Stories can be recorded at around 40 sites around the world and the finished
versions can now be delivered as a digital download direct to home computers
and devices as an alternative to a CD, reducing the usual turnaround time from
around four to two weeks after the recording reaches the volunteer editor.
Children also receive a special Storybook Wings bravery medal.
Storybook Wings project manager Lisa Thipthorp said that one other big change
recently had been to extend the scheme to cover parents who are away for
shorter periods and to cover every child in larger families:
“Initially stories could be recorded only by parents who were deployed overseas
for a minimum of three months. But children who are separated from a parent
due to them working away from home during the week also suffer from
separation anxiety.
“And there used to be a maximum of two stories per family, but now every child
can have a Storybook Wings recording of his or her own. The RAF Association is
keen to support the welfare needs of these families.”
Since the project started in 2008, Storybook Wings has delivered bedtime story
recordings to around 2,600 children, while volunteering to edit the stories and
add the music and sound effects is so popular that the team has a waiting list of
would-be helpers wanting to join in.
If you’d like to make a donation to the RAF Association’s welfare work, including
Storybook Wings, please go to
Serving RAF personnel who would like to record a story, please email
to find out where your nearest recording centre is.
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