Youth Support Newsletter

Welcome to the first Airplay Youth Support NewsletterDuring the summer Airplay youth workers, working in partnership with RAF Community Development staff, delivered activities on all 28 RAF stations across the country.

Issue 1 November 2011

As you’ll read inside, all over the country in the summer, young people on RAF stations were busy trying out new activities, making friends and learning new skills. Doing so, they raised their profile and attracted the positive attention of Station Leaders with fun days, graffiti projects, cooking challenges and extreme sports. Participation was high and one message is heard loud and clear: the young people want more of it next year!

Airplay near youTo find out what’s happening at your local Airplay Childcare Centre, play park or MUGA, contact the Community Support Team at your station. Search for your local Airplay project contact details at:www.rafbf.org/airplay

Brampton & Wyton•Cottesmore•

High Wycombe•Kinloss•

Leeming•Shawbury•

St Athan•Waddington•

Find out what the young people at the following RAF stations got up to over summer:

In this issue

Fantastic range of activities, for all ages. Very well organised at a minimal cost.RAF Waddington, parent

“ “This has been the best afternoon ever. RAF Leeming, young person

““

Airplay is the RAF Benevolent Fund’s £24 million support programme for RAF families. RAFBF is providing a huge range of facilities, equipment and activities for toddlers through to teenagers on 28 RAF stations across the UK.

As part of Airplay, the RAFBF is investing in three main elements:

Airplay Parks:• Building brand new multi-use games areas (MUGAs) and rejuvenating play parks

Airplay Childcare Centres: • Making childcare more accessible and affordable by building childcare centres on or near RAF stations

Airplay Youth Support: •Providing safe, supervised activities for kids through a network of trained youth workers, delivered through national charity 4Children

Over 78 young people took part in RAF Waddington’s Airplay programme this summer. They were given creative opportunities, physical challenges, stimulating trips out and the chance to build relationships and work as a team.

One of the most exciting events was our own Masterchef challenge. Teams of three or four young chefs researched recipes and ingredients before planning and preparing a three-course meal. Finally, the chefs presented their creations to a hungry panel of four brave judges, who were entertained with songs, dances and comedy sketches between courses.

A local archer gave young people a chance to test their skills with arrows flying fast and bullseyes aplenty! Extreme NK showed us Parkour and 44 young people hit the ice at Nottingham Ice Arena. We connected with RAF Scampton for trips to Twycross Zoo and York where we explored the castle and dressed up in medieval clothes.

The fun-packed programme had amazing participation and an exceptional reception from young people and parents. We ended the summer in style with an adrenaline-fueled trip to Alton Towers.

And for our final celebration, we invited young people from local RAF stations to join us in an end-of-summer disco. - Kirsty Forrester, Station Youth Worker

Here are just some examples of the activities that took place.

The Airplay Youth Team at RAF Kinloss approached members of the senior youth club for ideas on how to decorate one of the rooms in the youth club. A small group took a real interest in the idea and asked if they could use time during the summer holidays to work on the design and painting; as a result the Mural Project was born.

Suggestions for a theme for the room were sought from the younger age group. They wanted something that would appeal to people of all ages and not date too quickly, and eventually decided on the theme of an old fashioned cinema where they could relax and watch movies.

The plan came together quickly and the sketching and painting started! The design included a popcorn wagon, cinema screen with curtains, ticket booth and filmstrip. The young people spent nearly 30 hours designing and painting. The results were phenomenal. The room was transformed before the youth club reopened for the autumn term.

We plan to hold our first film night in the new room soon and hopefully this will become a regular event at Kinloss Youth Club where the young people can enjoy using this newly decorated space.

- Jaclyn Lunan, Station Youth Worker

Masterchef Challenge Plus more

Physical Education Flight provided a full programme of sporting activities on station at RAF Shawbury, which challenged young people mentally and physically through high ropes and body pump sessions. The high ropes and climbing wall proved hugely popular and challenging, with Jacob Sheffield, Katherine Fuller and Niamh O’Flaherty reaching the top. The Battle PT session saw the guys being put through their paces on the sports pitch.

