Our Impact
2025
Acknowledgement of Country
Acknowledgement of Service
The raafa Way
Our Vision
Trusted for redefining how Australian communities live, respect and connect
Our Purpose
To create opportunities where everyone belongs
Our Values
Community | Care and respect | Courage | Celebration
Norm Waldie
President
raafa
Foreword from the President
raafa is an organisation steeped in history. Our legacy as a source of comfort for returned service men and women, continues to grow and expand throughout the general community and showcases the continued importance of camaraderie and support that empowers people to live their best lives.
In the last 12 months, raafa has enhanced the wellbeing of thousands of Western Australians, but more than that – it has championed social causes that have driven national conversation and change for vulnerable groups.
As President of the Association, I am proud that raafa is pioneering in its approach to care for people. We embrace change to honour the contributions of those that have paved a platform from which we can unapologetically pursue excellence.
On behalf of the Division Councillors who serve as the governing board, our heartfelt thanks go to every single employee and volunteer that has given so selflessly in 2024 to achieve the incredible results shown here in our Impact Report.
A Message from the CEO
At raafa, impact is measured not only in numbers, but in the lives we touch, the communities we strengthen, and the legacy we continue to build.
Since our beginnings in 1929—when Australian Flying Corps veterans formed an association to preserve the camaraderie and support they experienced in service—raafa has evolved into one of Western Australia’s most trusted not-for-profit community organisations. Today, we proudly provide retirement living, residential care, home care, community programs, and veteran support services to thousands of Western Australians each year.
This Impact Report captures a year defined by dedication, innovation, and collective effort. Across our organisation, our teams, volunteers, members, and partners have continued to pursue excellence in care and heritage while strengthening the communities we serve. From supporting veterans and their families, to enhancing wellbeing for older Australians, to preserving aviation history and fostering meaningful social connection, our work reflects the enduring values that have guided raafa for nearly a century.
The achievements outlined in this report are the result of the extraordinary people who make raafa what it is today. Our staff deliver compassionate, high-quality care every day. Our volunteers contribute countless hours supporting members and residents. Our partners and supporters enable us to broaden our impact. And our members remain the heart of our organisation, sustaining the spirit of camaraderie that inspired raafa’s founding.
Importantly, this report also reflects our commitment to the future. As the needs of our community evolve, so too must we. Through strategic investment, service innovation, and strengthened partnerships, we are building an organisation that continues to respond to emerging challenges while remaining grounded in our purpose: creating communities open to all and improving the wellbeing of those we serve.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our Board and Division Councillors for their governance and guidance, and to every employee, volunteer, member, and supporter who contributes to the impact highlighted in these pages. Together, we are ensuring that raafa continues to honour its heritage while shaping a stronger, more connected future for Western Australians.
Thank you for taking the time to read this report and for being part of the raafa community.
Michelle Fyfe APM
Chief Executive Officer
raafa
Impact at a glance
Veteran Impact
We delivered 2,727 nights of accommodation to veterans at risk of homelessness, secured $4.91m Federal pledge to commence ARVL, and received $103,000 from the Department of Veteran Affairs to provide advocacy services, resulting in 713 phone calls, 297 advocate–veteran interviews, and 186 claims submitted to DVA.
Staff Impact
Our employee network grew to 1,171 employees, recruited 400 new team members, delivered 21,918 training hours supported by $27,000 in education funding, and hosted 15,672 hours of student placements.
Community Impact
We delivered 3 cyber security workshops to 168 attendees, increasing confidence to recognise threats (57%) and knowledge of where to seek help (100%).
Customer Impact
We unified services as raafa Home Care supporting 3,400+ clients, introduced seasonal menus, and served 978,930 meals across residential aged care.
Service Impact
Achieved 56.6 Retirement Living Net Promoter Score (benchmark 45) and 86% satisfaction, and recorded 99–100% results across key My Aged Care measures for Residential Aged Care.
