RAFAKidz has been awarded funding from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) to enhance its nurseries and give children from Armed Forces families more opportunities to learn and grow.
The funding was awarded in the form of grants by the AFCFT on behalf of the MOD’s Armed Forces Families Fund: Early Years Programme.
Nurseries at RAF Benson, Cranwell, Medmenham, Brize Norton and Wyton will use the funding to provide practitioner training and improve their indoor facilities and resources, while those at RAF Cosford, Honington and MOD Boscombe Down will enhance their outdoor provisions, giving children more opportunities to learn and play.
Josie Mapes, Executive Director of RAFAKidz, said:
“We’re incredibly grateful to the AFCFT and the MOD for awarding us these generous grants. This funding will help us improve our facilities at several of our settings, allowing the children in our care to develop, grow and thrive for years to come.”
The MOD’s Armed Forces Families Fund (AF3) Early Years programme supports early education and childcare settings to meet the unique needs of young children from serving armed forces families.
Rachael Storr, Grants Officer at the AFCFT, said:
“Over the last four years it’s been wonderful to see RAFAKidz use over £1m of grant funding to create enriching learning environments across multiple settings for the very youngest members of our community. From creating engaging outdoor environments that extend the learning space, to valuable practitioner training and development: their work supports the development of all service children, including those with special educational needs.”
With 21 settings operating across the country, RAFAKidz is the largest provider of early years childcare to the RAF, playing a key role in supporting military families, enabling them to serve their country knowing their children are in safe hands.
