This year marks ten years of support from the RAF Small Arms Association and the City of London Livery Companies with an annual Inter-Livery Target Rifle Shoot to raise money for the RAF’s leading welfare charity, the RAF Benevolent Fund.
Over the past ten events, the Inter-Livery Rifle Shoot event has raised over £63,000 for the Fund, with this year’s event raising over £7,000.
Last month, the RAF Small Arms Association and representatives from the Livery Companies held a presentation of the winning cups and cheque handover at the Tallow Chandlers Hall. The cheque was presented to Air
Commodore Simon Harper, Director of Grants, Services and Programmes at the Fund, by event organiser Colin Sach and Conrad Steele-Benny, Secretary of the RAF Small Arms Association.
The Inter-Livery Target Rifle, supported by over 30 volunteers from the Royal Air Force Small Arms Association, took place at Bisley Camp Surrey, the home of British Rifle Shooting this summer. The event saw 48 Liverymen from 16 City of London Livery Companies take part in the competition.
Organised by Colin Sach, past Master of a City Livery Company, the event involved six disciplines including Target Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Moving Target, Black Power Pistol, Gallery Rifle and Bell Target.
Prizes for individuals and teams were awarded for each discipline, this year the Tallow Chandlers team won and were awarded the Bakers Cup – donated by the Worshipful Company of Bakers.
The Moving Target discipline was provided by the British Sporting Rifle Club and The Bell Target was supported by the Lincolnshire Bell Target Group.
Colin said:
“We were proud to join forces with each organisation involved to promote a wider relationship between the City of London Livery Companies and the RAF and raise money for such a worthy cause. Over the past ten years, the event has grown and now occupies a regular slot in the Livery and Bisley calendar and is well supported by the City Livery Companies. In this time, over 250 Liverymen from over 35 Companies have taken part.”
“We were delighted to support the RAF Benevolent Fund’s ongoing commitment to supporting serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.”
Hannah Bower, Philanthropy Manager at the Fund said:
“I’d like to express our kindest thanks to the RAF Small Arms Association for their generous donation to the Fund and their longstanding support that allows us to continue our vital work in supporting RAF veterans, serving personnel and their families, and making a difference to their lives.”
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.
