. Despite all these set-backs, our membership showed an upward trend to 626 an increase 8 %. Thank you so much to our outgoing National Treasurer Tom Magee and a warm welcome our new National Treasurer Sean Linard who formerly starts on the 1st April 2023.
## **Engagement**
The 2022 Annual Rededication Service of the RAF Regt Chapel at St Anne's church at Catterick Village was very special and poignant event. We formally celebrated the 80th Anniversary of the Corps, much of its history, 48 years, is grounded in the former RAF Catterick Station and the village. 60 members, friends' families serving, personnel attended. The celebrations carried on to our, much commended AGM/Reunion weekend at Northallerton Court Hotel, at which 80 attendees enjoyed a Gala dinner and dance. Our Vice-President, on behalf of the Commandant General, delivered a key-note speech at the AGM. The Corps Warrant Officer, presented an Operational Briefing, focusing on current deployments. Our National Secretary, Frank Xavier received the Commandant General’s Commendation Award, absolutely well deserved, and our beloved friend and supporter, Baroness Harris of Richmond was made an honorary member of the Association.
The RAF Regiment’s 80th Anniversary was an eventful year. Our primary event, the National Remembrance Day saw our largest turnout to date at 87%, with 200 marchers in London. Huge thanks to our Membership Secretary/Cenotaph Parade Co-ordinator Keith O’Sullivan. Our Branches and individual members participated in Acts of Remembrance in towns and villages across the country. The Regimental Crossed Riffles ties were much in evidence and noticed by the wider RAF communities. The Annual Tower of London Chapel Service coordinated by Sam Naylor, had a great turnout, our special AGM reunion was a real success with 50+ members and friends attending.
## **Financial Overview & Results**
Overall, the Association finance remains in good state, prudently managing both the Strategic intend and day-to-day financial administration. In this reporting period, there was a change of Treasurers, and the resultant mandate changes with the Bank, and their exacting requirements have been challenging, but we prevailed. Tom Magee, Sean Linard and Gabi O’Sullivan, in particular, brilliantly managed these changes.
Subscriptions increased by £594 this year representing an 8.5% growth. The return on our investments (Rathbones Ltd) showed an increase of £469. The donations receipts also improved by £100. Given the prevailing general economic indicators, these are solid results. Gift Aids scheme promoted by our membership team, generated £468 claim back from HMRC.
The Association increases its mission spend by 6% on previous year. This was mainly due to Corps 80[th] Anniversary celebrations, including a successful AGM/Reunion weekend at Allerton Court. The production and distribution of the 80[th] Anniversary label badge is reflected in the overall cost, particularly postage. The Flash magazine cost higher due to extra 4 pages stories dedicated to 80[th] Anniversary. We also contributed to serving personnels’ welfare requests.
## **Media activities**
Our website (www.rafregt.org.uk) is the centre of our media activities. The daily visitors to the site increased by 20% on last year with the current year total showing 5000. Apart from UK visitors, USA, Australia, Canda and Ireland engage most with the website. The site also facilities branch to have their own page-file for local information, news and contact details. The Association is very active across social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, who collectively account for 10,000+ positive engagement.
## **Obituary Service**
Perhaps one aspect of our service to wider Regiment family that is not well known, is the holistic support we give to the immediate family of any former member of the RAF Regiment whose death is reported to the Association. In addition to publishing a Regimental Obituary, we encourage wider support to the family with funeral attendance from local Branches, deployment of Branch Standard, reading of the names at the AGM- Roll of Honour, and supply information about the Corps Memorial
Garden. A named memorial stone at the garden, often brings solemn end to their bereavement experience.
## **Volunteers**
“None of our Association's annual events happen by themselves”. (quote- from Gp Capt Jason Sutton). The Organisation chart published in our bi-annual magazine the Flash, details the names of volunteers and their roles. The Association asks a lot of them, and they deliver every time. What you may not know is there is also a small but efficient group of helpers who support the events from the background. We owe them our sincere vote of thanks.
## **Looking forward**
Our two Strategic Intentions “to be the best at promoting and supporting the ethos of a lifelong RAF Regiment family” and “to successfully bring together serving members and Veterans of the RAF Regiment, be the best at presenting the Corps Veteran arm, whilst promoting the Corps values, protecting its reputation and keeping its history alive” stand as our firm direction of travel.
