Stafford: Are you on the move soon??

Are you or someone you know due to be posted to Stafford soon?

If so contact Stafford HIVE to request pre-arrival information.

Email: RC-Pers-HIVE-Stafford-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk

Core information sheets are available from the HIVE and contain useful information on accommodation,  employment, health & wellbeing, finance, childcare, schools & adult education as well as location overview of community amenities, facilities and activities etc. There is also help with general queries regarding the local area.

Stafford HIVE can also provide you with information sheets on other locations across the UK and overseas. Please call in to speak to the HIVE information officer or use the contact details above.

Information provided by Stafford HIVE

UK Health Security Agency - Around 1 in 8 New Students Unprotected Against Meningitis

 

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and leading meningitis charities are urging students to make sure they have been vaccinated against meningitis and other diseases before the start of the academic year.

More information HERE

The Armed Forces Families Fund - Early Years Programme

 

Support for projects which help Armed Forces families access good quality early years childcare

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (The Trust) are delighted to announce the latest round of The Armed Forces Families Fund: Early Years Programme.

Under this programme the Trust will award grants of between £5,000 and £80,000 for projects which help enhance early childhood education and childcare settings to ensure they meet the needs of young children from Armed Forces families.

Samaritans Veterans app

 

The Samaritans Veterans app​ provides UK military Service Leavers and Veterans with emotional health and wellbeing information, guidance and resources. Samaritans Veterans is designed to give you the tools to identify and navigate the emotional health challenges that can be experienced when transitioning out of the military and in your life beyond the Forces.

When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call us free on 116 123 (within the UK or Ireland) or email us at jo@samaritans.org. Whoever you are and whatever you’re facing, we won’t judge you or tell you what to do. We’re here to listen so you don’t have to face it alone. www.samaritans.org.​

Grantham: The Lincolnshire Helpline 24/7

There's a helpline in Lincolnshire for people feeling low, anxious or stressed and think that talking to another person may help them cope. The mental health helpline in Lincolnshire is open 24/7. The team can also help signpost to other support where necessary: call 0800 0014331.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Togetherall - knowing where to turn for support can be daunting

 

Knowing where to turn for support can be daunting.

Togetherall is a free, safe & anonymous online community to support your mental health. There is no waiting list to join Togetherall and it is accessible 24/7.

• ​FREE to anyone in the UK Military, Veterans & Family members aged 16+
• Visit www.togetherall.com to join today

Please click the links to watch Togetherall's information videos or click the images above:

Introducing Togetherall

UK military social media animation

North Wiltshire & Gloucestershire: Follow the AWS Community Support team on Eventbrite!

 

Community Support secures or directly provides learning and personal development opportunities for military personnel and their families wherever they are living. Non-formal education opportunities are provided within Community, Youth and Play Centres and Projects to children, young people and their families throughout the year and across the UK and overseas.

Click here to follow the North Wilts and Glos AWS Community Support team on Eventbrite, which will ensure you are sent notifications when new events become available.

Information provided by Colerne and Lyneham HIVE

Chester: Changes to the Upton PR3 Park & Ride Service from 3 Sep

The timetable for the Upton 'PR3' Park & Ride service in Chester is set to change from September.

The service begins at 7am Monday to Friday and from 8am on Saturday. From September 3, buses will operate as follows:

• Mondays to Saturdays – the service will operate every 15 minutes until 9am and buses will terminate at Chester Bus Interchange.
• After 9am buses will operate every 20 minutes and terminate at Foregate Street stop BB.
• Return buses will depart from Foregate Street stop BB
• Sundays and Bank Holidays – buses will operate every 15 minutes between 9.30am and 5.30pm and terminate at Foregate Street stop BB.

The Park and Ride includes free Wi-Fi and USB charging, air conditioning, free parking for passengers and free travel for up to three accompanying children.

Information provided by Chester HIVE

Defence creates an information sheet for Family Courts about Service life

 

Defence has updated and shared information with Family Courts to help demonstrate that Service and family life is compatible.

The Army Families Federation informed Defence of anecdotal feedback from some families of potential misunderstandings about the nature of Service life when going through the Family Court system.

As a result of this feedback, Defence worked with stakeholders across the Family Court systems to produce an information sheet for Family Court workers.

The information sheet aims to increase understanding about the working and living arrangements of Service personnel, and how their families are impacted. The document also shows the support available for Armed Forces families to build and maintain a stable life at home.

Kent County Council: Household Support Fund

 

Kent County Council is  offering support with a one-off £100 food voucher for eligible households in Kent.  If you or someone you know is struggling then they may be able to get help from the Household Support Fund 

Act now as the scheme closes on 14 September 2023 or when the budget is spent.