Advocacy Impact
We reached 8 million people and secured 124 earned media placements through Misunderstood, with national recognition via the AIM WA Pinnacle Awards.
Infrastructure Impact
We completed our Stirling Apartments department and reached 65% occupancy, while delivering 487.51 kWp solar across 4 AFME buildings and implementing estate- wide solar monitoring.
Heritage Impact
We mobilised 128 volunteers contributing 21,666 hours, welcomed 36,221 visitors, and achieved NPS 75 with 100% rating the experience good to excellent.
Continuing our benevolent commitment
Sir Valston Hancock House celebrates one year
Celebrating its first anniversary in September 2025, Sir Valston Hancock House has operated at full capacity for most of the year, helping veterans stabilise their circumstances, rebuild confidence and take meaningful steps toward long-term housing and independence.
The House delivered 2,727 nights of safe accommodation across the year, with demand remained consistently high. This reflects the critical need for veteran-specific crisis and transitional accommodation paired with tailored support services.
The impact of Sir Valston Hancock House extends far beyond a bed for the night. In 2025, four residents transitioned into the next stage of their journey, securing employment, reconnecting with partners, moving into private accommodation and volunteering in the community. These outcomes reflect the power of combining a housing-first model with practical, person-centred support designed to help veterans move forward with dignity and transition smoothly back into life as a civilian.
ARVL moves from vision to reality
In early 2025, raafa’s Andrew Russell Veteran Living (ARVL) program moved quickly from vision to reality, through a $4.91 million Federal Government pledge to help bring the project to life. This major investment unlocked the next stage of the project, enabling construction to begin and marking an important step forward in raafa’s commitment to supporting veterans experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
Site works to deliver the 16-unit temporary crisis accommodation site began in March 2026, marking a major milestone in expanding veteran-specific crisis housing support in Western Australia. The project build is now underway and expected to be delivered in mid-2027.
Upon completion, the ARVL site will have capacity to house 16 veterans at any given time, and aims to deliver up to 5,000 nights accommodation to veterans in the first 12 months of operation.
Pledged by the Federal Government to help fund raafa’s ARVL Accommodation Site
Why choose raafa
National recognition from VESPIIA
raafa’s work through Sir Valston Hancock House was recognised at a national level, with a nomination for a VESPIIA Award for Excellence in the Social Program of the Year category. The nomination reflects the strength of the program’s impact and the growing recognition of veteran-specific housing and support services.
Grant to extend veteran services
In October 2025, raafa was awarded $15,000 through the Smartgroup Foundation to deliver a new veteran-focused project centred on nutrition and healthy meal preparation. The initiative will support improved health and wellbeing, strengthen financial capability, increase social connection and inclusion, and promote greater independence — all while helping reduce the risk of homelessness. By investing in everyday skills and social connection, this initiative helps create stronger foundations for health, confidence and more sustainable independent living.
Caring for the people who care
Frontline workforce bolstered
Throughout 2025, raafa’s team grew to 1,171 employees across the organisation, with workforce growth enabling raafa to meet increasing demand for care services and maintain safe, consistent support across our communities.
Across the year, 400 new team members were recruited, expanding frontline and operational capacity to improve responsiveness, strengthen continuity of care, and ensure raafa is positioned to sustain high-quality service delivery for our community both now and into the future.
Investment in team development
Supported by a $27,000 boost in training funding, raafa delivered 21,918 hours of formal training through face-to-face and online learning in 2025. This investment strengthens care quality, compliance and staff capability, ensuring teams have the skills, knowledge and confidence required to deliver safe, person-centred care and meet evolving regulatory and clinical expectations.
raafa also supported 15,672 hours of student placements across five facilities, helping build the future aged care workforce during a national workforce shortage. These placements provide practical, hands-on experience for emerging professionals, strengthen the talent pipeline, and help ensure the standard of care delivered today is carried forward by the workforce of tomorrow.
