
A globe-trotting teddy who loves to fly, is at the heart of a children’s charity that has struck a chord with the Ascent team at RAF Valley. The team is delighted to support the Bear Force Charity and its work to promote positive mental health for children.
Bear Force encourages children of all ages to talk about their worries, create safe spaces and environments where they can talk and be heard, provide easily accessible platforms with advice that children can understand, and to raise awareness of the need for adults to listen.
The charity was created by Richard Bland, following the death by suicide of his son. While trying to raise money for the bereavement charity that supported him, he was encouraged to focus on his aviation hobby and the story of a toy bear (affectionately named Wg Cdr Bear) which flew its first sorties in a Hawk with 19 (F) Squadron based at RAF Valley back in 2008 (impressively, Wg Cdr Bear now has over 2,000 flying hours on 84 aircraft types).
A picture book “AB gets his Wings” – with the toy bear renamed after Richard’s son, Andrew Bland – followed, aimed at raising money and for use as part of “distraction therapy” in helping younger children identify and talk about their worries and concerns. It was a big success, the book was renamed Bear Force (11,000+ copies sold to date), and the Bear Force charity subsequently formed. It aims to foster a culture that encourages children to comfortably express themselves through everyday interactions and activities.
Charity Ambassador
Ascent BFT Qualified Flying Instructor, Adrian ‘Ade’ Hill, is a Bear Force Ambassador, and is working with the Ascent team and 72(F) Squadron at RAF Valley to raise £4,000 towards local training for up to 40 trainees.

Ade first met Richard Bland and Wg Cdr AB (WCAB) when he was serving as Officer Commanding 19 (F) Squadron between 2006-09, frequently flying WCAB in the Hawk T1 on training sorties around the UK.
In 2010-11, WCAB accompanied Ade for several months of his operational tour in Afghanistan, where WCAB flew on various US and Afghan Air Force aircraft on operational missions.
The friendship with Richard Bland continued to build when Ade returned to RAF Valley as the Station Commander between 2011-13, which was the main period when Richard made his connections with the Dove (Bereavement) Service following his son’s suicide, and the idea of writing the first WCAB book and creating a charity began.
Ade said: “I was delighted to be asked to be a Bear Force Charity Ambassador, and look forward to continuing to support Richard, WCAB and the Charity’s wider aims and ambitions.”
Local community support
A vital part of Bear Force’s work in 2024/25 is to promote awareness, service provision and operational delivery. To do this, the charity is raising money to train and pay volunteers to go into schools to help develop resilient future generations who are better equipped to cope with life through the good times, and the bad.
Ascent aims to raise money to initially fund 40 training courses for carers, teachers and other trusted adults through Bear Force. The courses have been designed to help caregivers become better at child engagement, listening, and safeguarding. A batch of these Ascent-funded courses will be offered to local people around RAF Valley, as part of local community engagement.
Ascent’s RAF Valley General Manager, Andy Cooper, was born in Holyhead and understands the importance of supporting the local community.
“This area is deprived of essential community services and far wider socio-economic shortfalls, as many regions now are in the UK. This is some small way that we and organisations that operate in Anglesey, can make a difference in the community. I am very supportive of this initiative driven by Ade Hill,” he said.
A fundraising Bear Force Charity Ball takes place in Stoke on Trent on 25 October 2024.


