Historical RAFFA

We will begin with the Angel Foundation, an organisation that RAFFA has supported for many years. More recently we supported Angel by making donations to Portmore Primary School, in Jamaica. It was a pleasure for us to travel to the handing over ceremony that was attended by many dignitaries.

We also collaborated with organisations such as Friends of Windrush and Black Cultural Archives to put on the ‘BIG Caribbean Lunch’ in Brixton last year to celebrate the contributions of the Windrush Generation and those that followed.

The Jamaica Ex -Soldiers Association is a Service Charity organisation that aims to provide the much-needed donations to incredible causes and ex- service individuals.

Through RAFFA’s International Development arm, we continue to support projects on a global scale and during 2024 was no different. We donated clothes, food and supplies to Ghana, Trinidad, St Vincent, Kenya, Nigeria, Montserrat and Jamaica. Items were shipped over to specifically help the local communities near and far.

​RAFFA also sponsored Nathanael McLean with the promotion of his Journal my Journey initiative aimed at addressing the issue of mental health in men. Journal My Journey has been dedicated to empowering individuals through impactful public speaking and workshops. His mission is to inspire and support individuals in overcoming challenges and discovering their true potential.

This year, we are dedicating the month to showcasing the work of talented Black photographers who have captured the beauty, resilience, and power of the Black experience. Read More

Serena Balfour, the founder of The Us Charitable Trust, has also been a long-time supporter of RAFFA. During 2024 the Trust celebrated their 10th year since inception, it was an honour to be recognised for contributions to the success of the Trust.

At this momentous event we paid homage to these casualties of WW1. The plaque will stand as a permanent and emblematic reminder of the men who answered the call and travelled from the West Indies to fight for our freedom and never returned.

​Reach Society also hosts careers days for young people aged 16 to 25 years old. Each year role models are invited to inspire and empower young people. These events are supported by various organisations including the British Army, Lloyds of London, and the RAFFA team.

Kerrie and Cerise Reynolds, RAFFA Project Coordinators attended a Women’s Conference at the Church of God of Prophecy in Sheffield. During 2024 there have been more than 400 health checks completed highlighting adverse BP results. The team were fortunate to have volunteer nurses who supported them on this mission. 

The Power of Evangelism is an initiative designed to educate and introduce the importance of Identity, Leadership and Evangelism to potential young Leaders across Faith Communities. Weekend events were held in London, Birmingham, and Stafford. RAFFA contributed to the advancement of this programme.

​Reach Society has been a long-time partner of RAFFA, and we have supported each other on numerous projects throughout the year, one of which is the annual Reach Society Awards Dinner. In 2024 RAFFA was presented with the Corporate Fellow of Reach Society Awards for our exemplary commitment to the work the society is doing to inspire young people.

RAFFA continues to support local initiatives and projects. Rochelle Logan Rogers launched her book ‘Soul Echoes’ a collection of spoken word poetry, RAFFA was there to sponsor the event and to share information about health and wellbeing.

The Home Office hosted a round table event where the Community Engagement Team extended their thanks and appreciation for our contributions to raising awareness about the Windrush Helpline and the Compensation Scheme.

Mr Neil Flanigan MBE, who came from Jamaica to Britain to join the Royal Air Force in 1943, has been hailed as an exemplar of service and sacrifice after passing away on 21st March a few months before his 100th birthday. He was one of the first men to sign up when representatives of the UK Government arrived in the Caribbean requesting support for the war effort.

The ‘2024 Windrush Nation Awards and Thanksgiving Gathering was hosted by Reach Society. RAFFA attended the event with Jahmarrie Williams and Robiann Dennis who delivered speeches on ‘The Future they hope for in The UK’.

A SPECIAL service took place on Friday 21 June 2024 at the Tilbury Cruise Terminal to celebrate Windrush Day and Tilbury’s unique role in this historic event as the site where the HMT Empire Windrush docked on 21 June 1948. Read More

Paul Chambers, Chair of the BWIHT organised a trip to Royal Arsenal Woolwich to visit the Royal Garrison Church of St. George. A sponsored walk was organised to raise funds for the retired soldiers and ex-servicemen.