Community / RAFA president to visit isles as part of 2,500-mile fundraising journey
THE NORTHERN area president of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) will visit Shetland this weekend as part of a 2,500-mile motorbike trip to raise money for the charity.
Stuart Stirrat became RAFA area president for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England this May after 37 years in the force.
“That’s just a voluntary role,” he explained. “I decided that I would find visit [all of the branches] as the new president in the month of August.”
The RAFA is a charity that supports both serving and retired members of the air force. It relies entirely on donations.
Stirrat is now undertaking a “mammoth” 2,500-mile journey on his motorbike to fundraise for the association.
“So far, I’ve managed to visit 22 of them out of the 60 [branches]… I’m currently in Perth,” Stirrat told Shetland News ahead of his visit to the isles.
He will arrive in Lerwick with his Honda NC750 on Friday morning and leave again on Sunday night’s boat.
The trip kicked off on 4 August at the Halifax branch, where Stirrat will return to on 29 August.
He described the journey so far: “Halifax is my hometown and from there I routed to the west, visiting a branch in Lancashire and then I went across to the Isle of Man.
“From the Isle of Man back to Lancashire, and then up to the Lake District visiting branches up there.
“I then had a couple of days in Northern Ireland…back across to Scotland, then it’s been Ayr through to Greenock and the larger Glasgow area.”
Day 7 – beautiful Northern Ireland. Causeway Coast, over the hills to dreamy Fermanagh, return to old haunts at “RAF” Aldergrove. Joy loves ice cream and the black stuff!#peace#liveagoodlife@RAFAssociation @rafa_kidz @aircadets pic.twitter.com/qjiIoEngwe
— StuStirrat (@StirratStu) August 10, 2023
He will also visit Stornoway and Orkney before coming to Shetland on Friday.
Stirrat hopes to see “some of the sights” whilst he is here, as well as meet folk at the local RAFA branch.
“I’m just keen to meet as many RAF veterans as possible,” he said.
He will also continue to raise money for the charity – more than £1,000 has been donated on JustGiving so far.
“Traditionally, the money has gone to things like mobility support for our veterans… stairlifts and mobility scooters,” Stirrat said.
“More and more, the charity’s now turning to support people through the cost-of-living crisis… sadly even serving personnel sometimes need our support.
“We can step in and provide financial aid, friendship and signposting to other supporting organisations.”
Joining Stirrat on his trip is a little red teddy bear named Joy.
“I named her Joy after Joy Lofthouse, who was one of our very famous air transport auxiliary pilots,” he said.
“She died in 2017 age 94, but she was one of the spitfire babes… delivering them to the front line from the maintenance unit.
“Joy’s along for the ride with me… I keep saying the words ‘I’m bringing Joy to all the branches’.”
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