Families of serving RAF personnel and veterans who are finding life tough are being offered unique online training to help them identify, and deal with, the symptoms of poor mental wellbeing.
The Royal Air Forces Association, the charity that supports the welfare of the RAF family, has launched its mental wellbeing awareness training online.
The initiative, named Finding It Tough?, originally launched in January with face-to-face training sessions planned to take place at centres across the UK throughout 2020. Due to national and regional COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the Association has now launched an online version of the course.
The training is open to all RAF veterans and their families, plus partners, parents, siblings and children (aged over 18) of anyone serving in the RAF, as well as anyone working on an RAF station (such as MOD civil servants and defence contractors).
The specially designed training aims to equip people to be more resilient to life’s pressures. It will also help people to offer support to others struggling with mental wellbeing issues, and to signpost them to organisations that may be able to help.
Air Marshal Sir Baz North, President of the RAF Association, said:
“The continuing stigma around mental wellbeing issues is something which must be addressed in all walks of life. The free courses that we are offering are a vital step towards this.
“This online course will help people, wherever they are, to identify the characteristics and traits associated with poor mental wellbeing so that timely and supportive action can be taken.”
For more information about the course, and to sign-up, visit: findingittough.rafa.org.uk
