Need Ideas for Christmas for an Aviation-Mad 13-17 year old?

[Agatha]

...then a 12 months rafa YOUTH Gift Membership may be JUST what you are looking for........

The Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), one of the leading Royal Air Force welfare charities, has launched its new Youth Membership scheme, rafa YOUTH Welcome to rafa YOUTH (http://www.rafayouth.org.uk)

rafa YOUTH is open to all young people aged 13-17 years old who are currently members of a recognised air-related uniformed youth organisation such as the Air Cadet Organisation, Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets or Air Scout/Air Explorer Scouts and who love flying, gliding, aviation, the Royal Air Force or who just want to be part of something special.

rafa YOUTH aims to: encourage volunteering/support; promote youth development through an air-related environment; increase awareness of RAFA and its role/purpose; and perhaps most importantly, do something that is fun and enjoyable for young people.

For an annual subscription of £10, rafa YOUTH members will receive an online membership card, exclusive high street discounts and offers, opportunities to volunteer and support the Charity and the first 1500 members will receive a free new design rafa YOUTH wristband. But it gets EVEN better – all rafa YOUTH members will be able to enter monthly free prize draws to win amazing prizes which include civilian flying lessons, one-day mini gliding courses, microlight flying, VIP days with the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (Red Arrows) and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Experience days with the Royal Air Force and BAE Systems, tandem sky-diving experiences or tickets for up to 10 people to spend a whole day paintballing at a local Delta Force Entertainment Centre…

It is also possible to give a gift of 12 months rafa YOUTH membership to an individual or to many individuals or even a whole Squadron, Troop or Section!! Gift Memberships cost £10. The young people who are lucky enough to receive a gift membership voucher just sign up at Welcome to rafa YOUTH (http://www.rafayouth.org.uk) ensuring that all the parental consent and data protection issues are dealt with directly by the Charity.

If you would like to buy a gift membership to rafa YOUTH, please call the Association on 0116 266 5224 and ask for Rishi in the Finance Team.

Thanks for your support!

[Algy]

When I was 13-17 I would have appreciated this. (http://shop.rafbf.org/products/1940-s-style-pin-up-girl-calendar-2014)

[Beancountercymru]

The address of his local ATC Squadron

http://https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/wanttojoin/

[ShyTorque]

rafa YOUTH aims to: encourage volunteering/support; promote youth development through an air-related environment; increase awareness of RAFA and its role/purpose; and perhaps most importantly, do something that is fun and enjoyable for young people.

Please don't take this the wrong way, this is a genuine question!

I'm an ex RAF member and the son of a very dedicated RAFA member (in fact my father was collecting for the RAFA in his wheelchair, the last time I saw him alive; he was one of their most avid collectors of public donations).

However, as the father of a young air cadet, I must ask how this is supposed to fit in with the existing structure of the ATC organisation because that is exactly what they do already!

My child (a cadet sergeant) is involved almost every weekend doing those same things with the air cadets, apart from dealing directly with the RAFA. In fact I have just seen her off for the weekend - she is one of five ATC cadets (and the only female) representing the ATC organisation in a national competition.

If cadets were to join the RAFA youth I forsee an immediate conflict of interest.

[West Coast]

Magazine subscriptions to aviation magazines? My 10 year old purloins my aviation magazines, I have to search his room for my bathroom reading material.

[cornish-stormrider]

Get a private tour of 558.....
SWMBO will not let me take the boy, i think she feels 13 months is not old enough.

(Other wonderful relic aircraft are availabe to visit as well you know!!!)

[gerry smith]

Approx. 25 years of said magazine offered free, pending a house move. Come and collect.

[Agatha]

ShyTorque

Apologies for a tardy response - must have missed the Thread reply alert!

The Senior Leadership of the ACO, GVCAC and Scout Association were all involved in the development of rafa YOUTH from the concept stage to avoid any conflicts of interest, unintended administrative burdens or duplication and I am confident that we have delivered an online membership scheme that they all fully support.

rafa YOUTH is designed to complement the aviation activities and opportunities offered by the 3 uniformed youth groups but more importantly in an age of reducing support available from the RAF due to defence cuts and reduction in manpower, rafa YOUTH can add back a small number (50+ per year) of opportunities to get airborne and can facilitate access for 100+ young people to RAF stations and personnel.

Realistically, we accept that doing something special and fun for over 150 young people per year is a very small additional contribution by the Association when our target audience is some 50,000+ young people but it is a start.....

I hope that provides some reassurance?