On Monday 31st May, 2021 Newark Air Museum is proud to be hosting a visit to its Gateway Aviation Site from young artist Jack Berry, who has recently had a book of his aviation art published by Mention The War Publications. Released earlier this year the book is entitled ‘Flying High In The Sunlit Silence’ and it is being sold to raise funds for various service charities and organisations.

A display of Jack’s paintings is now going to be unveiled in Display Hangar 2 at the museum, in a location close to several of Jack’s favourite aircraft, notably Jetstream XX492 and Sea Harrier ZA176.

To mark this event, Jack’s family have been made honorary members of the museum, which will coincide with Jack taking up a voluntary role as Teenage Artist in Residence at the museum. Building on this role the museum trustees are looking forward to displaying more of Jack’s inspirational aviation art at future museum events.

The Berry family will be at the museum between 11.00am and 3.30pm, where Jack will spend some time in Hangar 2 painting new artworks amongst the museum aircraft and displays that have captured his vivid imagination. Jack will also be available to sign copies of his book and the family have purchased some new sticker inserts that can be added to copies of the book that any visitors may have purchased already. Copies of the book will also be available to purchase on the day.

It is anticipated that Jack will want to explore the wider museum site, so we hope that anyone who visits hoping to see and meet Jack, will respect his desire to go off and explore. Most of Jack’s supporters will understand that he is autistic and opts to remain mute, however Jack conveys his feelings through his creative artworks. The trustees hope that everyone will give Jack the space and time that he needs to enjoy his second visit to Newark Air Museum.

Normal museum admission rates will apply, but if visitors say “We Are Team Jack” when they arrive at the museum admission kiosk, we will give them a fifty pence discount off their admission ticket. It is hoped that some former service personnel may also be visiting and willing to sign relevant pages in Jack’s book for aircraft that they may have served on.

“Towards the end of October 2020, just before the second lockdown I was privileged to host Jack Berry’s first visit to the museum”, commented museum trustee, Howard Heeley, he continued, “I had made contact with Jack through the museum’s Twitter account and on Twitter Jack had been sharing some imaginative aircraft pictures.”

He concluded, “During that first visit I made a connection with Jack and I have been looking forward to Covid regulations lifting so that we can host another visit to the museum. I am looking forward to welcoming our new Teenage Artist in Residence back to the museum.”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

This new RAF Museum workshop explores the lives of African, Caribbean, South Asian and Irish volunteers who served in the RAF despite being opposed to British rule in their home countries.

Speakers will include Sunday Times best-selling author Shrabani Basu and RAF Museum Curator Peter Devitt, and the event will explore and celebrate the stories of key individuals from diverse backgrounds who served in the RAF and connect their experiences to the story of wider participation in the British armed forces during the Second World War.

As well as exploring the diverse nature of those who served in the RAF the panel will also critically examine the motivations of those who fought in the RAF and identify a complexity that is marginalised in British Military History.

The event is moderated by Dr Harry Raffal, who says: “Freedom Fighters takes place within the context of the rapidly evolving debate about Britain’s imperial past, with the issues of slavery, the growth of nationalism and the cultural legacy of empire under close examination. The event is timely as it comes shortly before landmark anniversaries in the histories of Indian, Caribbean and Irish independence.”

Three volunteers will be considered in detail: Noor Inayat Khan from India; Errol Walton Barrow from Barbados; and Irishman Robert Gregory. The speakers will examine their individual motives for joining up, their treatment by British colleagues, and how they reconciled military service to the Crown with their political beliefs. These individual experiences will be set into wider context by two papers considering the experiences of Indian personnel and refugees and émigrés in the RAF during the Second World War.

Our Panel:
• Sunday Times best-selling author Shrabani Basu will speak about Indian SOE agent Noor Inayat Khan GC, executed at Dachau concentration camp on 13 September
1944.

• RAFM Curator Peter Devitt will deliver a paper about Major Robert Gregory MC, immortalised in W.B. Yeats’ ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’ in 1918.

• Early Career Researcher Session (Second World War): Papers will include ‘Flying Officer Errol Walton Barrow: Navigator, Prime Minister’, ‘Indian service in the RAF’,
and ‘Refugees and émigrés at war’.

• Tiegan Byrne, RAFM Access and Learning, will read the Yeats poem and selected quotations from Noor Inayat Khan and Errol Barrow.

