Emily Darlington MP: I'm skydiving to raise money for veterans...here's why

Since joining the RAF Parliamentary Armed Forces Scheme last year, I’ve had the opportunity to see a sliver of what it is like to be a member of our air force.

It’s been eye-opening to witness the complex, often gruelling work our RAF personnel undertake to keep Britain’s skies safer, but also to see the role they play in enriching our community as brothers, mothers, daughters and sons. It’s why the work of the Royal Air Forces Association in supporting veterans and their families in Milton Keynes and across the UK is so integral, and why it’s a cause I want to raise money for!

Veterans are an important part of our community in Milton Keynes; their stories of valour inspire us; their selflessness and drive has shaped our city. I'm so proud of the work of our formidable Open University in supporting veterans through its Disabled Veterans Scholarship.

This scheme offers extensive funding to 30 veterans, providing access to free OU education as well as tailored careers and disability support to those injured in, or due to, military service. Beyond monetary support, the scholarship provides for specialist equipment such as alternative formats of modules and mentoring on careers during the length of the degree and beyond. Applications for the academic year of 2025/26 are currently open! The closing date is the 2 July.

Milton Keynes has set a standard for delivering for its veterans and through my fundraising with RAFA I want to help fund the vital services that support them.From the emotional to the practical issues, the RAF Association is a lifeline for veterans and their families. Their ‘Connections for Life’ service is a scheme of regular phone calls to veterans to allow them to build relationships with volunteers and help combat loneliness.

I’ve heard stories from veterans who have benefitted from these conversations, and they’ve really moved me. I know that here in Milton Keynes we prioritise the same values of connection and compassion. More practically, volunteers for RAFA take on casework involving housing and financial situations, supporting both individual veterans and their families into suitable and affordable accommodation as well as putting them in touch with financial support services.

With veterans being at risk of falling through the cracks after their service is up, I’m so glad there is a service with a track record of helping them into a secure financial and housing situation when they need it most.

The Royal Air Forces Association also offers extensive support to parents and their children who are active in the service. The RAFAKidz programme provides high quality childcare in 16 locations across the UK, while offering tax-free governmental support that provides £2 for every £8 that RAF parents invest in their children's care.

Being in service can be really tough on the kids of deployed parents. The RAF Association tries to ease the difficulty of this separation through the ‘Doodle Box Initiative’, which contains a range of activities from scrapbooks to cards to a welcome home poster, aimed at maintaining connections between those deployed and their children at home.

On July 12 when I take to the skies for the Royal Air Forces Association, I’ll be thinking of the veterans in Milton Keynes and across the UK who have fought tirelessly; their families and loved ones who have joined them on their journeys both in the RAF and beyond; and the 66,000 plus volunteers who consistently provide the vital services operated under RAFA. The charity is truly a lifeline for so many and donations to the RAFA allow them to continue to be a beacon of hope for veterans across Milton Keynes and the UK.

You can find out more about my fundraiser, and donate, here: Emily Darlington MP is fundraising for The RAF Association (RAFA)