SSAFA Gurkha Services

SSAFA's Gurkha Services are available to all serving and veteran members of the Brigade of Gurkhas, and their families. They provide local SSAFA volunteers with up to date information, awareness and translation services, to ensure the Gurkha community have the same support opportunities as any other member of the Armed Forces community.

They work collaboratively with other Gurkha specific organizations such as the Gurkha Welfare Trust, the Gurkha Brigade Association, the Army Welfare Service, Gurkha communities and others.

Click here for further information

Aldershot: The Vine Centre

Based in Aldershot, Hampshire and supporting Rushmoor and the surrounding areas, we aim to support our community with their needs as and when they arise. The Vine Centre provides a broad range of services to the most disadvantaged members of our community and we seek to fulfil the basic needs of anyone who seeks our help.

Our mission is to serve the community, enabling individuals to move towards independence, make sustainable change in their lives, reduce social isolation and improve their quality of life by offering specialised support in a safe environment. We support adults and families that are socially isolated, long-term unemployed, homeless or poorly housed, suffering with mental health, addiction or learning difficulties. Often individuals will access more than one of our services - and they are always welcome to join anything we have on offer.

Click HERE for more information

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Grantham: Never battle alone - ssafa The Armed Forces Charity - "Requiring Backup"

www.ssafa.org.uk/lincolnshire

The Lincolnshire Branch of SSAFA, as part of the East Midlands Region, is the trial area for a new SSAFA brand campaign which seeks to increase the visibility of our organisation to potential beneficiaries, future volunteers and also funders. The campaign is entitled 'Requiring Backup' and the poster, which is now visible in Lincoln Central station, features a Lincolnshire Veteran who has been supported by SSAFA and of course the NHS, through a period of personal trauma as he transitioned from the military into civilian life.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

 

Little Troopers: Last Christmas Smiles boxes - applications now open to all military families

 

Little Troopers now have just 100 Christmas Smiles boxes left (out of 2,500!) and they really want to get these out to little troopers before Christmas. The last postal date is next Wednesday, so applications are now opened up to all military families.

Here's the link to apply (deadline for applications is 5pm on Fri 13th Dec): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X6Y259D

​Each Little Troopers Christmas Smiles box is packed with helpful resources and activities from the charity, all related to being a military child, along with a special edition of their newspaper and Christmas treats and stocking fillers to raise a smile.

Basingstoke: Ready Steady Mums walking group every Wednesday

Ready Steady Mums walks are free, fun and informal social walking groups for new parents. Giving you the social support and motivation to get out in the fresh air. 

We will meet you at the War Memorial Park Bandstand, we will be stood in or next to the Bandstand ready to greet you and will be wearing bright green Barnardo's lanyards.

Click HERE for more information. 

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub.

Wales: December update from National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Get a Letter from Santa

Watch a child’s face light up as they open their very own Letter from Santa!

It’s filled with details only Santa could know – such as their age and their favourite activity – and there are 8 magical designs to choose from.

You can buy a Letter from Santa in English or Welsh (Wedi'r cyfan, mae Sion Corn wedi teithio dipyn!) Order today, so Rudolph can deliver real magic by Christmas Day.

Create your letter from Santa

Little Troopers Christmas Smiles: Christmas boxes for little troopers

 

Little Troopers Christmas Smiles: Christmas boxes for little troopers

Little Troopers has worked tirelessly to secure funding and create 2,500 Christmas Smiles boxes for military children experiencing deployment over Christmas 2024.

Boxes include various Little Troopers resources for you to utilise during deployment, as well as lots of lovely festive treats to bring Christmas Smiles.

On 20th November we held a packing day and many units from the British Army and RAF came to collect boxes for their families, so lots of you will receive a box from your welfare or community teams in the next couple of weeks. The Royal Navy were unable to support the distribution of the boxes this year due to staffing shortages but we know lots of Naval families are going through deployment and we want to make sure our Christmas Smiles boxes make it to you!

Winchester - Home-Start Family Groups

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Grantham: foodbank - PWG - looking for donations to this worthwhile charity

 A foodbank drop off point for donations Community Centre HIVE - any donations gratefully received. 

grantham.foodbank.org.uk

Give Help
Donate food

Our foodbank relies on your goodwill and support.
Over 90% of the food distributed by foodbanks in the Trussell Trust network is donated by the public – that’s why your food donations are absolutely vital to our ability to give everyone referred to us a balanced and nutritious three day supply of food.

Our shopping list shows the food items that we need right now.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust - new awards to build sustainable and resilient support networks for Veterans

The Armed Forces Covenant Trust (the Trust) have awarded grants totalling almost £7 million under the Thrive Together Programme (previously known as VPPP) which will step up support for vulnerable Veterans.

Nine grants have been awarded to the current portfolio lead organisations, enabling them to realise their plans under the newly named Thrive Together programme, designed to increase support to vulnerable Veterans and their families throughout the UK and enable this support to become self-sustaining.

Following a consultation process undertaken between April-September 2024 and the development of strategic plans, the portfolios are now in the delivery phase of the programme before moving into a transition and sustaining phase for the final 6-9 months ending in March 2027.

