Easy Resettlement Magazine: Autumn edition out now

Have you read the Autumn issue of Easy Resettlement magazine yet?

In this issue there is information about employment events for service leavers, enabling you to meet future employers and network with companies and fellow service leavers.

ER mag also features the 162 winners of the MODs Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Awards and as always, you can find information from CTP and about ELCAS entitlements.

Please visit the Easy Resettlement website to read this issue online and download it for free: www.easyresettlement.com/magazine

Colchester: Colchester Garrison Halloween Party - Thursday 22nd October 2026

 

Information Provided by East HIVE Hub

Winchester: Marwell Zoo Wild Autumn

 

From Saturday 24 October - Sunday 1 November 2026, enjoy a wild October half term at Marwell Zoo, where autumn adventures, seasonal activities and amazing wildlife come together for a fun-filled family day out. With plenty to discover across the zoo, Wild Autumn is the perfect way to embrace the season and make some special family memories.

Explore the twists and turns of our Autumn Maze and keep your eyes peeled for the Golden Acorn hidden along the way. Once you've found it, answer the question for your chance to win a magical prize. Will you be able to spot it?

Click HERE for further information

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Colchester: Free After School Dinner Club - CESSAC Cafe - Booking required - Tel: 01206 615510

 

           

Information Provided by East HIVE Hub 

Richmond: Race Around Richmond 25th Oct

In support our friends at SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, and the Royal Air Cadets - we'd like to let you know about their upcoming event: The Race Around Richmond! 

We are proud to support SSAFA's vital work in empowering women in the military community and protecting vulnerable families - a mission that closely aligns with our own commitment to transforming the lives of women and girls.

Whether you're a seasoned map-reader or just looking for a fun Sunday morning stroll, this event is designed for all ages and abilities. Bring your family, bring your friends, and explore beautiful Richmond while raising money for the vital work SSAFA does for our Armed Forces community.

We're so pleased to stand alongside other charitable organisations in our community. Let's help to make this event a huge success!

Here are the details you need to know:
Date: Sunday, 25th October
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: 2040 (Richmond) Squadron, 7-49 Darlington Rd, Richmond, DL10 7BG

How to get involved:
You can register your spot in advance via their JustGiving page or enter on the day.

Register on JustGiving! 

https://www.justgiving.com/page/race-around-richmond26...

Information provided by North HIVE Hub

Weeton: Weekly Youth Club Sessions

Information provided by Weeton HIVE

Weeton: AWS /CS - What's on in Weeton Sept - Dec 26

Information provided by Weeton HIVE

Weeton: Halloween Party in the Community Centre - 29th October 2026

There will be no prior ticket sale this year - Pay at the door.

Information provided by Weeton HIVE

Weeton: The Crofter 'Weeton Village Newsletter' October 2026

Information provided by Weeton HIVE

Northern Ireland: Veterans Newsletter - NI - Issue 7

The lates issue for the Veterans Newsletter - Northern Ireland can be found at the link below.

Veterans Newsletter - Northern Ireland - issue 7

The newsletter is full of useful information, along with details of upcoming events like Veterans Families Halloween Night, Breakfast clubs, Christmas lunch, Santa Experience and more.

Catterick: Could you help with the Poppy Appeal this year?

Could you spare an hour or two to support the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal this year. 

Everyone is welcome to join our fundraising team in Catterick and Scotch Corner.

Come along and have a chat with us at Tesco Superstore Cafe at 10am this Sunday 27th Sept and find out more.

No experience needed
Everyone welcome
Every hour makes a difference

You don’t have to commit to lots of time — even an hour helps.

Come along, say hello and see what it’s all about.

Please share and help us spread the word

Information provided by North HIVE Hub

Benwell: Women's Wellness Project every Friday Morning

 Information provided by North HIVE Hub

Defence Children Services: Service Pupil Premium – register your child before 1 Oct 2026

Register Before 1st October

📢 If you're a Service parent and your child attends a school in England, make sure their school knows about your Service status before 1 October 2026.

Eligible schools can receive £360 per eligible Service pupil through the Service Pupil Premium (SPP), helping them provide additional support for Service children.

Find out more about eligibility and how you can help your school access this valuable funding:

https://dcs.school/2026/09/11/service-pupil-premium-2026-extra-funding-for-service-children-in-england/

Chester Zoo: Lanterns & Light Winter Experience - 13 Nov 26 - 3 Jan 27

Our 2026 Lanterns & Light winter experience promises to be the best yet.

Book now for the best prices and widest choice of dates and times, including the most popular slots during the festive season.

• New route through the zoo
• More interactive puppets than ever before
• Immersive light installations
• Festive food and drink
• Fairground rides for all ages
• Meet Father Christmas

With family-friendly evenings, selected adult-only nights and every visit helping to fund our vital conservation work, Lanterns and Light is a magical experience unlike any other.

