Corporal Hayley Court, based at RAF Brize Norton, has been awarded the Best Reservist for the County of Oxfordshire Award 2021. Lord Lieutenant for Oxfordshire presented the Award at the South East Reserve Forces and Cadets Association Award ceremony.
The Lord-Lieutenant’s Awards is an opportunity to recognise individuals who demonstrate the volunteer ethos and to build and nurture the enduring relationships that are so important to the County and local community.
Hayley has an accomplished career spanning 22 years Regular and 10 years Reserve Service as an RAF Air/Ground Steward.
Known for going the extra mile, whether it’s weary troops on return from Operations, or fellow crew on Detachment, she consistently goes out of her way to make people’s lives as comfortable as possible. Regularly coming forward for short notice tasking on Voyager Force ensuring Operational tasks are not compromised, she holds the Reservist record for the most RAuxAF mobilisations, currently 126, deploying on Operations HERRICK, KIPION and SHADER. She runs a highly successful events company with exceptional attention to detail making every event tailor-made and memorable, her reward a happy customer.
Taking pride as an ambassador for the RAF, she has represented Reserves at Parades, RAF100 public engagement events, RAF STEM, and visiting schools. She spends her Christmas’s feeding homeless people and doing toy collections for those in need. Volunteering for the COVID-19 Support Team at Brize Norton, she addressed the needs of those in isolation, managing their living requirements and importantly ensuring they were not lonely. She realised the effect the pandemic was having on Veterans’ mental health and set up a fundraising effort called Healing Military Minds to support Combat Stress. Her energy is relentless, raising £20,000 in the first three months. A force of nature, her infectious enthusiasm has seen the movement grow gaining support with other Units and celebrities joining in her events and with more events planned for the future.
An exemplary RAF ambassador, a successful businesswoman and a proud Reservist, she dedicates all her energy to the service of others and the impact she has had on many people lives is felt across a spectrum of society both in and out of uniform.
