The NAAFI Fund awards £20,000 to ‘Project Oasis’ in Bahrain
The NAAFI Fund finances projects that enhance the lived experience of our Armed Forces abroad, particularly on postings and deployments where access to services and welfare is more challenging. In 2020, £20,000 was awarded to ‘Project Oasis’, proposed by Lieutenant Callum Whyte for the Naval Support Facility at HMS Jufair in Bahrain.
The project involved transforming an unused block-paved area of the Ministry of Defence Bahrain base into a visually appealing, landscaped garden oasis. The new garden features a beautiful shaded area where service personnel who live at the Naval Support Facility, or are just passing through, can relax and recuperate. Offering a comforting, tranquil area for socialising substantially improves day-to-day life for those serving away from home. Overall, the project has provided a huge boost in morale for everyone living within and alongside the UKMCC and UKNSF.
The community is delighted with the new garden. Here’s what one of our members had to say: “As a frequent user of the area, having this redesigned will be great! Being away from home for a period of time can often mean we miss our home comforts. This redesign will provide us with a homely garden feel rather than relaxing in an industrial-like yard.” Another said, “This project will be a boost to morale and a huge incentive to continue our hard work!”
Steve Marshall, NAAFI’s CEO commented: “Project Oasis’ is exactly what the NAAFI Fund is there to support and we were excited to be part of the transformation from a drab, dry, dusty, uninspiring area into a beautiful, tranquil ‘Oasis’ in which the team in Bahrain can enjoy some hard-earned rest.
The last few years have been particularly tough for those serving away from home and we are truly honoured to see the NAAFI Fund being used to enhance the physical and mental health and wellbeing of those that need it the most! We would like to thank Lieutenant Callum Whyte and the team in Bahrain for doing such a fantastic job and NAAFI looks forward to future support to the team there.”
Round 3 of the NAAFI Fund will open in Spring 2022.
