As Stafford prepares to welcome new personnel to RAF/MoD Stafford, an inspiring exhibition will go on display in the Guildhall Shopping Centre which records the human story connected to the past and present of the MoD.  

The main aim is that through this work the rich cultural and historical significance of the base is acknowledged and celebrated.

A thought provoking exhibition of photographs donated to the project, enable visitors to understand why many of the veterans have settled in Stafford and find out what the serving personnel like about the area, what it has to offer and how much they appreciate the welcome given to them by the wider community.

The aim is that the people of Stafford not only increase their already evident sense of pride in MoD Stafford but also in themselves; in how they have supported and welcomed the Armed Forces Personnel over the years and how much this has been appreciated.

For this project, funded by the Armed Forces Community Covenant, twenty veterans and current serving personnel of MoD, formally RAF Stafford, were interviewed about their time at the base.

National Armed Forces Day will be marked by photographic exhibitions hosted by shops in Mill Street, Stafford, from 22^nd June to 3^rd July and pieces of work produced by year 6 children, aged 10 to 11 years old from primary schools local to the base and inspired by the stories and photographs will also be on display in One Staffordshire Place.

The exhibition will then move to the Guildhall between 13th July and 26^th August before it returns to the Stafford base for the MoD Open Day on 29^th August.

Year 9 students from Weston Road Academy have actively supported this project by producing a bespoke information handout on the exhibition and a leaflet on the project during their IT lessons.

The schools involved in the project are St Andrews in Weston, St John’s, St Patricks and Weston Road Academy in Stafford.

Acknowledgements

None of this work would have been possible without the generous support of The Royal British Legion, Sandon Road Baptist Church, MoD Stafford and Tactical Supply Wing, Weston Road Academy, Staffordshire Museum Service, many of the shops in Mill Street Stafford and the interviewees; Karl Jones, Chris Shipton, Matthew Duff, Emma Hemmings, Jo Tomsett, Russ Heynes, SSgt Subaraj, Alan Preece, Victor Ingledew, Morris Roden, Mr Leslie Broomfreild, Ray Bassett, Jim Morton, Bill Knight, Jack Kennedy, John Pink, David Thompson, Darren Easton, Les Bouts and Eric Gregory.