Club member raises funds for Mark Long charity

Header image: James, Tom, and Dave from Runway25, along with Craig and Nicky from Crash Gate Aviation, hand over a cheque for £7,685 to OC BBMF, Sqn Ldr Mark ‘Suggs’ Sugden, raised in memory of Sqn Ldr Mark Long for the Flying Scholarship for the Disabled in his name.

Club member Craig Bullivant and his partner and ‘wingman’, Nicky, are avid aviation enthusiasts who live in Lincolnshire. They spend much of their time around RAF Coningsby airfield, as well as other airfields and at various air shows. Craig has an aviation photography website Crash Gate Aviation where his portfolio of photos can be found. Craig says that he and Nicky “absolutely live for aviation and breathe it into everything we do, even with an upcoming aviation-themed wedding in August.”

Craig had met BBMF pilot Squadron Leader Mark Long around the air show circuit and Mark had left a profound impression on him. When Mark Long tragically lost his life in the crash of BBMF Spitfire MK356 on 25th May 2024, Craig felt compelled to do something to help remember him and to raise funds for the charity to be set up in his name.

With the full blessing of Mark’s family and the BBMF, Craig designed a patch in his memory, with images captured by Craig, which was then produced by the talented people at the Runway25 online shop. Runway25 produces and sells challenge coins, patches and key rings, and is well known to the BBMF and RAF Coningsby, having designed many patches for them. The company owner, Tom Newey, previously served in the British Army as a technician on the Apache helicopter. Tom, James and Dave of Runway25 took the initial design and crafted it into a superb patch for sale. Incredibly, they fully funded the entire production of the patches free of charge and donated them for sale, an extremely generous gesture that meant that all the proceeds could go to Mark Long’s charity.

The charity in Mark Long’s name is still in the process of being formally set up; work on that is underway and is likely to take a few months, with the hope that it will be registered with the Charity Commission by the summer. It will provide long-term support to the Flying Scholarship for Disabled People, to offer a scholarship each year under Mark’s name.

The sale of these special limited-edition Mark Long patches has so far raised £7,685 in his honour and for the cause his charity represents. Tom, Dave and James from Runway25, along with Craig and Nicky from Crash Gate Aviation, recently presented a cheque for that amount to OC BBMF, Squadron Leader Mark ‘Suggs’ Sugden, at the Flight’s home at Coningsby.

All the patches from Craig’s stock have now been sold. Runway25 has a small number remaining and these will be on sale at their stall at airshows this year until they sell out. No more will be produced.

To all those who bought a patch Craig says: “On behalf of everyone involved in this fund-raising effort, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your generous support in purchasing this patch. Your kindness and generosity have made a meaningful impact, not only in honouring Mark but also in raising funds for a very worthy charity. In the wake of his tragic loss, it has been truly inspiring to see our community come together to show such unwavering support for this cause. The outpouring of messages and stories from those that knew and flew with Mark reflects the incredible person that he was and the legacy he leaves leave behind.”

The BBMF is extremely grateful to Craig and Nicky, and to Runway25, for their incredible fund-raising efforts in Mark Long’s name.