All off-station activities were provided in conjunction with Shropshire Youth Association, and included a canoe expedition, multi-sports activity day, mountain biking, and indoor climbing at the Shropshire Climbing Centre in Newport. The weather was perfect for the canoe expedition at Whitemere, but a little windy to say the least for mountain biking in the Shropshire Hills. All involved said what a brilliant day it was and looked forward to doing it again.

Auniqueart returned for a graffiti customisation workshop where young people learnt how to transfer an idea onto paper and to shift the work onto a t-shirt or canvas bag. And Redstone Willow ran a workshop where we used tools safely to construct a large willow deer, which is now at home in the youth club garden. - Amanda Harper Briggs, Station Youth Worker

Eventful Summer Holidays

Cinema Mural

Station Youth Worker Eloise Riches and Community Development Officer Pebble Evans created a fun-packed summer activities programme for 6-18 year olds at RAF Brampton and Wyton this year, with help from sessional youth workers, John Walker and Chanita Watson.

Activities included Egyptian arts and crafts, where young people had a messy time decorating masks and pencil cases and learning to write their names in hieroglyphics. And on a trip to the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, young people enthusiastically explored British and American aircraft and land welfare vehicles, tried on gas masks, made propaganda posters, and got hands on with an ejector seat.

We paired up with RAF Henlow for a visit to RAF Alconbury for Airman for a Day. Young people were eager to meet US Air Force fire fighters with their fire engines and were shown the emergency equipment kept on board. Young people dressed in camouflage cream and took part in physical training for deployed airmen.

Throughout the summer programme, the young people were given Airplay t-shirts for their participation in the activities. Without the volunteers and helpers, we wouldn’t have been able to run these activities, so a big thanks to

everyone who helped. - Eloise Riches, Station Youth Worker

The programme at RAF Cottesmore for the 11-19 age range ran for three days a week over five weeks. We did so much that I can only give you a snapshot of our summer activities.

We spent quite a few sessions at our Youth House with all sorts of activities available, from jewellery making to writing CVs, and from team building games to making papier-mâché bricks. As most youth workers know, it’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it – and we certainly got to know the young people better from the conversations had during activities.

We felt it was important to give the young people a task during their day out at a theme park. For example, at Drayton Manor, the young people were set a £21 challenge, where they negotiated whether to split or buy something as a group with the money. This encouraged group work and budgeting skills in an enjoyable way.

For three weeks this summer, we had a brilliant graffiti artist who helped transform our Youth House. We all took part, and to be honest, the workers probably went home the messiest. We are all very satisfied with the end result. - Sam Darrell, Station Youth Worker

RAF Leeming held a large, open-air event to celebrate National Playday on 3 August. With a great deal of support from FS Dean Bradley SCSO, volunteers, staff and beautiful weather, the afternoon was a success.

We had an inflatable obstacle course, gauntlet wars and sumo suits, as well as an open-air disco and tuck shop. The Fire Safety Cell provided a fire safety demonstration including exploding gas canisters, which impressed the young people. We ran a balloon rocket and ping pong ball machine challenge, which saw young people constructing a machine that could fire ping-pong balls and judging the best. There was also jewellery making, baseball hat designing, and game equipment available such as tennis, badminton and swing ball.

The afternoon was rounded off with a much-needed water fight. Hundreds of water bombs were launched, with buckets and sponges when they ran out – a welcome cool down after a scorching afternoon!

We received a great deal of positive feedback from everyone involved as well as appreciation for arranging the afternoon. Both the Station Commander and the Station Warrant Officer commented on the afternoon being fun, fabulous, and a welcome addition to our programme. - Bev Baxter, Station Youth Worker

Activity Afternoon

Airman for a Day

Theme Park Task

More about Airplay

Airplay is the RAF Benevolent Fund’s £24 million youth support programme for the Royal Air Force. The RAFBF developed the project as part of its commitment to relieving strain on RAF parents wherever it can.

