February 25, 2022 2.19 pm This story is over 25 months old

RAF Digby team fundraising to celebrate Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

They have been walking, running and cycling 70km per week
The team is being led by 41-year-old Sergeant Ian Walker, who has been in the Royal Air Force for nearly 16 years. | Photo: RAF Benevolent Fund

A team of 15 personnel based at RAF Digby, led by Sergeant Ian Walker, are nearing the end of their fundraising challenge which celebrates the Queen’s 70th Jubilee.

On February 6 this year, Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.

To celebrate the Queen’s 70th Jubilee, each member of the RAF Digby team is walking, running and cycling 70km per week throughout February. This equates to a kilometre for every year since the Queen’s ascension to the throne and covers a total distance of 280km.

They will be raising money for the RAF Benevolent Fund, which is the Royal Air Force’s leading welfare charity. The charity supports current and former members of the RAF, their partners and dependants by providing financial, emotional and practical assistance.

As many of their colleagues have suffered various injuries over the past few years the team is also completing a 4×70 challenge of their own, doing press ups, sit ups, squats, burpees and lunges, to get active and support each other.

Donate to Team 54’s fundraiser here

The team is being led by 41-year-old Sergeant Ian Walker, who has been in the Royal Air Force for nearly 16 years.

He said: “The RAF Benevolent Fund is at the very heart of the RAF; it’s almost woven into our psyche and is the key charity we all know of and support.

“Thankfully I’ve never needed the Fund’s support on an individual basis, however, like any other station, RAF Digby has benefited from the Fund’s welfare initiatives supporting personnel, families and dependents alike.

“We knew we wanted to complete a fundraising challenge and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was the perfect way to get people interested. We’ve all been keeping each other motivated over the course of the month and it’s been a great way to boost not only our physical fitness but our mental health, too.”

Lisa Hunt, community fundraiser at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “The team at RAF Digby are doing a fantastic job with their fundraising so far – I know how tough it’s been for everyone to get their distance covered each week around their busy work and home lives.

“This challenge is all the more poignant for us here at the Fund as Her Majesty The Queen is our Patron and has always been a tireless supporter of our work.”