• Roundtable discussion of the issues raised by the presentations, moderated by RAFM Historian Dr Harry Raffal.

www.rafmuseum.org

The RAF Museum, which reopened to the public this week was delighted to host Stanley Johnson, father of the Prime Minister, with his friend Paul Newman (601 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force) on Wednesday 19 May.

The purpose of Mr Johnson’s visit was to view his father’s medals, which he recently very kindly loaned to the Museum, and which are now on display as part of the RAF 100 exhibition in Hangar 1 of our London site.

Mr Johnson’s father, Flight Lieutenant Wilfred Johnson, served as an RAF Coastal Command pilot from 1942 to 1944. He flew Wellington GR.XIV aircraft on patrols over the Atlantic Ocean and attacked several German submarines. On 17 August 1944, Wilfred returned early from a patrol due to a radio fault. His Wellington then suffered an engine failure shortly before landing. He faced the difficult and dangerous task of flying low at night on one engine, in a heavy aircraft still loaded with high-explosive depth charges. Wilfred dropped these weapons in a safe place, avoiding nearby villages, and returned to RAF Chivenor – but he was seriously injured in a crash-landing on the airfield. Following his selfless action, Wilfred was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for ‘skill and coolness in emergencies’ and ‘his hard work, thoroughness and keen sense of duty’ as an RAF pilot. Wilfred’s DFC, along with a congratulatory letter from King George VI and his Medal Group of Four, are now displayed in Hangar 1 at the Museum.

Stanley Johnson, Wilfred’s son, said:
“My sisters and I, as well his eight grandchildren, are absolutely thrilled that the wonderful RAF Museum at Hendon has chosen to display our father’s medals so brilliantly in the new exhibit, including the DFC, and the letter from King George VI. Though my father didn’t talk much about his wartime service or about the crash which ended his flying career, I know that in many ways my father’s years as a pilot with RAF Coastal Command, based at Chivenor, in North Devon, were the high point of his life. The years he spent at Chivenor were pivotal in another way, since after the war Wilfred became a hill-farmer on nearby Exmoor, in a rugged steep-sided valley on the River Exe where, seventy years later, my family and I are still privileged to live!”

Ian Thirsk, Head of Collections and Research, said:
‘It is an absolute privilege to display Wilfred Johnson’s medals at the RAF Museum, Wilfred’s story is an inspirational one which we are both honoured – and delighted – to share with our visitors. Wilfred’s medals will help us to emphasise the largely unsung role of RAF Coastal Command during the Second World War’.

www.rafmuseum.org

The RAF Museum is pleased to announce that we have appointed our new Head of Collections and Research: Dr Peter Johnston.

Dr Peter Johnston is a military historian and Museum professional. Most recently he was the Head of Collections Research and Academic Access at the National Army Museum. He joined the Museum in 2014 as the Collections Content Manager, responsible for running the curatorial team working on the new displays, before becoming Head of Collections Development and Review in 2017. He spends the majority of his time conducting research and working with academics and the military. He has acted as an expert and accompanying academic on battlefield tours from Flanders to the Falklands, as well as regularly appearing across media channels. His first book, British Forces in Germany: The Lived Experience, was the authorised history of the British forces in Germany from 1945-2019, and published by Profile Editions in October 2019. He has also published on recruitment propaganda and museum collections.

Peter studied History and Modern History for his Undergraduate and Masters degrees at the University of Durham, and completed his PhD at the University of Kent, focusing on recruitment and culture in the British Armed Forces. He has previously worked as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Kent, Visiting Lecturer at the University of Westminster, and as a researcher in social policy.

Says Peter: ‘I’m thrilled to be joining the RAF Museum at this exciting time. The Museum has big, ambitious plans and I’m looking forward to getting involved and playing my part in taking these forward. The history of the RAF has shaped not only our country, but our world, and it continues to have a relevance to each and every one of us. It really is a privilege to be a part of. The Museum has a unique, world-class Collection, and a great team, and I cannot wait to get started.’

Peter will officially start at the Museum on Monday 7th June.

www.rafmuseum.org

YORKSHIRE AIR MUSEUM RE-OPENS TO THE PUBLIC SATURDAY 22ND MAY.

• OPENING CEREMONY 10:30 AM IN FRONT OF THE MAIN DISPLAY HANGAR.

• NORMANDY VETERANS AND JUNIOR MUSEUM AMBASSADOR WILL UNVEIL NEW AIRCRAFT DISPLAY

• NEW SEASON THEME: “AVIATION: YORKSHIRE’S GREATEST INVENTION”

• MEDIA WELCOME. GATES OPEN 10:0AM.

