Retired WW2 Hurricane and Spitfire Pilot, Peter “Percy” Proctor has recently passed away.

Peter had recently had his 97th Birthday.

Peter’s funeral will take place at 12.30on 23rd September at:

Marshside Road Methodist Church
1, Marshside Road
Southport
PR9 9TL

He is pictured here receiving an Award from RAFA with ACM Sir Mike Graydon at the XI Annual Association Reunion in 2017.

For anyone interested, Peter’s memories of flying Spitfires and Hurricanes can be read here.

The Battle of Britain: On this day in 1940, the Luftwaffe mounted its biggest daylight attack on London, conducting 1,020 sorties over the skies of Britain. In response, Fighter Command launched 705 sorties, claiming 56 Luftwaffe aircraft. Although the Battle of Britain would continue, this day proved to be decisive and convinced the German High Command that reports of ‘Fighter Command’s impending demise had been greatly exaggerated’. For detailed analysis and narratives on the events of the Battle of Britain, read the RAF CASPS Battle of Britain Special Edition Air Power Review.
https://www.raf.mod.uk/what-we-do/centre-for-air-and-space-power-studies/documents1/air-power-review-vol-18-no-2-battle-of-britain-75th-anniversary-special-edition/
Pictures: © IWM (HU 49253); © IWM (CH 1561); UK CROWN COPYRIGHT / MOD. Courtesy of Air Historical Branch (Royal Air Force).

For partners of people serving in the RAF, there can be several challenges from dealing with deployments and frequent moves to paying for childcare and planning for the future.


Through research we have carried out, we're aware that the most significant barriers to partners moving forward are not a lack of experience or qualifications, or writing CVs or interview skills, but identifying what they want to achieve and the routes to do this.
Our new programme, Thrive, aims to help partners overcome these barriers and aims to also:

• increase the employability of partners who are looking for paid employment
• further the skills of partners who are already resourceful
• explore alternatives to paid employment
• improve overall wellbeing and emotional resilience
• reduce social isolation

We are running trials of Thrive at RAF Leeming, RAF Halton, RAF Benson and RAF Northolt, with a series of five workshops taking place at each location led by qualified coaches who themselves have served or are the partners of serving RAF.
Workshop coursesThe workshops at RAF Leeming, RAF Halton and RAF Benson will focus on the following:

1. What holds you back – identifying self-limiting beliefs and identifying ways to overcome them.
2. Wellbeing – involving a holistic approach covering physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, occupational and social wellbeing.
3. Resilience – focusing on your ability to maintain mental health and wellbeing when faced with adversity. The ability to remain effective at home and work. The workshop will address four key areas – awareness, thinking, reaching out and fitness.
4. Values, skills and strengths – involving exercises particularly aimed at those seeking to return to work or move jobs. It will explore and identify values to enable participants to better 'fit into' companies, recognising your key skills and how to describe them in a transferrable way and looking at your strengths focusing on positive outlooks.
5. Hot seating – where you will have a turn at being in the 'hot seat' and describe your particular focus or goal. Not only does this provide many different ways for you to move forward, this could be a good way in helping you to decide if you would like to go to receive further coaching or possibly specialist training.

The focus at RAF Northolt is on exploring entrepreneurship and the course is titled 'A Start-Up Adventure', with an aim of helping you develop and work on any business ideas you may have in a supportive environment.
Sign up to ThriveTo apply to take part in our Thrive programme, simply fill in our online form.

We recommend attending all five workshops in the series in order to gain the maximum benefit from the programme. However, each workshop will be stand-alone if you prefer to attend just one.
Each workshop will last for two hours, which includes a break, with an additional hour of informal networking and coffee afterwards.
The workshops are free to attend, and childcare will be arranged or provided for those that need it.

If you would like more information about our Thrive programme, please contact Damian Pinel, RAF Projects Manager on 020 7303 3434 or 07702883641 or email damian.pinel@rafbf.org.uk.

Images from: https://twitter.com/ChrisPerkins53

Further information: http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/scottow/scottow.htm