Strengthening community readiness
Confidence in cyber awareness
In 2025, with funding support from the Department of Home Affairs, raafa delivered Cyber Security Awareness Seminars designed to help older Australians build digital confidence, strengthen cyber awareness and feel safer online. Across the year, three 90 minute workshops were held across three different estates, with 168 attendees taking part in the sessions.
Participant feedback revealed strong interest in learning more about scams, staying safe online, internet banking security and how to feel more confident using technology.
168 Workshop Attendees
With three workshops held across three raafa sites.
29% felt safer using technology
The sessions helped participants feel more secure and supported in their day-to-day use of digital tools.
57% felt more confident recognising online threats
More than half of participants said the sessions improved their confidence in identifying online risks.
43% felt more prepared to spot scams
Participants reported feeling better equipped to identify scams and suspicious messages after attending the seminars.
100% knew where to go for help or advice
All participants said they left with a better understanding of where to seek support for cyber security concerns.
Upgrading our facilities
Stirling Apartments mark completion
Timeline of Completion:
10 Sep
Practical completion achieved on Stirling Apartments, with 63 apartments designed to hold 106 residents.
21 Oct
First Stirling Apartments resident moves in.
31 Dec
An additional 41 apartments occupied with 43 residents, marking 65% occupancy achieved.
Investment into a clean energy future
In 2025, raafa made significant progress toward its sustainability goals through the delivery of a large-scale rooftop solar project across the AFME estate. Installed across Mirage, Orion, Cirrus and Stirling Apartments, the system supports raafa’s commitment to reducing environmental impact and creating a cleaner, more resilient future through practical energy solutions.
By increasing renewable energy generation across the estate, the project reduces reliance on grid-supplied electricity and supports lower carbon emissions over the long term. It is a practical example of raafa’s continued investment in infrastructure that delivers both environmental and operational benefits.
Solar energy value maximised
raafa further strengthened its sustainability capability through the implementation of a High Voltage (HV) Solar Monitoring System at AFME. The system enables both existing and future solar installations to share renewable energy across the estate’s embedded electricity network, ensuring the benefits of solar generation are maximised through efficient distribution across the estate. This creates stronger sustainability outcomes, improves energy efficiency and supports a more connected, future-ready approach to power management at AFME.
Solar Monitoring System Key Benefits
Optimised solar utilisation
Allows solar energy to be distributed more efficiently throughout the estate.
Unlocking existing capacity
Enables the full utilisation of Alice Ross-King’s 300 kW solar system, which was previously dedicated solely to that building.
Estate-wide benefits
Enhances overall energy efficiency and sustainability outcomes for residents and facilities.
Award for Amity Village garden
raafa’s Amity Village in Albany was recognised for the outstanding quality and presentation of its grounds, taking out the top prize for the 2025 Best Commercial Garden from the Keep Albany Beautiful team.
Judges praised the gardens for their design, colour, layout and overall presentation, noting the health of the garden beds and lawns, thoughtful use of mulch and absence of weeds. Their feedback described the gardens as “perfect in every way” — a testament to both residents and the dedicated contract gardener.
Improving services for better outcomes
raafa Home Care launches
raafa strengthened its in-home support offering in 2025 with the transition of Perth Care and Companion Company and raafa Connect into raafa Home Care to support the more than 3,400 clients using the service.
This evolution marked an important step in unifying raafa’s home care services and creating a stronger, trusted platform to support older Australians to live independently, confidently and comfortably in their own communities.
New seasonal menu
raafa introduced a new seasonal menu system across all residential aged care facilities in 2025, designed to change each season and rotate every four weeks. Developed in consultation with residents through quarterly food focus meetings at each facility, the revolving menu ensures resident feedback directly shapes meal choices and helps create a dining experience that is responsive, enjoyable and reflective of resident preferences. Across the year, raafa served 978,930 meals to aged care residents, reinforcing the important role hospitality plays in resident wellbeing.