The Yorkshire Air Museum is reopening to the public on Saturday 22nd May, 115 years to the day after the Wright Brothers were granted a patent for “new and useful improvement in Flying Machines”.

As the Yorkshire Air Museum bursts back to life after long months of forced closure due to the pandemic, a season of celebration of Yorkshire engineering ingenuity and Aviation will start this Saturday.

Taking centre stage within the museum’s enormous aircraft hangar will be the Cayley Glider, the very first manned flying machine, surrounded by a collection of unique aircraft ‘Made in Yorkshire’.

Museum Director Barbara George explains: “This year, we have decided to celebrate Yorkshire aviation. Very few people know that Scarborough born Sir George Cayley designed the very first glider strong enough to carry an adult in 1853. He was a visionary and made history with amazing advance in aviation which earned him the deserved title of ‘Father of aviation’. The Wright Brothers themselves rightfully credited Sir George’s work for inspiring them when they began to experiment with their own glider models in the 1900’s.”

This summer, visitors will be able to see up close life size replicas of the amazing Cayley Glider and Wright Flyer along with iconic Yorkshire designed aircraft, such as the Blackburn Mercury and the Buccaneer as well as museum’s large collection including the museum’s own unique WWII Halifax Mk. III bomber, “Friday the 13th”. The Halifax also has a link with Yorkshire, being named after the most successful Halifax which flew from its Yorkshire base at RAF Lissett near Bridlington.

Much work has been achieved over the past few months to get the museum ready for visitors. With 22 acres of land, large areas of lawn, outdoor and indoor displays, the museum team hope that the safety measures they have put in place combined with the reimagining of the amazing collection on display will encourage many people to visit for the first time.

“We are delighted that D-Day veterans Doug Petty, Sid Metcalfe and Ken Cooke, who all saw action in the sky or on the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion campaign that led to the Liberation of France and Europe, will be with us to celebrate our reopening. They will be joined by 9 year-old Yorkshire Air Museum Ambassador Oliver Vaines. It means a lot to us that we can connect young generations to their heritage. We hope to inspire them by learning about the experience of their ancestors”, comments Ian Richardson, Head of Memorials and Heritage.

Oliver’s passion for history started after his father took him to the museum when he was about 5 years old. “I made it my obligation to make sure he understood the sacrifices made by everyone during the war” his father Darren recounts. “I remember the first time he walked into the hangar and saw the Halifax, he just connected with its presence, the illumination on his face was of epic proportion”. Last year Oliver was inspired by Sir Captain Tom Moore and he started fundraising for the Children’s heart surgery in Leeds. Oliver himself has a rare heart condition. His efforts were rewarded when Sir Tom who sent him a special message to thank him.

The Yorkshire Air Museum was awarded funding last year to help it surmount the covid pandemic via the National Heritage Lottery Funding, through it Emergency Fund, and the Arts Council Recovery Grant. The Funding has been used to conduct essential maintenance and refurbishments, review its long term business plan as well as maintain employment.

The museum’s mission is to Honour, Educate and Inspire.

Normandy Veterans Information.
Douglas Petty (98), flew as Flight Engineer with RCAF 429 Squadron from RAF Leeming. Flew 31 missions, 29 of them in the Handley Page Halifax. Converted to the Lancaster for final operations.

Sid Metcalfe (98). Driver / Mechanic in the Royal Armoured Corps ( Reconnaissance). Captured by Germans and as. POW worked in a copper mine in forced labour. Freed by American Forces.

Ken Cooke (95) Private, Green Howards. Went ashore on Gold Beach on D Day and received serious injury fighting his way into Germany. Repatriated in a Dakota.

www.yorkshireairmuseum.org

The Newark Air Museum (NAM) is a registered charity, located in eastern Nottinghamshire; close to the border with Lincolnshire; like many similar organisations it has been closed throughout the first part of 2021 due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

In mid-April we undertook a limited re-opening of the external display areas at our 16-acre site and the Museum Shop, both of which have proved quite popular with visitors. We are really pleased to announce that the museum will re-open its main Indoor Display buildings at 10am on Wednesday 19th May, 2021; under the Step 3 Guidelines issued earlier this week

Initially this will involve visitors making their way around the internal displays at the museum following a one-way system in the Engine Hall, Display Hangar 1 and Display Hangar 2. For the time being the Small Objects Display building will remain off limits and all visits will take place in line with the relevant Covid-Secure Regulations, such as the requirement to wear a face covering inside; provide Track & Trace details for each member of the group; rule of 6; etc. These specific guidelines may be subject to change.

