On Tuesday 29 July 2025, Airplay hosted its four-day youth festival ‘AirFest’ at RAF Wyton to celebrate 15 years of Airplay at RAF stations, supported by the RAF Benevolent Fund.
To mark its 15th anniversary, Airplay hosted a four-day residential camp at RAF Wyton, offering a fun-filled week of activities for 150 young people.
Highlights included the UK’s largest mobile climbing wall, VR games, bungee trampolines, darts, face painting, and glitter and hair-braiding stations. The week also featured a range of interactive workshops, alongside evening entertainment including an ABBA tribute act, a silent disco, and karaoke.
The RAF Falcons also made a special appearance at AirFest, with a thrilling parachute display as they landed on RAF Wyton’s airfield.
Airplay, established by the RAF Benevolent Fund in 2010 and delivered by One YMCA, provides a safe and fun place for children and young people, aged five to 18, to learn and interact with their peers across 24 RAF stations.
Airplay attendee Rose, 13, from RAF Henlow spoke about what she loves about Airplay:
“Being part of the RAF Family, sometimes you just need to take a little bit of time away from everything that’s going on and chill with your mates. I love the activities we do at my youth club. We do lots of different things, like crafts, Just Dance and cooking. I like my Youth Worker, Julia, because she’s always uplifting and has a good spirit.”
Maria Lyle, Associate Director of Operations at the Fund said:
“It was a pleasure to attend AirFest as we celebrate Airplay’s 15th anniversary. At the Fund, we are proud to support such a dynamic and engaging programme for young people in the RAF Family. It was truly rewarding to see them enjoying a wide range of fun activities and connections with their peers. Our sincere thanks to the Airplay team at One YMCA, and to all at RAF Wyton for hosting such a memorable event.”
The RAF Benevolent Fund provides financial, emotional, and practical assistance to serving and retired RAF personnel and their families. This includes grants to help with financial difficulty, mental health support, Airplay youth clubs, and more.