978,930 meals served
4 week menu cycles
4 week menu cycles
on rotation using seasonal ingredients
4 food focus meetings
With residents for input every year
Raising living standards
Strong Aged Care resident satisfaction
raafa’s residential aged care services continued to perform strongly in 2025, with resident feedback reflecting high levels of confidence, safety and satisfaction.
Based on 2025 My Aged Care data, residents reported consistently positive experiences across all key measures, highlighting a meaningful improvement in several areas compared with 2024, including increased confidence that residents receive the care they need and a stronger likelihood to recommend their home to others. The results demonstrate the strength of raafa’s care model and the trust residents place in our team’s service.
Industry standards surpassed in Retirement Living
raafa’s retirement living communities continued to deliver a strong resident experience, reflected in satisfaction 2025 results that exceeded industry benchmarks. With an overall Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 56.6, raafa performed well above the 2025 industry average benchmark of 45, highlighting the strength of resident sentiment and trust across its retirement living offering.
This result is further supported by a customer satisfaction score of 86%, demonstrating raafa’s continued focus on delivering communities that are supportive, responsive and aligned to resident needs. Together, these measures reflect a strong standard of service and a positive resident experience across raafa’s retirement living sites.
56.6 NPS
Score achieved across retirement living: Performed above the 2025 industry benchmark of 45
86%
Customer satisfaction score recorded in 2025: Results reflect strong resident trust and positive experience
99%
Feel they receive the care they need: Up from 96% in 2024
100%
Are likely to recommend their residential aged care home: Up from 92% in 2024
100%
Feel safe in our facilities
99%
Feel staff treat them with respect
Advocating for positive change
Changing the conversation around veterans
In 2025, raafa strengthened its role as a leading advocate for Australia’s veteran community through the release of Misunderstood: A Public Pulse Check Into Perceptions of Australian Veterans, developed in collaboration with YouGov Australia. The report provided an important evidence base for public conversation, revealing significant gaps in how Australians understand veteran identity, service and support needs.
The findings highlighted a clear need for greater awareness, stronger education and more informed support systems; with raafa releasing the data to media to shape the public perception and start a conversation. By leading this national conversation, raafa helped challenge outdated assumptions, shine a light on the realities facing veterans and advocate for more targeted, meaningful action to better support those who have served.
8 Million
people nationally reached through the Misunderstood campaign
124
Earned media placements secured discussing the report
Australian Institute of Management recognition
In 2025, raafa strengthened its role as a leading advocate for Australia’s veteran community through the release of Misunderstood: A Public Pulse Check Into Perceptions of Australian Veterans, developed in collaboration with YouGov Australia. The report provided an important evidence base for public conversation, revealing significant gaps in how Australians understand veteran identity, service and support needs.
The findings highlighted a clear need for greater awareness, stronger education and more informed support systems; with raafa releasing the data to media to shape the public perception and start a conversation. By leading this national conversation, raafa helped challenge outdated assumptions, shine a light on the realities facing veterans and advocate for more targeted, meaningful action to better support those who have served.
Aviation Heritage Museum reaches new heights
Strong visitation confirms community interest
Visitation to the raafa Aviation Heritage Museum remained strong in 2025, reflecting continued public interest in aviation history and the Museum’s growing reputation as a place of connection, education and pride. Throughout the year, attendance was supported by key moments and milestones, including celebrations such as the Lancaster’s 80th birthday, which helped draw visitors and create renewed engagement with the collection.
This strong performance was reflected not only in attendance, but also in visitor sentiment. In 2025, the Museum welcomed 36,221 visitors and achieved an outstanding Net Promoter Score of 75. Culture Counts survey results further reinforced the quality of the visitor experience, showing high levels of connection, respect and pride among those who visited.
