Support for retired RAF staff

A national military charity is urging pensioners who served in the RAF to act now to avoid future loneliness.

The RAF Association, the charity that supports the RAF family, wants retired personnel, their widows and widowers living alone to consider moving to one of its ready-made communities.

The charity runs three housing complexes offering independent living for people aged 60 and over.

Each site has good access to local amenities and public transport.

The provision of shared sitting rooms and gardens means there are plenty of opportunities to socialise with other tenants.

Mark Shields, head of care and housing services for the RAF Association, said the charity was working hard to tackle loneliness and isolation among the retired RAF community.

He said:“Office for National Statistics data shows that, sadly, the number of people experiencing loneliness in the UK is on the increase, and that single and widowed people are at particular risk.

“Our housing complexes offer ready-made communities where tenants have a shared background.

“Military training and duty tends to give service personnel and their spouses a particular approach to life.

“Being with like-minded people in retirement can help with socialising.”

All three RAF Association complexes offer flats with their own front door and access to communal areas.

Tenants are free to come and go as they please, and an onsite manager is available on weekdays.

The charity subsidises the accommodation’s maintenance and running costs, so rents are affordable.

For more information about retirement accommodation, please visit: www.rafa.org.uk