Visit kent.gov.uk/householdsupportfund to find out more and apply.

Information provided by Chatham HIVE

Going Forward into Employment (GFiE): Plymouth DWP Job Vacancy for Service Leavers, Veterans and their Spouses/Partners

 GFiE has a new role available within the Department for Work and Pensions in Plymouth, with a closing date of Monday 11th September 2023: GFIE-257 - Targeted Case Review Agent - Plymouth.  This role is only available to Service Leavers, Veterans and their spouses/partners.

The Targeted Case Review Agent role would really suit candidates who love working with the general public and across teams (internal and external), who have strong decision making skills and are able to analyse and present information. The candidate should have a willingness to learn how to deliver a DWP service using digital methods. 

This role comes with the opportunity to complete either a Customer Service or Business Administration apprenticeship, this is a chance for someone to 'earn as they learn' and develop great transferable skills for the future. 

​Please find attached the job description (including all key details).  

Completed Expression of Interest form and latest CV to be sent to gfie@cabinetoffice.gov.uk​

‘Going Forward into Employment’ (GFiE): Civil Service job vacancies for Service Leavers, Veterans and their Spouses/Partners

 

Please click image to enlarge

For further information please see the full GFiE guide at A complete guide to GFiE - Veterans, Military Partners/Spouses and Service Leavers - Life Chances - Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) (blog.gov.uk)

The GFiE Expression of Interest Form​ can be downloaded at this link

Independent Doctoral Thesis Research Invitation for Veterans

 

Please note that this research is independent and neither affiliated to, nor endorsed by, the MOD.

Shropshire: Parenting Help and Support Line

 

Information provided by: Lichfield HIVE

Army social fitness campaign - benefits for MOD Civil Servants

Please click images to enlarge

Scan the QR code for further information and support. Alternatively click here to visit the website

Leuchars Thrift Shop

click on image to enlarge

This is a community-run shop selling a wide range of vintage, pre-loved, good condition items including clothes, toys, books and children's equipment.

Anyone from the local military and civilian community can bring things to the shop to sell. We don't accept items that are not in a good, saleable condition.

Sellers will receive 70% of the sale price. All profits will be reinvested in the running costs of the shop.

Located in the house just after Bright Horizons nursery.

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

St Andrews: Madrascals Rugby for girls and boys P1-P7

 Mini Rugby in St Andrews 

Looking to get involved in mini rugby, in a fun, friendly and supportive environment?

If so, we'd love to welcome you to Madrascals, the home of mini rugby in St Andrews. Madrascals is for girls and boys from P1-P7.

Madrascals returns to Station Park tomorrow, Saturday 19 August. 

The first few sessions are always free, no need to register in advance, just turn up.

Session timings:
🏉 P1 - P2 11:00 - 12:00
🏉 P3 - P7 10.30 - 12:00

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Army social fitness campaign - benefits for Army Personnel

 

Please click images to enlarge

Scan the QR code for further information and support. Alternatively click here to visit the website

Grantham: Make a difference...

citizensadvicesouthlincs.org.uk

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

 

Chester: Chester (UK) Crohns & Ulcerative Colitis Support Group

Did you know there is a facebook support group for people in Chester who have crohns & ulcerative colitis?

If you are based in Chester and receive care/treatment/appointments in the Countess of Chester feel free to join.

The group is very supportive and friendly & as the members are all local the experiences are similar and specific to the care offered at the Countess (and therefore so are the members personal advice & tips!).

Further information can be found below:

https://m.facebook.com/groups/chestercrohnsandcolitis/?ref=share

Information provided by Chester HIVE

Tom Harrison House Liverpool - Female Veterans Project

Please click the image above for info or to visit the website, click here

Shropshire: Shrewsbury Mens Shed is open and happy to receive new members

Information Provided by Lchfield HIVE Hub

Shropshire: Oswestry Armed Forces & Veterans Drop in - Tuesdays 10:00-12:00

Information provided by Lichfield HIVE 

Grantham: Don't bottle up your feelings

Mental Health Helpline, Lincolnshire - If feeling low, stressed, anxious and it would be helpful to talk to someone over the telephone. This helpline is open 24hrs and 7 days a week! Get in touch!

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Bovington: Nursery school for ages 3 months to pre-school

 

For children aged 3 months to pre-school

OPEN 50 weeks of the year.

08.00 – 18.00 Monday – Thursday

08.00 – 15.00 on Fridays.

Bovington Nursery is located at

Linsay Road  (near to the Tank Museum) BH20 6JG

Tel 01929 403602

E-Mail office@bovingtonnursery.co.uk

Click link HERE for website 

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Togetherall - setting yourself up for success

 

Sometimes we can all feel stuck, whether in work, relationships or just everyday life itself. However, there are things we can do to understand these feelings to become more productive and motivated.