As part of this re-opening the Museum Shop will also be open and socially distanced indoor seating will be available in the Café. Pre-Covid admission rates will apply: Adults £9.50, Over 65s £8.50, Children £5.00 and Family ticket [2 adults & 3 children] £26.00.

2021 Museum Special Events

An Outdoor Aeroboot/Aerojumble is being organised for Saturday 3rd July, 2021.

The Cockpit-Fest 21 & Aeroboot event has been rescheduled to take place on the August Bank Holiday Weekend of 28th, 29th & 30th August, 2021.

The Autumn 1940s Weekend event has been rescheduled to take place on 2nd & 3rd October, 2021.

Please be aware ALL of these proposals are subject to change by government legislation at any time. We will post regular updates on our website and also on our Social Media feeds. www.newarkairmuseum.org

As a volunteer managed registered charity the museum relies on public admission fees, shop sales etc. to fund its operation and it has become ever reliant on the generosity of our visitors, volunteers and staff in these unprecedented and challenging times. Online donations can still be made via our Just Giving Page https://www.justgiving.com/newarkairmuseum/Donate

Run through your checklist and get ready for take-off, the RAF Museum Cosford is about to reopen!

• Hangars full of amazing aircraft? Check!
• NEW airfield-inspired playground for kids? Check!
• Big outdoor areas for summer games and picnics? Check!
• Car parking and café? Check!
• Social distancing signage and sanitiser? Check!
• Gift shop with toys to keep the kids quiet on the way home? Check!
• FREE to enter!? Check!

View the fly through drone footage

It’s time to get #BackToMuseums and the RAF Museum Cosford’s new outdoor airfield-inspired playground, along with huge hangars packed full of aircraft is the perfect place to ‘jet off’ to for a family friendly staycation.

While still offering free entry to all, visitors are kindly asked to pre-book their arrival time online at www.rafmuseum.org. The timed ticket approach will guarantee the space needed for a safe and enjoyable day out, and once you’ve checked in, you are welcome to stay as long as you like!

With May half term just around the corner, planning days out for the family could not be simpler. The Museum’s new RAF themed playground is guaranteed to be the number one destination for future pilots and ground crew alike. Bring your little ones along to test-fly the new playground, carry out refuelling missions onboard the Victor and Vulcan cockpit, and become an air traffic controller for the day in the mock control tower, overlooking the mini hangar.

Getting the Museum ready for take-off following months of closure has required a head for heights, as the aircraft have been given a spring clean on an epic scale. The work required a specialist team to abseil from the 30m high roof to access the suspended aircraft displayed in the National Cold War Exhibition hangar, including a Vulcan bomber and a vertically suspended Lightning. Aircraft and exhibits on the ground have also been spruced up by the Museum’s Technicians and Apprentices, and even the external aircraft were given a wash, ensuring they look their best for when visitors return.

Visitors can expect some pre-flight safety checks and social distancing measures in place upon the Museum’s re-opening on 17 May, including a one-way visitor flow and a limit on the number of people in each building. Hand sanitiser will be available throughout each hangar, along with hand washing facilities in all Museum buildings. Visitors are encouraged to act in a manner that respects the safety of others.

Events are cleared for take-off, here is what’s coming up at the RAF Museum Cosford this summer:

19 June: Aviation Art Workshops
The Museum has partnered with the Guild of Aviation Artists to deliver two Aviation Art Workshops. With the aircraft as your muse, the drawing course will focus on drawing techniques, observation, shading and composition, delivered by David Calow, an award-winning aviation artist and illustrator. Or, if painting is your passion, sign up for the hands-on painting course and develop your brush techniques, paint application and composition skills, delivered by Nigel Morris, an artist, graphic designer, illustrator and lecturer in art and design. Both workshops will take place in Hangar 1 which will be exclusively open to workshop participants.

22 July – 30 August: Summer of Fun ‘n’ Flight
The Museum’s Summer of Fun ‘n’ Flight programme features a range of high-flying activities. Visit us throughout the summer months and discover something new each time you return!
• Crazy Golf (22 July – 30 August)
• Climbing Wall (22 -31 July)
• Cavebus (1-10 August)
• Trampoline Trailer (11-20 August)
• Bungee Trampolines (21-30 August)

24-25 July: RAF Museum Foodie Market
While it will be another year before the Cosford Food Festival makes a triumphant return, a selection of popular exhibitors will be bringing a taste of the festival to the Museum in July with a smaller Foodie Market. Nestled in between the aircraft near the Visitor Centre, more than 20 stallholders will showcase their products. Visitors can roam the market stalls in between viewing the aircraft hangars and show their support for small local businesses.