Friday 13 November - Sunday 3 January - 4.30pm - 8pm
More dates than ever before, even more magic to discover.

Our most popular time slots will sell out quickly

Information provided by Weeton HIVE

North Wiltshire & Swindon: What's on in and around North Wiltshire & Swindon?

 

Please click the links below for a selection of event spaces and tourism websites to help you find things to do in and around North Wiltshire! This list may include seasonal and festive event pages.

Please note due to the closure of Colerne & Lyneham HIVE, this list will not be updated regularly so please bookmark this page!

Middlesbrough & Darlington: Free Trial Football classes for 18 months - 8 years

Come and try Little Kickers for FREE! 

Fun, football-based classes for children from 18 months right through to their 8th birthday.

A great way to build confidence, skills and friendships while having loads of fun! 

Message us today to book your FREE taster session.

Subject to class availability

Information provided by North HIVE Hub

Catterick: Free Access Times for kids at Colburn Community Sports Centre

 Information provided by North HIVE Hub

North Wiltshire: Are you looking for employment in the area?

Due to the Wiltshire HIVEs closing at the end of September, local jobs are unlikely to be shared on the blog for the time-being.

In the meantime, please see below a selection of employers and websites in the North Wiltshire area. Please note that this is a very small selection and includes some employers who have previously contacted HIVE directly in order to share job ads:

Staffordshire: Lichfield Cathedral School - Harvest Make & Bake - 10 October

Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub
 

West Midlands: The Band of the Mercian #Regiment Open Rehearsal - 18 October

Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

 

Wiltshire: Upcoming Family & Community Learning Team online courses - free for Military families

Please note that you can sign up via the QR code or by contacting the team as per the details on the posters.

New learners may need to attend an online Welcome meeting before they join.

Please click here for further information

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVEs

Gloucestershire: Agencies, Charities and Organisations for Gloucestershire's Military community

 

Please note that this guide was created by the HIVE Information Support Officer covering Lyneham.

The first page consists of QR codes to make access quicker for a small selection of the websites. The rest are weblinks.

Information is correct as of September 2026. Please access this document from a Civilian device.

Please click here to access this document online

Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

Blandford: Garrison service families accommodation issue reporting day - Tues 13th Oct

 

Is there something in your SFA that needs fixing, if you visit on the day, and if possible they will send their maintenance team to fix.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Wiltshire: Agencies, Charities and Organisations providing support to Wiltshire's Military community and beyond

 

Please note that this guide was created by the HIVE Information Support Officers covering Colerne, Lyneham and the South West HIVE Hub.

Information is correct as of September 2026. Please access this document from a Civilian device.

Please click here to access this guide online

Information provided by Colerne, Lyneham & South West Hub HIVEs

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) bulk recruitment: 151 Executive Officer roles across Scotland and NE England – closing date 07 Oct

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a total of 151 Executive Officer (EO) roles across Scotland and North East England. The roles are EO Work Coach in Universal Credit and Job Centre service.

DWP welcome applications from veterans, reservists, their family members and currently serving personnel looking to transition into civilian life..

Civil Service Jobs links with further information on the roles available, and application details:

Universal Credit Job Centre - Work Coach - Northeast England (Ref: 780) - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK

Universal Credit Job Centre - Work Coach - Northeast Scotland (Ref: 779) - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK

Universal Credit Job Centre - Work Coach - East and Central Scotland (Ref: 778) - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK

Universal Credit Job Centre - Work Coach - South West Scotland (Ref: 777) - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK

The closing date is 07 Oct.

Blandford: Reach recovery conference - Tues 13th Oct. Book by 30th Sept

 

Information provided Bovington HIVE

Blandford: Garrison multi - cultural day event Wed 23rd Sep

 

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

NHS STOPTOBER - let's quit together

 

Catterick: Are you worried about you child's speech?

A reminder that the North Yorkshire Council Speech and Language Team will be visiting Catterick Library's Story Time tomorrow (Wednesday 23rd September) from 10.30 - 11.30am.

They will be there to answer any questions or concerns you may have about your child's speech and language needs in a relaxed environment

Information provided by North HIVE Hub

Catterick: Supervisor Vacancies Vimy Bks closing date 9 Oct

 Information provided by North HIVE Hub

Catterick: Various Vacancies for General Service Assistant Vimy Bks closing date 9th Oct

 Information provided by North HIVE Hub

First Defence Finance: How does the Bank of England Work?

How Does the Bank of England Work?

Author: First Defence Finance

You've probably heard the phrase "the Bank of England has changed interest rates" countless times.

But what does that actually mean?

