About Us

Registered Charity Number: 214015

The Parachute Regimental Association (PRA) was formed at the end of the Second World War to further the interests of The Parachute Regiment and to organise functions and activities so members could continue associations formed during their service with the Regiment and Airborne Forces.

Welcoming all ages & cap badges

PRA membership covers all age groups and different cap badges with branches nationwide, including Northern Ireland. Meetings are generally held monthly to organise social functions, visits, reunions, pilgrimages, battlefield tours and, of course, to catch up on the latest Regimental news and gossip over a drink or two.

Support & welfare

The PRA, in partnership with other Regimental Charities, is able to provide welfare support and advice to those in need or distress. For more information please visit: supportourparas.org/support-welfare/

Our objectives

The PRA is governed by its Constitution (PDF 179 KB), whose objectives are:

• To promote the efficiency of The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces by fostering esprit de corps and maintaining contact between past and present members thereof.
• To relieve either generally or individually persons who are serving or who have served in The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces, or the dependants of such persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress.
• The commemoration and remembrance of those members of The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces who have died while on active service; and the encouragement of public recognition of the sacrifice made by such persons.

The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Charity

The Airborne Forces Security Fund (AFSF) and the Parachute Regiment Charity (PRC) have now merged to form The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Charity (PRAFC).

The PRAFC will use ‘SUPPORT OUR PARAS’ as a trading name. The executive staff will be based in Regimental Headquarters The Parachute Regiment, in Merville Barracks, Colchester. The first chair of the PRAFC will be Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer.

The AFSF and PRC have merged because their objects are almost identical. By merging, the PRAFC will deliver:

A single, agile and well-governed charity, whose Trustees understand the Regimental and wider Airborne family, and who take a strategic view of the needs of the Regiment, its soldiers and veterans, their dependants and its history, balancing today’s requirements with those of tomorrow.

The PRAFC is conscious of its heritage, its relationship with The Parachute Regimental Association, and of The Parachute Regiment’s place in 16 Air Assault Brigade and Joint Forces Command. It will show the same respect for the primacy of other Corps and Regimental charities as its predecessors and will continue to consider charitable support to parachute trained members of the wider Airborne and Special Forces community, where appropriate.

There is no action required to re-write wills. Bequests to the AFSF and the PRC will go to the PRAFC, and the change of name will not activate secondary beneficiaries.