Menzies Aviation, the leading service partner to the world’s airports and airlines, has today announced its partnership with the Royal Air Force (RAF) charity for sport and physical activities, the RAF Central Fund.
As a proud supporter of the RAF Central Fund, a charity which supports 54 sports associations and over 14,000 service personnel, Menzies Aviation will help make a significant impact to a wide range of sports in which the RAF participate, coach and officiate.
Menzies Aviation is a long-standing supporter of current and former military personnel, recognising the invaluable and transferable skills veterans bring to the aviation services industry. In 2023, Menzies was honoured with the UK’s Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, reflecting its dedicated to the Armed Forces community.
The partnership will not only deepen its links with the defence community, but support service personnel as they develop their full potential through sport and physical activities. The collaboration reflects the natural alignment between the two parties, and a shared commitment to operational excellence, teamwork and safety in the aviation sector, ensuring seamless, high-quality services from military to commercial operations. In addition to supporting RAF Sport as a whole, Menzies will focus its partnership on the RAF Hockey, RAF Rugby League and RAF Cycling teams.
Menzies support will contribute towards the kit and equipment required to play the sport safely and enjoyably. It will also support the delivery of member engagement activities, development training and important tournaments and championships – whether that is RAF stations playing against each other, inter-service level competitions or even elite level events.
A particular highlight in 2025 will be the RAF Rugby League Association’s Tri-Nation tournament, which Menzies Aviation will specifically support. Taking place in July, the tournament will welcome the Royal New Zealand and Royal Australian Air Force Rugby League Teams to compete against the RAF Team in matches spanning London, Leeds, and RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.
Alongside these fixtures, the event will include community outreach initiatives and International Defence Engagement, fostering relationships beyond the sport. This new partnership will enable RAF Rugby League to host an ambitious international tournament, which would otherwise be challenging without external support, inspiring greater participation in the sport across the RAF community.
Juliet Thomson, Chief People Officer, Menzies Aviation, said: “We are honoured to officially partner with RAF Sports and support the incredible sportspeople representing the Royal Air Force. Many veterans transition from military service to the aviation industry, and we are proud to employ veterans across our global operations, including over 1,000 in Europe and well over 4,000 in the Americas. We look forward to expanding our support for the RAF community, both on the field and in their careers beyond service.”
Ross Perriam, CEO, RAF Central Fund, added: “We are delighted to partner with Menzies Aviation in this significant collaboration, which will enable more RAF personnel to engage in physical activity. Like the RAF Central Fund, Menzies Aviation has a long-standing commitment to supporting the RAF community, and we are excited to unite our efforts to further strengthen this support over the coming year.
This partnership not only delivers mutual benefits but also highlights the value RAF Sport offers to organisations beyond the defence sector. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with Menzies Aviation as we continue to enhance sporting opportunities for service personnel.”
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