Military charity installs £1.3m communal free wi-fi system at RAF stations

The RAF Association says the move will help to tackle the isolation some personnel feel while serving

A third of RAF personnel can now keep in better contact with friends and family after a £1.2m free communal wi-fi system was installed at 16 RAF stations.

The RAF Association, a charity that provides welfare support to the RAF family, developed the project after it was told about the social isolation that many new recruits feel when they begin service life. Security considerations often prevent access to military wi-fi for personal use and the cost of extra infrastructure to reach the more remote RAF bases has often prevented systems being put in place.

The association said that, for those housed in single person accommodation, the opportunities to socialise and engage with peers are reduced, and parents can be affected if they are working away from their families. The wi-fi hotspots are set up in communal areas on stations to encourage peer-to-peer contact as well helping personnel to stay in contact with their existing support networks: family, friends, partners and children at home. About 11,000 servicemen and women are expected to benefit.

Rory O’Connor, director of welfare and policy at the RAF Association, said: “In this age, we are reliant on digital technology to stay in touch with friends and family, but also to manage our online presence and daily tasks.

“We are dedicated to providing a programme of digital support to all serving personnel, whether they are newly arrived in the service or they are seasoned professionals away from their friends and family on another tour.”

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Праздничные огненные листья Born Free Foundation временно бездомные

Благотворительность дикой природы говорит, что никто не пострадал, но в офисе West Sussex нет электричества или воды, а телефоны и компьютеры оказались бесполезными

Персонал благотворительной организации Wild Born Foundation надеется вернуться в свой офис в следующем месяце после того, как он был поврежден огнем.

8 июля неисправный сервер вызвал пожар в штаб-квартире благотворительной организации в Хоршаме, Западный Суссекс. Огонь произошел в выходные, и никто не пострадал.

Огонь, описанный Уилом Траверсом, президентом Born Free, как «серьезным, но маленьким», уничтожил аппаратные и коммуникационные системы благотворительной организации.

В офисе не было электричества или воды, а телефоны и компьютеры оказались бесполезными.

Travers опубликовал сообщение на веб-сайте благотворительной организации, в котором говорится, что сайт все еще работает, и он смог обработать пожертвования. Он добавил, что все персональные данные «безопасны и безопасны».

С момента пожара сотрудники финансов были переведены во временный офис. Все остальные сотрудники работали из дома.

Пресс-секретарь сказала, что ожидается, что сотрудники вернутся в здание к концу следующего месяца, если не раньше.

Она отказалась отвечать на вопросы о стоимости ущерба или предоставить дополнительную информацию о том, как загорелся сервер.

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Applications open for free leadership training programme

Organised by the King’s Fund, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund, Cascading Leadership will match each successful applicant with a charity leader

A new programme that will provide free leadership training to people who work for health and wellbeing charities has opened for applications today.

The King’s Fund, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund have designed and launched the new £250,000 programme, which is called Cascading Leadership.

The scheme will match each successful applicant with another charity leader, and both will receive training from the King’s Fund.

Each participant will take part in a two-day training and development programme on leadership skills, receive individual supervision from leadership experts, take part in three face-to-face consulting sessions with the other charity leader and take part in peer learning sessions.

The programme lasts six months, is free to attend and 80 places are initially available.

Only charities that can show how their work improves health and wellbeing will be considered for the programme, a spokesman for the King’s Fund said.

The programme is funded by Comic Relief, which is investing £75,000, and the Big Lottery Fund, which is investing £175,000. It will be delivered by the King’s Fund.

The programme is based on a pilot run by the King’s Fund and Comic Relief last year, which a report from the King’s Fund says helped participants to “develop professional skills, alongside deeper strategic leadership”.

The deadline for applications is 20 July, with successful applicants notified in August. The first programme will run in November, the spokesman said.

Lisa Weaks, head of third sector at the King’s Fund, said: “Cascading Leadership recognises that there are many charity leaders with hugely valuable skills and experience. The programme harnesses their excellent leadership and enables them to support other charity leaders while developing their own capabilities even further.”

Gilly Green, head of UK grants at Comic Relief, said: “With increasing demands on services, challenges in the funding landscape and more complex relationships to nurture and negotiate, being a charity leader can be a lonely as well as an exciting place.

“Cascading Leadership takes as its starting point the principle of sharing knowledge and building the sector’s capacity from within. And it is this understanding, and sharing of experience from others within the sector, alongside time to reflect and plan away from the everyday pressures of the workplace, that participants report valuing so much.”

For more information and to apply, click here.

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