36,221
Visitors attended the Museum in 2025
100%
Of surveyed visitors rated their experience as good to excellent
95%
Said it gave them a greater respect for the service of others
75
Museum achieved a Net Promoter Score of 75
96%
Said the Museum helped them feel connected to Australia’s aviation history and stories
92%
Said it made them feel proud of Australia’s aviation history and those who shaped it
Groundswell of volunteer support
Our volunteers continued to play a vital role in the everyday operations of our Aviation Heritage Museum in 2025, offering guided tours, sharing knowledge with patrons, supporting daily operations, and contributing hands-on expertise to the repair and restoration of historically significant aircraft.
More than 120 active volunteers committed 21,666 hours of service in 2025, demonstrating the remarkable scale of support that helps keep the Museum a living place of learning, remembrance and inspiration.
New exhibition champions volunteer stories
In 2025, the raafa Aviation Heritage Museum launched The Black Box, a major new exhibition honouring the stories, dedication and contribution of the Museum’s volunteers. Designed as a public exhibition, The Black Box celebrated the people behind the preservation of Australia’s aviation history, while also helping inspire the next generation to connect with these stories and the legacy they carry forward.
By placing volunteer voices at the centre of the experience, the exhibition added a new layer of meaning to the Museum’s storytelling in the form of a free, self-paced roaming tour. It not only recognised the important role volunteers play in safeguarding history, but also invited visitors to see aviation heritage as something living, personal and shaped by those who continue to preserve it.
Inspiring the next generation
Aviation history at the Boorloo Heritage Festival
raafa’s Aviation Heritage Museum partnered with the City of Perth as part of the Boorloo Heritage Festival to share one of Western Australia’s most remarkable wartime aviation stories with the public. The talks explored the extraordinary WWII missions undertaken by Qantas Catalina flying boats, which flew from Matilda Bay to Sri Lanka in complete darkness and without radio contact to avoid enemy detection. By championing the voice of unique stories like this, the Museum continues to inspire curiosity, learning and connection across generations.
Keeping the Sugarbird Lady’s legacy alive
raafa celebrated a series of events to commemorate Robin Miller, the ‘Sugarbird Lady,’ in 2025. An award-winning West Australian nurse, pilot, and mechanic, Miller was nicknamed the Sugarbird Lady because she flew her own aircraft to the Kimberley region in the 1960’s, administering polio vaccines on sugar cubes to remote communities.
To commemorate her work locally, raafa organised for the current owners of Robin Miller’s aircraft, the Mooney VH-REM, to fly into Broome and land among a throng of media and supporters to celebrate Robin Miller’s life and contribution to WA. The restored 62-year-old plane bears her nickname, and was flown by current owner, Fred Clej and his co-pilot, John Newby.
The event also saw the launch of the ‘raafa Sugarbird Award’ initiative, with Notre Dame Nursing Student Ellen Bermingham awarded a grant to continue her studies in nursing, inspired by Miller’s legacy.
School tours spark student interest
raafa Aviation Heritage Museum continued to play an important aviation education role in 2025 by welcoming students from across Western Australia for guided tours and learning experiences. These visits gave young students the opportunity to engage directly with Australia’s aviation history, helping turn the Museum into a place of true inspiration.
Across the year, 1,765 students participated in tours at the Museum, with 54 school tours delivered to 43 schools and organisations as part of a new STEM-focused pilot education program for students. By creating engaging and accessible learning experiences, the Museum continues to foster curiosity, deepen historical understanding and inspire the next generation to shape Australia’s aviation history.
1,765
Students attended Museum tours in 2025
54
School tours delivered across the year
43
Schools and organisations participated
Pilot education program launched
– Frederick Irwin Anglican School Student
“Was a great place to visit and see all the aircraft up close. Very enjoyable and engaging.”
– Riverton OSCH
“The facilities and displays were amazing, we had a student in a wheelchair, and he well catered for.”
– Court Grammar School
Our Leadership Team
Michelle Fyfe APM
Chief Executive Officer
Lauren Meredith
Chief Operations Officer
Aaron Crowther
Chief Customer &
Community Officer
Suresh Rajendra
Chief Financial Officer
Gloria Davis
Chief Information Officer
Lisa Hawkins
Chief People Officer