RAF aviator and SSAFA volunteer takes on Dundee Kiltwalk

15 July 2024

The Dundee Kiltwalk is less than a month away, and one of the latest to sign up to take it on for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is serving RAF aviator Richard Lawrence, who is stationed at RAF Lossiemouth.

Richard, who says he is “drawing towards the twilight years” of his career, is a long-time SSAFA supporter. He volunteered first by taking a colleague to visit her veteran husband, who was living with MS and in a care home.

Later, while posted to Cyprus, he became a member of the In-Service Committee (ISC) in Episkopi. An ISC provides on-base support for serving members of the military community and their families across a number of locations in the UK and across the globe.

Richard joined the RAF in 2003 and his operational tours include Iraq (Op Telic) at Basrah Air Base in 2006, Afghanistan (Op Herrick) at Camp Bastion in 2013 and most recently as part of 901 Expeditionary Air Wing at Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar), returning home mid-March this year.

As Richard notes: “We raised plenty of money for use in our local community by conducting cake sales, quiz nights and even the SSAFA 10km Challenge. Our ISC pledged funds towards station-wide welfare projects including the installation of shade sails and buying items for the station welfare houses.”

His very active role included being the committee’s chair until his posting ended and he left Cyprus.

His dedication to volunteering for SSAFA while holding down a busy military working life was recognised with first a badge to mark five years’ service and then one recognising a decade’s commitment to the charity. He plans to continue his volunteering and will soon join his local ISC.

Though based at Lossie, he and his family live in married quarters at Leuchars Station. While convenient for his family – it is the area they wish to make their permanent home – Richard describes himself as a “… weekend husband and father as I have to commute to and from Lossie by train”.

Dundee, and the Kiltwalk on August 11, is just a 20-minute drive from Leuchars, and Richard concludes by saying: “I'm looking forward to continuing my support for SSAFA whether as an independent fundraiser or as part of an organised committee.”

To support Richard as he fundraises for SSAFA Scotland, visit his fundraising page.