Who decides whether interest rates go up or down? Why does the Bank of England change them? And how could a decision that gets made in London affect your savings, mortgage or loan?

With the Bank of England's next interest rate decision coming up on 17th September 2026, here's everything you need to know, without the financial jargon.

First, what is the Bank of England?

The Bank of England is the UK's central bank, but it's different from the banks you might use for your current account or credit card.

Its job is to help keep the UK's financial system stable and keep inflation under control.

One of its most important jobs is setting the Bank Rate, the interest rate that influences many other interest rates across the economy.

Staffordshire: 1871 (Rugeley) Air Cadets Fundraising & Recruitment Day - Saturday 3 October

Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

Lichfield: AWS CS Halloween Family Fun - 31 October

 

Shropshire: Free Yoga Classes for Ex Armed Forces Community and immediate family members

 Full details can be found HERE

Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

West Midlands: Dudley Sea Cadets

 If you want to learn more about our cadet programme, volunteering opportunities or the organisation, please get in touch with us to arrange an informal discussion and a unit visit. 

Dudley Sea Cadets:

dudleyseacadets@hotmail.co.uk

T: 07981 934469

Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

Lichfield: BFBS Cinemas - DMS Whittington - 22 Sept to 4 Oct

 Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

The Armed Forces Pension Schemes Quick Reference Guide

 To view the quick reference guide to the Armed Forces Pension scheme click on the link below.

Armed Forces Pension Schemes Quick Reference Guide

Shropshire: Armed Forces Outreach Sessions - October 2026

 Information provided by Central HIVE Hub

Defence Update: Local Overseas Allowance rate changes 2026

Local Overseas Allowance rate changes 2026

From 1 October 2026, some Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) rates will go up, and some will go down, depending on the cost of living in your location.

Check the new rates for where you're based before the change takes effect.

LOA explained

LOA is money paid to Service personnel who are working overseas.
It helps cover the extra cost of everyday living overseas, when prices abroad are higher than in the UK.

What's changing and why

Every year, experts check the cost of living in each country. They use information from the Employment Conditions Abroad (ECA) survey and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This tells us if prices have gone up or down compared to the UK.

Two things to know about this year's changes:

1. Child rate is staying the same: The way LOA works out payments for children is being looked at again. Until this review finishes, child LOA rates will not change.

2. Second car payments are going down: New ONS data shows that running a car in the UK now costs less than before. As LOA compares costs to the UK, this means the second car payment is going down everywhere.

What you need to do

Look up the full details on the new rates for your location. These can be found in the Directed Letter 'Revised Local Overseas Allowance Rates effective from 1 October 2026' (on defnet and Defence Connect).

Your Offer, recognising your service

There are other allowances available to help with essential needs and family wellbeing while you're overseas.

Find out more in JSP 752 or visit Discover My Benefits to explore the range of savings, allowances and opportunities available.

Point of Contact

The Allowances Team: People-AFRem-AllcesGroup@mod.gov.uk

North Wiltshire & Gloucestershire: AWS Community Support community noticeboard

 

Want to know what AWS activities are on in your area?

Click here to visit the AWS Sway noticeboard!

Who are Army Welfare Service?

The Army Welfare Service (AWS) is the Army’s professional welfare provider; it delivers a comprehensive and confidential welfare service responsive to the needs of individuals, families and the Chain of Command in order to maximise the operational effectiveness of Service Personnel.

Who are Community Support?

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.

Community Support delivers additional activities during school holidays, including Easter and Summer programmes and offsite residential experiences. Community Support staff adopt best practices, are compliant with government legislation and guidelines, and in doing so promote a stronger sense of community and well-being.

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVE's

Recruit for Spouses: Upcoming events, programmes and upskilling opportunities for military families

The latest Recruit for Spouses update includes:

• The RFS Coaching and Mentoring Programme - participant feedback
• RFS on BFBS radio!
• Op SPOUSE: have your say
• Upcoming events and webinars

To view the update in full, please go to this link: Upcoming events, programmes and upskilling opportunities for military families

The Warrior Programme: 3 day ONLINE foundation course - 9-11 November

Click image to enlarge

Are you interested in maximising your potential and overcoming the feelings of low self-confidence, imposter syndrome, fear of failure, stress and anxiety, that keep tripping you up?

The Warrior Programme are running a 3 day ONLINE foundation course on Monday 9th - Wednesday 11th November - the same Warrior Programme that enables you to better manage emotions, feel more balanced and in control of life and work, just delivered online in the same format as our residential courses to maximise your time.

For more information about this and our other foundation courses please get in touch at:

enquiries@warriorprogramme.org.uk

stating whether you are serving personnel or a family member and which service you are with.

We are really looking forward to working with you and others in the same position, who are motivated to address challenges and maximise personal performance.