As our 2025 Cadet Dining-In and 65th Anniversary Reunion approaches, we’re seeking kind donations of Raffle Prizes from local businesses, to assist the squadron and civilian committee in raising additional funds for future use - can you help?
To Whom This May Concern,
We hope this letter finds you well and are hoping that it is OK to take up 5 minutes of your valuable time. We’re writing this request on behalf of 2353 (Ystrad Mynach) Squadron RAF Air Cadets, which is a charitable youth organisation providing aviation-themed education, adventure, and leadership development for young people aged 12 to 17.
This year is particularly special for our Squadron, as we celebrate 65 years since our founding - see the Squadron History page. To mark this milestone, we are hosting a combined Annual Cadet Dining-In Event and 65th Anniversary Reunion, Saturday 13th September 2025, bringing together current cadets, their families, and esteemed past members including former Commanding Officers, Volunteers, and Cadets. The event is to be held at: Maes Manor Hotel, Maesrudded Lane, Blackwood, Wales NP12 0AG, United Kingdom.
To support this formal occasion, we are organising a raffle to raise much-needed charitable funds for furthering the development and benefit of the current cohort of Cadets.
2353 Sqn Background & Excepted Charity Status;
Formed in 1960 and staffed entirely by voluntary Uniformed Officers, Civilian Instructors and aided by the Civilian Committee, which the latter is an ‘Excepted Charity’, we are very much a growing squadron too, with over 30 cadets registered and over 20+ parading each Monday and Wednesday evenings.
We raise our own funds at Squadron level to pay for items through the Non-Public Funds account, such as: Broadband Services, IT Equipment, Software, STEM Kits, Adventure Training Kit etc, among many other items and activities that are not funded by the Ministry of Defence central annual grant for RAFAC. It is very much a misconception that Air Cadets are solely funded by the Ministry Of Defence (MOD), we are not - they fund the property, building, utility bills (not broadband) and certain insurances only.
As an “Excepted” charity with an Exception No. W1865/96, we enjoy the status and fiscal benefits accorded to a registered charity and are required to comply with the key principles of charity law. In essence, we carry out all of our activities as a charity with a board of Trustee’s, and are regulated and monitored by the national RAF Air Cadets HQ’s, on behalf of the Charity Commission.
What Are We Seeking?
We are reaching out to ask if your company would kindly consider donating a raffle prize to assist our cause for this event?
Should you be able to help us, we would be most grateful. No prize is too small – whether a product, gift voucher, service experience, promotional merchandise, or a Monetary Donation.
Every donation will greatly help us to create a memorable event and support our young cadets’ development, increasing their future chances of a secure and successful future.
How Would Your Organisation Benefit From Supporting Us?
Agreeing to invest by way of donations to our Raffle, will then enable us to significantly increase cadet engagement, improve digital literacy, and support personal and social development in these great young individuals.
These enhancements are especially vital as we seek to attract and retain young people in a post-pandemic environment, where digital skills and social connectivity are more important than ever, none more so than within youth organisations like the RAF Air Cadets.
The proceeds that we can achieve with your help, by way of extremely kind donation of a raffle prize, helps us to not just sustain the running of our Squadron, but to experience positive growth for the future and enable us to continue offering life-changing experiences for local young people.
What Can We Offer In Return?
In return for your generosity, we would be delighted to offer you the following publicity:
Pre-Event Exposure: Your business logo and a short promotional message featured on our official ‘SQN Insight’ News Blog, accessible via our new website and shared within our wider community.
Raffle Sponsor Certificate: Offering a digital certificate of appreciation for display at your business premises or on your social media channels.
Social Media Recognition: A special thank-you post on our publicly-viewable Squadron Facebook Page and Squadron Website, including a photograph of the raffle winner with your donated prize, and your company’s logo prominently displayed.
SQN Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/2353ATC
SQN Website: www.2353atcsquadron.org.uk
These platforms reach not only the families of our cadets but also members of the wider Ystrad Mynach/South Wales and RAF Air Cadets communities, providing your business with visible support for local youth initiatives such as ours.
If you require any further information or would like to discuss in more depth this proposal, please do not hesitate to Contact Us - detailing your kind offer, and how we can collect the item before Friday 12th September 2025.
Also, if this hasn't reached the correct department, we would appreciate it if you could kindly forward this approach on, signposting it to the relevant person(s) who you feel could be interested in supporting this campaign, thank you in advance.
Thank you very much for considering our request. Your support would mean a great deal to us all and the next generation of RAF Air Cadets. We look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Warmest Regards,
The Civilian Committee and Officer Commanding
2353 SQN's Civilian Committee (Registered "Excepted” charity with an Exception No. W1865/96)
2353 (Ystrad Mynach) Squadron | No. 1 Welsh Wing
Cascade Joint Cadet Centre, Playing Field off Gwaun-Fro, Cascade (Penpedairheol). CF82 8BU