Our relevance as an Association to our Members in the first instance and our key stakeholders is paramount to our sustainability, but focusing on what we are good at and bringing ourselves up to date connecting our website and membership administration are going to be our priorities over the next 12 – 18 months.
The thing we do really well, is representing the Veteran arm of the RAF Regiment, but we do need to strengthen our continuity in organising the events and increasing our attendance at certain events.
Rob Finlayson
National Chairman
Francis Xavier
National Secretary
RAF Regiment Association
Dated- 23 Oct 2023
## RAF Regiment Association Summary of Accounts 2022-23
||2022/23||2021/22||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|INCOME RECEIVED|||||
|Donations:|£974||£877||
|Rathbone Investments|£2,781||£2,312||
|Refunds / Trans from Reserve
St Annes Service|
£0
£72||£1,585
£114||
|Reunion-Allerton Court***
Sales|£7,162
£175||£718||
|Membership Subscriptions|£7,523|627|
£6,929|577|
|Gift Aid|£468||||
|Total Income Received|£19,155||£12,535||
||2022/23|2021/22|
|---|---|---|
|ASSET BALANCE|||
|BARCLAYS BANK -|||
|CURRENT ACCOUNT|£10,758|£1,212|
|HOLTS BANK -|||
|SAVINGS ACCOUNT|£0|£9,635|
|Transfers (Provision)||-£1,000|
|VALUE OF|||
|RATHBONE SHARES|£84,283|£94,553|
|CASH IN HAND|||
|& PAYPAL ACCOUNT||£100|
|STOCK AT COST|£1,178|£1,445|
|TOTAL|£96,219|£105,946|
## EXPENDITURE
|EXPENDITURE||||
|---|---|---|---|
|_Charitable Objectives_||||
|Reunion -Allerton Court***|£7,162|||
|Event - AGM Costs|£560|£591||
|Event - NMA|£465|||
|Event - Cenotaph|£116|£416||
|Event - St Annes Service|£888|||
|Event - Tower Chapel Service|£150|||
|Donations|£150|£1,000||
|Communications - Flash Magz|£5,670|£4,970||
|Charitable Giving / Projects||£1,428||
|Welfare|£100|£610||
|Sub-total||||
|Charitable Objectives|£15,26178%|£9,015|72%|
|_Operations_||||
|NMC - Travel|£640|£1,518||
|Staf Costs|£0|||
|Travel - Standard Bearer|£311|||
|Website|£366|£500||
|Stationery and Equipment|£361|£467||
|Accountancy Charges|£0|||
|Postage|£318|£415||
|Recruitment / Marketing|£1,222|||
|IOC Fee|£40|||
|Insurance|£96|£96||
|Other ( incl NMC Mtgs venues)|£960|||
|Cost of Sale||£466||
|Sub-total Operations|£4,314 22%|£3,462|28%|
|Total Expenditure|£19,575
|£12,477||
|Operating surplus/(defcit)|(£420)|£58||
## KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS)
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2022/23 TARGET ACTUAL
Membership Nos 600 627
Attendance 370 460
Subscriptions £7,000 £7,523
Donations £2,000 £1,442
Charitable Spend £9,100 £8,099
Operational Spend % of total 23% 22%
**----- End of picture text -----**
## DONATIONS
The RAF Regiment Association benefits occasionally from general fund-raising, formal bequests and funeral collections from former Corps members. If you are planning a fund-raising event, making your Last Will & Testament or involved in a Corps-related funeral, please remember YOUR Association.
We rely on our members, wider Regiment community and stakeholders’ generosity to participate and promote the Esprit de Corps of all former and current members of the RAF Regiment. The RAF Regiment Association, formed in 2009, and UK registered Charity, (No 1157881), is the only organisation representing all ranks of the RAF Regiment past and present, recognised by the Corps. We support all the Corps events but have particular organisational responsibilities for; RAF Regiment Chapel at St Anns Church Catterick, Annual Commemoration at the RAF Regiment Memorial Garden, and London Remembrance Week events including placing of 300+ Poppy Crosses at the RBL Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey.
17
> [Summer 2023]