Royal Air Forces Association opens its Finding it Tough? training course to thousands of people

A free mental wellbeing training course aimed for the military community is being broadened to support thousands more people.

The course is dedicated to help identify and deal with the symptoms of poor mental wellbeing and it is now open to all civilians working in conjunction with the Royal Air Force.

The course, launched in 2020, was designed for serving members of the RAF, but the huge demand from the veteran community led to training opening to former personnel or serving members' families.

Liana Cunliffe, 40, of Burton-on-Trent, whose partner is a current RAF Aircraft Technician serving overseas has recently taken the online Finding it Tough? training course.

She said: “The course was beautifully done. It was really well-organised, the material was extremely helpful and was divided into bite-sized pieces that were easy to understand,

“The small-group online session meant that participants could share some of our own thoughts and ideas, and feel reassured that we were not alone,

“Touch wood, I’ve never needed to support my partner with his mental wellbeing, but I now feel well-equipped to look out for any signs of difficulties. I also know how to ask him the right questions and provide signposting to specialist help, should the need arise.”

The two-and-a-half hour course will sit alongside the charity’s training programme already on offer to veterans and their families, and the family members, aged 18 or over of current serving members.

According to data from Office for National Statistics, 2021, one in six adults in the UK experience some form of depression.

The figures show to be 7% higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The expansion of the course to civilian RAF support workers and volunteers is possible due to funding provided by aerospace and defence companies Boeing, Leonardo and MBDA.