13-15 August: Outdoor Cinema
The Outdoor Cinema will be making a welcome return in August, offering movie fans the ultimate cinema experience, with two screenings per day to look forward to, on a huge LED screen alongside the VC10 and Hercules aircraft. The afternoon screening at 5.00pm each day is suitable for the whole family; our evening screenings at 8:30pm are suitable for everyone over 12 years. Films will be announced in early June.

29 August: The Spitfire 10K is back!
Chocks away! The Spitfire 10K will return to the RAF Museum Cosford in August. Begin the race with a loop of the Museum site past iconic aircraft, before heading onto the airfield at RAF Cosford. It’s a unique opportunity to run alongside the wartime hangars, the air traffic control tower and sprint down the runway. Once you cross the finish line you will receive the highly coveted Spitfire 10K race medal. It will also be held virtually – giving runners from all over the UK, and across the world, the opportunity take part.

For a full list of events taking place at the RAF Museum Cosford this summer and to book tickets visit www.rafmuseum.org/Cosford.

And what’s coming up at the RAF Museum Hendon this summer:

Saturday 31 July and Sunday 1 August: Family Festival of Flight

Our family festival is back again this year. Come and discover the wonders of flight and get involved in our activities for all ages.

Friday 20 August to Sunday 22 August: Sundown Cinema at the RAF Museum

The big screen is landing outdoors to the RAF Museum this summer. Bring the whole family along to watch loads of fun films, including Moana, Greatest Showman and of course Top Gun.

Our vintage fairground will be on site to make your trip to our outdoor cinema even more memorable. Have a go on the swing boats or high striker before sitting down to watch one of our family favourites..

Saturday 28 August: Spitfire 10K
The Spitfire 10K is back! Enter now and race through the Museum, before setting off around the pavements of Colindale. The historic location RAF Hendon Airfield will form the route of your race, running down residential streets which were once landing strips for Spitfire’s.

For a full list of events taking place at the RAF Museum London this summer and to book tickets visit www.rafmuseum.org/London

The RAF Red Arrows will make their UK debut performance for 2021 at the Midlands Air Festival.

The festival which takes place at Ragley Hall on Friday 4 to Sunday 6 June has today announced that the RAF Red Arrows, RAF Typhoon Display Team, Battle of Britain Spitfire pair and RAF Falcons will feature at this year’s event.

Not only will this be the public’s first opportunity to see the new displays for the 2021 season, but this will also be the first Red Arrows full display in the UK since the pandemic, due to the inevitable cancellation of events up and down the country in 2020.

The RAF Red Arrows are one of the finest and most respected jet aerobatic teams in the world and the nation’s favourite wherever they display in the UK. Arriving in the sky over the historic Ragley Estate, they will showcase their new arrival formation for 2021 called ‘The Wall’. The team will then display a series of different formations with their wingtips just a few feet apart, before breaking into two sections for the dynamic part of their show, featuring nail-biting high-speed opposition passes and spectacular breaks.

The RAF will also bring three front line fighters to the show, the first being the incredible Typhoon FGR4 jet, capable of a maximum speed of 1,300mph. The Typhoon is the RAF’s current front-line fighter, protecting UK airspace 24/7 and on deployment around the globe. The others are the front-line fighters of the 1940’s, the Supermarine Spitfire. Used in all theatres of WW2, the Spitfire played a pivotal role in winning the Battle of Britain. These aircraft are part of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and are two of a number of WW2 aircraft that the RAF preserve in flying condition as a living memorial to the pilots, crews and builders of these iconic aircraft and to inspire future generations. Both aircraft will fly some unforgettable displays, featuring the unique capabilities that have made them so famous in their respective eras.

The final addition to this fantastic line up is the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team. The Falcons are the UK’s premier military parachute display team. Celebrating their 60th anniversary the team will fly their new commemorative display at the Midlands Air Festival. The world’s most accomplished military skydivers will leap from their aircraft, trailing smoke to make them easier to spot. Once they deploy their canopies, they will carry out a series of manoeuvres and set pieces, including their famous non-contact canopy stacking and relative work.