With Togetherall, you can try journaling, setting goals or taking a course to keep yourself on track and feeling good.

Togetherall is FREE to UK Military, Veterans and family members 16+ join at Togetherall​

Please click the link to watch Togetherall's information video or click the image above: ​​​Setting yourself up for success animation

NHS MMR vaccine

Parents and carers of children are being reminded of the importance of routine vaccinations, with hundreds of thousands of texts, emails and letters being sent from this week encouraging families to book their child in for an MMR vaccine.

The NHS is contacting parents and carers of around 740,000 children aged between one and six who have not yet had one or both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, encouraging them to make an appointment with their child's GP practice.

One in ten children are not currently up to date with their MMR vaccinations – despite general practices continuing to offer routine immunisations.

Measles, mumps and rubella are highly infectious illnesses that can easily spread between unvaccinated people. Complications from these diseases can be potentially life changing.

British Army 'Leader of the Year' Awards 2023

 

The Centre for Army Leadership are launching the first British Army Leader of the Year Awards.

This prestigious award recognises our outstanding personnel in exemplifying British Army leadership. The application process is now open for internal Army nominations only, whether Regular or Reserve (inc. UOTC).

Don't miss the chance to recognise those who demonstrate exceptional leadership. Submit your nomination using the QR code (from a non-MOD device)​ or via this link: https://shorturl.at/clIJU​ ​

North Yorkshire: Young People with SEND support with Drug and Alcohol use

Information provided by Catterick HIVE Hub

 

Armed Forces pay award - Non-UK National Personnel

 

Moray: Badminton at Moray Sports Centre

We are excited to announce our brand new partnership with Badminton Moray. The sessions will be coach led and start this week at MSC .
It is our goal to help promote and develop the sport of Badminton in the Moray area.
Please contact Angela Bell for more info at moraybmintonforum1@gmail.com

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

West Midlands: West Midland Safari Park - Defence Discount Service

Receive up to 36% discount* on general admission when booking online in advance with your unique Defence Discount Service discount code. Once you have requested your discount code, visit www.wmsp.co.uk, select your tickets and visit date, and enter your discount code at the online checkout. 

Please note the member must have their Defence Discount Service card with them on the day of the visit

Information provided by Lichfield HIVE  (updated: 11.8.23)

Shopshire: Cost of living help

This information has been brought together by Shropshire Council with its partners to support our residents at this challenging and worrying time.

Information provided by: Lichfield HIVE Hub

Telford & Wrekin: Veterans' Cafes - Drop in no need to book

Information provided by: Lichfield HIVE Hub

 

SSAFA Forces Additional Needs & Disability Newsletter - Biennial Conference Edition

 

The latest Newsletter from FANDF with a focus on the biennial conference is now available

For more details visit www.ssafa.org.uk/fandf or contact your nearest HIVE for details.

Dept for Work and Pensions weekly update

Information regarding the move from Tax Credits to Universal Credits (UC) is now available online.

Employers that have signed up to the Disability Confident scheme

This document lists the employers that have signed up to the Disability Confident scheme, and their status (committed, employer or leader) to end of July 2023.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is reminding bereaved parents to check their eligibility for financial support. In February 2023 the government extended eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance to cohabiting parents with dependent children. The benefits are designed to help with the financial impact of losing a partner.

Previously these benefits were only available to eligible bereaved parents who were married or in a civil partnership, but the law was changed to make it fairer to children.

When DWP extended eligibility in February 2023, it opened a 12-month window for cohabiting parents to backdate their claims. This means parents whose partner died before 9 February 2023 have until 8 February 2024 to claim. After this, it will not be possible to claim Widowed Parent’s Allowance and parents will not get their full entitlement to a backdated payment of Bereavement Support Payment

NHS England's Armed Forces Stakeholder Brief - Aug 2023

Welcome to the August issue of the Armed Forces stakeholder brief. 

The last month has been an exciting one across the Armed Forces space; after much hard work and with support from our Armed Forces Patient and Public Voice Group, we were pleased to rename the Veterans Trauma Network (VTN), Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service in the lead up to Armed Forces day.

We have also been working with colleagues piloting the single point of contact service for the Armed Forces community and following a period of engagement, this has been renamed Op COMMUNITY: Armed Forces Community Support.

We also welcome Op FORTITUDE, an Office for Veterans' Affairs initiative to end veteran homelessness, and Operation Stirling, an Age UK and Fighting with Pride service to support LGBT+ veterans, into the veteran support field. You can find out more about these initiatives below. We hope that these new services will offer valuable support to veterans of the UK Armed Forces.

