Serco Foundation awards £20,000 grant to support RAF Brize Norton

The Serco Foundation has awarded the RAF Benevolent Fund, a welfare charity supporting serving and retired Royal Air Force personnel and their families, a grant of £20,000 to support facility improvements at RAF Brize Norton.

The grant will help support upgrades to the kitchen facility at the Millennium Amenities Centre at RAF Brize Norton. These new and improved facilities will support the 185 children and young people who attend Airplay – the RAF Benevolent Fund’s national youth programme, offering youth club sessions on RAF stations for children aged five to 18. 

The kitchen upgrades will maximise space and enable Airplay staff to deliver meaningful activities for the children and young people who attend. With cookery one of the programme’s most popular activities, Airplay Youth Workers will be able to use the space to teach cookery and nutrition skills, encouraging healthy eating habits. 

The kitchen enables children and young people in the RAF Family to practise new skills, helping to build independence, improve social skills and boost confidence. 

Beyond Airplay, the kitchen will also serve as a hub for the wider RAF community, creating opportunities for social connection and engagement.

Salli Shapcott, Director of Engineering and Asset Management in Serco’s Defence business, said: “Serco has proudly supported the UK Armed Forces through our Defence business for over 60 years, and the RAF Benevolent Fund is an organisation that holds special significance for many of our colleagues. Through the Serco Foundation we are honoured to contribute to initiatives that make a real difference to RAF families. 

“This partnership reflects our shared values of service, support, and community, and we’re committed to helping create spaces that bring people together and strengthen connections.”

Jane Macintyre, Senior Trust and Information Fundraiser, at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “We extend our sincere thanks to The Serco Foundation for their generous support, which will make a lasting difference to RAF Brize Norton families. By upgrading the kitchen at the Millennium Amenities Centre, we can continue to deliver high-quality youth activities that promote life skills, confidence, and connection among RAF children and young people. This investment helps us fulfil our mission to support the whole RAF Family.”

The RAF Benevolent Fund provides financial, emotional, and practical assistance to serving and retired RAF personnel and their families. This includes grants to help with financial difficulty, mental health support, Airplay youth clubs, and more.

To learn more about the good work the Serco Foundation does, visit its website at www.sercofoundation.org.