The RAFBF is funding Airplay youth workers (trained by national charity 4Children) on stations across the UK, to help RAF Community Support Teams deliver enhanced programmes of safe, supervised activities for young people living on and around stations.

The RAFBF is also constructing new Airplay Parks (state-of-the-art games areas and play grounds) on RAF stations nationwide, giving RAF young people access to the facilities they deserve. Finally, the charity has constructed or refurbished Airplay Childcare Centres at 27 RAF stations, helping to deliver more affordable, accessible childcare for serving parents.

RAF Honington is a good example of how Airplay is rolling out across the country. Families at the station enjoyed a range of special activities on 16 September to celebrate the opening of the new Airplay Parks, supported by trained Airplay youth support workers.

Declan O’Keefe is serving at RAF Honington and is about to deploy to Afghanistan, leaving his wife Jenny and four daughters at home. He said: “Airplay is exactly what we need to keep the girls happy when I’m away. It’s really important to know that your kids are going to have safe, fun things to do while you’re on operations, and it gives Jenny some support, which is fantastic. The RAF Benevolent Fund is doing a great job and I’m sure the new Airplay games area and youth workers are going to make a huge difference to all the families here.”

Becky Taylor, Community Development Officer at RAF Honington, said: “Airplay has transformed what I can offer young people at RAF Honington. Before Airplay, I spent most of my time supporting the partners of personnel deployed in Afghanistan. That is absolutely vital work but I didn’t have time to do much else. Now, with the new Airplay Parks and youth workers, we can offer a full programme of activities for the kids, like outdoor survival skills and trips off the station - as well as having the play facilities the kids deserve. It’s fantastic!”

Some 80 Airplay youth workers are now in position at RAF stations across the country. Over 43 new Airplay Parks have been constructed, with many more to come. Over £13 million has already been spent delivering Airplay Childcare Centres at 27 RAF stations.

For more information visit www.rafbf.org/airplay

On 16 August, 20 young people from RAF High Wycombe shuffled on to an open top cruiser. The captain gave a running commentary of the rich and famous people who lived by the riverside, while the young people made their way to the back of the boat for views of the mansions, hoping for a glimpse of somebody.

On arrival at Windsor, it was a short walk to the Windsor Eye, where there were a few gasps at the height of the wheel. Everyone was eager to get on, and every time a group reached the bottom, they shouted “again!” After four circuits, to calm down, a few games of ultimate Frisbee were just the ticket, but they were looking forward to getting back on the boat.

A packed boat awaited us. We managed to take over the open top at the back. “Can we drive the boat please?” was the first thing said even before we had left; luckily the captain obliged. If someone went from side to side, others shrieked, “you’re fired!” in an Alan Sugar way. The day-trippers thought it hilarious and had no problem with a group of young people enjoying themselves. - Mark Fearon, Station Youth Worker

River Trip

This summer at RAF St Athan, we delivered a two-week action packed summer programme daily from 12-4pm, including trips to the cinema and the bowling alley. Every day over 25 young people took part in activities such as football, rugby, break dance, graffiti art, Spanish and French.

It started in March when we ran an open evening where 15 young people came up with ideas for the future and creative activities. The young people also took part in soccer and basket skills, with Streetball Extreme, an urban entertainment group.

One outcome from the consultation evening was a six-week graffiti art project. In the community centre on station, young people worked on two pieces. The first was to graffiti the word Airplay and to design themes to go inside the letters. The young people set the themes and they worked in pairs. While we were working on this piece, the squadron leader, Adam Davies, suggested we graffiti the wall on the side of the community centre. The young people were delighted to be given the opportunity for their work to be displayed and the station has

congratulated them on their hard work. - Lesa Tuckwell, Station Youth Worker

Graffiti Art

© 4Children November 2011Designed and published by 4Children, www.4Children.org.uk