With 5 July 2023 marking the 75th birthday of the NHS, we were delighted that in the same week the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) announced that 75% of trusts across England are now Veteran Aware accredited. Thank you to all colleagues from the VCHA and accredited NHS trusts for their dedication to support improved care for the Armed Forces community. Our next brief will be in September, in the meantime, we hope you manage to take some well earned rest this summer.

Please also see our one page overview 'NHS healthcare for the Armed Forces Community'.

Chatham: Tri Mini and Tri Club Free Weekly Courses at Medway Park Leisure Centre

 

For further information CLICK HERE

Information provided by Chatham HIVE

Are you ready for Wraparound Childcare’s autumn 2023 updates? Updates and expansions to eligibility criteria

Please click the image above to enlarge

Join more than 5500 Service families who are currently benefitting from claiming up to £3,400 per child per year of before and after school childcare costs.

The Wraparound Childcare (WAC) scheme provides funding for up to 20 hours per week, per child, to eligible Service families with children aged 4 to 11 years old who are in school or being home schooled in the UK. Almost 8000 Service children's before and after school childcare is currently being funded by WAC.

WAC is also known as ‘Out of School care’ in Wales and ‘School Age Childcare’ in Scotland.

Normandy: GymJams Soft Play Supporting Poorly Children 0-3 years

The health and wellbeing of our children is of paramount importance to all parents. But unfortunately not all children enjoy good health.

Play in the preschool years enables children to explore and make sense of the world around them. At Gym Jams, we want to ensure the importance of play is recognised and valued, we are passionate about advocating for children’s’ right to play, especially for those who face barriers to access such as ill health. We are keen to support families who are facing difficult health journeys, by offering the opportunity for little ones who are clinically vulnerable or immunocompromised to enjoy the soft play first thing in the morning before the other children arrive, free of charge. The equipment will have had a full clean ready for the day ahead and the child will have exclusive use of the facilities. As always, anyone with an infectious illness or gastric upset should not attend.

For more information please click HERE or Book Free Session

Information provided by Aldershot HIVE Hub

Service Leavers' Guide - July 2023 edition

 

T​he updated version of the Service Leavers' Guide has now been published on gov.uk.

Please see link: ​Service leavers' guide - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

HM Forces Veterans' ID Card

 

The Ministry of Defence and Office for Veterans' Affairs are​​ building an application process to support the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card rollout later this year. They want to hear your views on this.

If you are a veteran who served in HM Armed Forces, please complete the survey to help the team:  https://ow.ly/PCt350PqHHf 

Armed Forces Covenant - Duty Toolkit

 

The Armed Forces Covenant website now hosts a Duty Toolkit, with reference documents, guides, resources and training material to help explain the legal Duty aspect of the Armed Forces Covenant. Please visit: Armed Forces Covenant Duty toolkit - Armed Forces Covenant​ for further information.

Dorset: Child & Adolescent Mental Health service

Dorset Health Care’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Gateway Service is now available across the whole of Dorset. The service manages assessments and provides help for children and young people experiencing problems with their mental health. It acts as the ‘front door’ of CAMHS and has been introduced to help reduce the wait time for assessments and treatments that young people can experience when accessing the service. Information provided by Bovington HIVE via Dorset Council

Scotland: The latest edition of the Scotland 4 kids magazine is now out

click on image to read magazine in full

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Fife: 50 things to do before you're 5 in Fife, 50 ideas for play and learning indoor and outdoors

50 Things To Do aims to provide inspiration, guidance and ideas for parents, carers and children about activities that will support the improvement of children's development, skills and knowledge.

50 Things to do before you're 5 provides 50 exciting ideas for play and learning for children and families. The activities are free or low-cost that can be done both indoors and outdoors in your local area.

To visit the website download the app, follow the link below:
Fife.50thingstodo.org

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Scotland: Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) New Childminder Recruitment Campaign

For a limited time, SCMA is delighted to be offering fully-funded support and training packages to help set up new childminding business in rural and urban areas of Scotland where there is demand for more childcare to support working families. With funding provided by Scottish Government and participating local authorities and agencies in order to enhance parental employability, the initiative is being led by SCMA and delivered through the Scottish Childminding Partnership.

Areas considered: Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire, Dundee, Glasgow and the Highlands.

Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria will be provided with training, support and a business start-up grant to help them pursue a rewarding career in professional childminding. Register you interest and we will be in touch with more information.

Why be a childminder?

By joining this hugely fulfilling profession, you’ll not only be providing high-quality, nurturing childcare, you’ll also benefit from the flexibility and freedom that professional childminding can offer.