The military additions complete the spectacular air display programme for the 2021 Midlands Air Festival which include formation aerobatics from Team Raven, Rich Goodwin in his high energy Muscle Biplane, the mighty Boeing B-17 4 engine bomber Sally B, acclaimed aerobatics pilot Chris Jesson in his classic Stampe Biplane, the nine tiger moths of the Tiger 9 Display Team, the Westland Wasp helicopter and many more.

There will also be a unique opportunity to see two powered airships and mass ascents of over 120 hot air balloons including Europe’s largest collection of special shape character balloons. In addition to this, breath taking giant kites will take to the skies and some of the UK’s largest historic radio-controlled models will conduct a stunning airfield attack.

The director of aviation for the event, Trevor Graham said, “We are delighted and honoured to have so many of the nation’s top military and civilian aviators to support us and fly for the people of the Midlands. What better way to blow away the lockdown blues than a stunning day out in the wide-open spaces of the historic Ragley Hall with the best of the best!”

Tickets to the Midlands Air Festival must be purchased in advance and are limited to allow for capacity restrictions and government regulations pertaining at the time of the event. Organisers are advising those wishing to attend to book their tickets early to avoid disappointment. Children under 14 can attend for free, when accompanied by an adult ticket holder.

MOD participation is subject to operational confirmations and PDAs.

To keep up to date with the latest news and information visit the Midlands Air Festival website www.midlandsairfestival.com

The Chelsea Foundation and the RAF Museum are pleased to announce an extension of their partnership for a further three years.

The partnership is sponsored by club owner Roman Abramovich and will support the expansion of the Museum’s Jewish ‘Hidden Heroes’ project which will feature a new Bomber Command exhibition at both the London and Cosford sites, launching in 2023.

The new displays will help the Museum to continue to raise awareness of the previously untold story of the Jewish personnel in the RAF during the Second World War and the vital role they played in defeating the Luftwaffe in the famous ‘Battle of Britain’, preventing the Nazis from invading Britain, the last democratic stronghold in Europe. These heroes joined the RAF from all over the world, to fight against tyranny, racism and antisemitism, fully aware that they risked torture and execution if captured. Their fascinating stories are a powerful window to the past through which we can make links to today and inspire future generations.

The London exhibition is already home to an iconic Avro-Lancaster which was ‘adopted’ in 2020 by Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea Foundation to commemorate the many Jewish Hidden Heroes of Bomber Command. This year the Museum is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the first test flight of the Avro Lancaster.

New additions to the exhibition will include in-gallery screens exploring the contributions of the personnel to Bomber Command, a small object display with links to the ‘Hidden Heroes’, RAF Museum’s online display of objects commemorating both the Bomber Command and Jewish Hidden Heroes and the Avro-Lancaster will be accompanied by an Augmented Reality interactive experience, sharing the stories of Jewish RAF personnel.

The partnership will also bring to life the Jewish ‘Hidden Heroes’ Community Outreach Programme, which will extend to the wider community through school networks in London, sharing the positive narrative of the Jews fighting for their country and the survival of their race. It will also support the continuation of recording Jewish Hidden Heroes stories for the Jewish section on the RAF Stories website and the Community Programme of Jewish Hidden Heroes presentations for Key Stage 2 and 3 audiences.

Bruce Buck, Chelsea FC Chairman: ‘We are delighted to announce a further three-year extension to our partnership with the Royal Air Force Museum. This will see the continuation of the Hidden Heroes project and enable the Museum to expand upon it and introduce new educational tools. Chelsea FC is committed to tackling antisemitism through education and the Jewish ‘Hidden Heroes’ tells important stories about the bravery of Jewish RAF personnel during the conflict.”

Maggie Appleton, RAF Museum CEO: ‘More than ever we need to challenge prejudice in all its ugly forms, and more than ever we need to educate young minds as to the experiences of previous generations – those who suffered as well as those who fought back. I am incredibly proud of our partnership with the Chelsea Foundation and the Jewish Hidden Heroes project and hope that it goes some way to challenging the rise of anti-Semitism and wider racism in society. These are inspiring stories of courage and human spirit which will endure and resonate.’

You can find out more information about the RAF Museum, including how to pre-book tickets at www.rafmuseum.org. The Museum will be ready for take-off when it reopens on 17 May.

To find out more information about the club’s ‘Say No to Antisemitism’ campaign, visit the new website here. If you would like to keep up to date with the club’s latest antisemitism updates and key events, you can register for the newsletter here.