HIVE
RAF Benson HIVE
RAF Benson Community CentreRAF Benson HIVE
Wallingford
Oxon
OX10 6AA
or [email protected]
Facebook: facebook.com/RAFHIVEBenson/
Phone: 01491 827213
Opening times: Monday to Thurs 0800-1600, Fri 0800-1500
Childcare
Spring Nursery provide full and part time day-care, and out of school club. Located next the gym.
Opening times: Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 9am and 3pm to 5:30pm.
Holiday club opening times: Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 5:30pm.
The Holiday Club operates every school holiday where there is a demand, except Christmas.
Funded places:
- 9 months to 2 year - 15 hours for vulnerable families
- 3 to 4 year - 15 hours for everyone
- 30 hours for eligible families working full or part time hours
Contact the Manager:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01491 838112
Housing
All Service Family Accommodation is behind the wire and allocated by Pinnacle Service Families.
Pinnacle Service Families website
Welfare Houses
RAF Benson has three welfare houses located on the domestic site. They can be used for emergency welfare circumstances, for contact with dependant children of divorced or separated personnel, other social visits from family members and temporary accommodation for personnel assigned to RAF Benson.
Each house consists of two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, separate toilet, shower and a garden. All houses are fully furnished with sofas, TVs, washing machines, fridges, dining tables, single/double beds and baby cots.
The Welfare Houses are available for booking to all RAF personnel and MOD civilians with priority for welfare cases.
Accessible Welfare Flat
One bedroom accessible flat with walk in shower / wet room, fully fitted kitchen and open plan dining area. Located opposite on-site shop.
Family Rooms
There are two family rooms and one welfare room, located in the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess. These are available to any Mess Member of the Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess..
These are ideal for accommodating children during visits whilst on station.
To book a family room, phone the Sergeant’s Mess accommodation:
Phone: 01491 837766 ext 5120
Health and welfare
Medical Centre
The Medical Centre is primarily for RAF Benson Service personnel and their spouse with dependants, up to the age of 18 years. Children who are in full time education may continue to be registered at the medical centre until their education is complete.
Any spouses and dependants living off station must register with a local GP.
Contact the Medical Centre:
Phone: 01491 827235
Opening times: Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, except for Wednesday, 8am to midday.
Dental Centre
The Dental Centre is for RAF Benson Service personnel only.
SSAFA PS&SWS RAF
SSAFA Personal Support & Social Work Service RAF (PS&SWS RAF) is contracted by the RAF to provide welfare support to all serving personnel (regular and reserves) and their families. Our team of specialist Personal & Family Support Workers and Social Workers are located on stations in the RAF community throughout the UK.
Our service is confidential and independent from the Chain of Command. It is the aim of our service to support you to enhance personal welfare, maintain family stability and empower you to access the support networks you are entitled to.
Our service can support you with a range of issues including addiction & dependency, child support, financial, housing, mental health, personal support, physical health and relationships.
Anyone, regular, reserve or dependent, can refer themselves to SSAFA.
You can contact this service by;
Telephone: Single Point of Contact 08000 584 690
Live chat on the SSAFA website
Chaplains
Contact the Chaplaincy Office or Padres Clark
- Email the Chaplaincy
- Phone: 01491 837766 ext 6234
Church services and meetings
Various weekly services and sessions are available, both religious and spiritual; however, there is currently no Sunday service. Sunday services are provided in Benson and Ewelme churches.
Sports
Station gym
The gym has a fitness suite and weights bay, a sports hall and a fitness on demand room. Circuits and spinning classes are run during lunch time, other classes are available on request for sections on station.
You can join the station gym if you are a serving member of the military or if you are a Civil Servant based at RAF Benson. Dependants and contractors can join for a small fee. All individuals joining the gym must complete an induction prior to using any equipment.
Opening times: Monday to Sunday, 24 hours a day.
Phone: 01491 837766 ext 7632 or ext 7690
Sports pitches and courts
RAF Benson has two football pitches, a cricket pitch, a rugby pitch, a 3G five-a-side football pitch, two squash courts, two tennis courts, a low ropes course and a high ropes course.
There is discount swimming available at The Oratory School situated half way between RAF Benson and Reading.
Gym members can also use Drayton Manor Golf Course for free with a valid ticket, contact the gym for details.
Social
RAF Benson Community Centre
The Community Centre is located on the domestic side of RAF Benson, next to the main car park. Fortnightly clinics are held within the community centre with representation from THP Solicitors and Lexion Mortgage advisors by appointment only.
Health visitor drop in session, held on the 4th Wednesday of each month, in the soft play room from 1315 to 1415.
Contact the Community Development Officer:
Email the Community Development Officer
Phone: 01491 836677 ext 7983
E-sports club
RAF Benson has a fully fitted E-sports club located in the Community Centre, accessed via the front of the building only. Open every Wednesday evening between 9 pm - 11 pm.
Bars and Cafés
The Common Room
The Common Room is an all day, all ranks dining facility located on the right of the ground floor of the Shuttleworth Mess. It serves a variety of hot and cold beverages and meals and is open to all personnel and families at RAF Benson.
The Sports Bar
The Sports Bar is an all ranks facility showing BT Sport. It hosts a number of special events throughout the year and is also available for private hire and for sports clubs to host away teams.
Opening times: Wednesday and Thursday, 7pm to 11pm, and for large sporting events.
Phone: 01491 837766 x7943
Children and young people
There is a wide variety of clubs, play areas and events for young people including a youth club, which hosts Airplay, Seniors, Juniors and BenClub. Guides, Scouts and toddler groups are hosted in the Community Centre. A Baby group is hosted in the Station Church every Wednesday morning.
There are four play parks across the Station, a skate park and a Multi-Use Games Area.
Contact the Community Development Officer:
Email the Community Development Officer
Phone: 01491 836677 ext 7983
The HIVE Information Officer works in the Community Centre alongside the Community Development Officer. The HIVE offers a wide variety of information for families and single personnel at RAF Benson including, SFA, local area information, Health, education, and deployment support.
Email the Hive Information Officer
Phone: 01491 827213
Other facilities
The Hairbase
The Hairbase is a modern ladies and gentlemen's hair salon and beauty room on station.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01491 837766 x7367
Thrift Shop
The thrift shop operates from the building next to the RAFBF offices and opposite the Costcutter shop. Their opening times vary each week and are shared on internal channels.
Costcutter
The Costcutter grocery store is located on the domestic side of camp.
Opening times: Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 7:30pm and Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 7:30pm.
Ozzy's Kebab Van
Located in the middle of the main car park on the domestic site, Ozzy’s provides food late into the night including kebabs, burgers, wraps and chips.
Opening times:
- Monday and Tuesday 5pm to 11:30pm
- Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 5pm to 12:45am
- Saturday, 5pm to 12:30am
- Sunday, 5pm to 11:30pm