I am a Life Member, and a proud Member of RAFA Sud Ouest France. We raise money to support RAFA's welfare work, we meet socially several times a year and we support the French community in their honouring of RAF aircrew and others lost in wartime(several of us were at one such event yesterday). The Branch supports veterans in need of welfare support, and in many cases provides a link between the Brits and the French community. I am a strong supporter. The "Ben Fund for officers and RAFA for other ranks is a wholly misguided view; in many welfare cases the two organisations work very closely together.