PAFFA

Bob and Margaret Hooke both work for Thames Valley Police. Three years ago their children, who are both in the Armed Services, spent 10 months from Feb to December in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result they founded the Police Armed Forces Families Association P.A.F.F.A in October 2007 to support other Thames Valley Police Staff who have friends or loved ones in the Armed Forces and particularly serving away from home.

Understanding

One of the biggest problems is feeling that you are on your own and that no-one else cares or understands what it is like to have someone you know and love serving in a hostile environment. Being told that “They joined up and knew what they were getting involved in” doesn’t help when your loved one is thousands of miles away living in less than comfortable surroundings and having to wear body armour/helmet and carry a rifle to purely go and get something to eat. It is important to remember that all sections of the Armed Services - Army, Navy and RAF are deployed away and that it is not just blokes!! Both sexes and all job roles are deployed from marines to soldiers to clerks and drivers.

Pride

As a parent to sit and wait at RAF Brize Norton and watch your daughter who is only 5ft 4 and carrying so much stuff on her back that if she fell over, she would not be able to get up again is heart breaking!!! However as with all Service Personnel she went off with a stout heart a huge packed lunch (That’s a Mum thing!!!) and the desire to do her duty and make a difference.

Information

Imagination can run riot and families and friends need a friendly ear or just a hug to say “It’s ok.....!!!” Just by asking “How are you?” or giving someone the chance to vent their frustration and loneliness is enough to set them right again for the next few weeks or until the fear becomes too great again.
It is difficult situations to be in for any family members and particularly difficult if relatives do not have direct contact with the Forces that their loved one or friend is in. It is often hard to know where to go for help and advice on simply surviving deployment. How do you send a parcel? Can you send chocolate? How do you limit the worry to a survivable level? What do I do if I am receiving numerous telephone calls from the bank, who won’t give me the details of the enquiry and I can’t get hold of my son, husband, and daughter?
Both Bob and Margaret feel they can offer help and support to others in a similar position based on their own experiences.

Associates

P.A.F.F.A has been given tremendous support and guidance by the Yellow Ribbon Foundation who provides advice and support to Service Personnel and their families. By working together with Yellow Ribbon, P.A.F.F.A is trying to widen the awareness of what life is like for the Armed Forces and their families at a time when deployments to hostile areas are a permanent way of life.

Help

P.A.F.F.A does not aim to replace the support already available such as S.S.A.F.A. and other service welfare providers. What they do aim to provide is an understanding ear and if necessary a hug! What they also can do is point families and friends in the right direction of the most appropriate support.
Our Service Personnel are working under very difficult conditions and deployment to Afghanistan is unlikely to cease for some time. Show your support for them by “Sending a Smile for Miles” and even more important let the families and friends left behind know that someone cares and has spent a little time thinking about them. Make someone’s day and sponsor a “Hug in a Hamper”

Above all support the HEARTS BEHIND OUR HEROES!!!!

Delta - PAFFA Mascot

Delta is our very own PAFFA Mascot, and here is why......

Delta was a Police Dog who served with Bob for seven years. He originally came from a family in Slough who for one reason or another found that they could not cope with him, (he ate everything in the house). So at the age of eleven months he was offered to the Police and became Bob's Police Dog.

He quickly became known as 'Del or 'Delboy' and after three months initial training he was let loose on the unsuspecting public. Only one month later he tracked a person responsible for an armed robbery at a post office after he had run across off fields from a getaway car.

Del had a great liking for using his teeth and he could always be relied upon to do his job. Several Police Officers still bear the scars to this day after not heeding Bob's advice not to get in front of the dog.

After two years or so, Bob and Del trained further with the Firearms Support Group, attending incidents where criminal use of weapons were a factor.

At home and off-duty Del was no different to any other pet dog and was greatly loved by the family. Sadly Del retired after six years due to failing hips, although his spirit was very much still willing. He lived at home as a family dog for a further three years, enjoying his retirement until he sadly went to the Great kennel in the sky.

So, now he lives on, once again in service and willing to be loved by anyone. He has also become a great friend of Combat Bear (Yellow Ribbon Foundation mascot) and they even sat in the Force Helicopter together at Sulamstead, (see photo below). He has also been very busy on exercise both here in UK (Fairford)and the Falklands with the RAF, and in Canada with the Army.

Click Here to visit our Volunteers page for more information on the people behind PAFFA. 

Bob

 

Margaret and son, Keith.

 

Laura