A further award is expected to be made in December for programme delivery in Northern Ireland.

Grantham: Shine Lincolnshire

 

Our Purpose:
We believe everyone deserves a life of value, enabling them to Shine.
Our Vision:
To be a leading mental health & wellbeing organisation, striving for innovation & excellence in all we do.
Our Mission:
To connect people & communities by promoting health, wellbeing, independence & choice.

Shine Lincolnshire will work to create, connect, and deliver services that are accessible to all. Supporting personal choice; and offering opportunities that promote positive heath & wellbeing

Shine Lincolnshire

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Hereford: Herefordshire fluffy socks and pyjamas appeal is BACK!

Click to enlarge.

hvoss - Herefordshire fluffy socks and pyjamas appeal is BACK🎄

Help gift a child or young person something warm & cozy this Christmas. Please donate NEW pyjamas, onesies, dressing gowns, slippers & fluffy socks that can be gifted to a child or young person in need of some TLC this Christmas in Herefordshire.

Please take your donations to hvoss, 52 Broad Street, Hereford. Next door to Greggs.

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.

Little Troopers announces Christmas Smiles plans for December

 

The charity Little Troopers has the announced details of its 2024 Christmas Smiles campaign to support military children who have a parent deployed over the festive period.

With support from BAE Systems and Vivo Defence Services, Little Troopers will once again be sending out 2,500 special Christmas boxes to military children who are separated from their serving parent this December. Each Christmas box will be packed with Little Troopers resources to help children through deployment, a Little Troopers book and other treats to bring Christmas Smiles to thousands of forces children.

As well as the Christmas boxes, Little Troopers has organised a busy calendar of free festive events and activities, including a magical storytelling event with the Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Hospital in London, a free screening of Paddington in Peru at five ODEON cinemas and an online pantomime and elf workshop that families can join wherever they are posted in the world. The charity is also working with local theatres to giveaway pantomime tickets throughout December.

Click here to find out more

Ripple Pond - October newsletter

Please click here to access the Ripple Pond Autumn 2024 Newsletter.

Walk 50 miles with your dog in November for Samaritans

 

Take on the challenge to walk 50 miles with your dog this November, whilst raising vital funds and awareness for Samaritans!

We know that life can sometimes be incredibly tough. Thanks to the dedication of more than 20,000 volunteers, Samaritans can be there for anyone, whatever they are going through and whenever they are struggling to cope.

Visit the website to sign up - https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/events-and-fundraising/walk/walk-50-miles-with-your-dog-in-november/

To find out more about Samaritans support to the Armed Forces community, please go to In the military and Armed Forces Community | How we can help (samaritans.org)

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust - apply now for the AF3 'Supporting Partners' programme

 

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (The Trust) are delighted to announce that the Supporting Partners programme is now accepting applications!

Charities, CICs, Armed Forces units and bases, and universities and colleges are invited to apply for grants of between £10,000 and £60,000 for projects which provide support for partners and spouses of serving personnel to reduce the challenges that Service life can sometimes present.

What is the Supporting Partners programme all about?

The Military children’s charity, Little Troopers, is celebrating ten years of its ‘Little Trooper of the Month’ award scheme

 

Established in 2014 to recognise children of our British Armed Forces the charity has awarded medals to 120 children who have been especially brave and resilient in the face of adversity.

The Little Troopers winners are all children who have parents serving in the forces and understand first-hand how challenging life can be growing up with a serving parent. Many of the youngsters have experienced long periods of separation from their serving parent due to deployments and military exercises, as well as frequent house and school moves, on top of other challenging life circumstances at home.

Previous winners have included eight-year-old Rubi Smith from Scotland, who has permanent hearing loss in one ear and has amazed her family by continuing to compete in singing competitions; as well as three-year-old Austin Porter from Chippenham who copes with daily pain caused by chronic pancreatitis and has undergone surgery on several occasions while his Dad has been deployed overseas multiple times.

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: New Trust funding programme dedicated to supporting specific communities of Veterans

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) are proud to introduce the Fulfilling Futures Programme, part of our ongoing rollout of Covenant Fund programme launches.

Based on feedback from the Trust’s consultation findings, this programme has been designed to fund projects to improve the quality of life for Veterans who have experienced significant, negative impact which is evidenced to be related to their experience during Service.

What is the Fulfilling Futures programme all about?

The Trust ran a public consultation in 2023, which identified that one of the key areas to focus on was ‘ensuring our Armed Forces communities are not disadvantaged.’ This new programme will focus on supporting Veterans who have faced significant and evident challenges during their Service, which has created barriers or compromised their ability to have a fulfilling Service experience. The consultation findings are available to read on The Trust website.

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust - news update

 

Please see below for new updates on how you can catch up on the recent Covenant Fund Webinar if you missed it, and also their launch of three new Covenant Fund programmes - read on for the full details on Supporting Serving Families Overseas, Family Focus and Fulfilling Futures.

Missed our recent Covenant Fund webinar? You can now catch up on our website... Find out all about our new programmes and our new funding framework, plus an in-depth Q&A session where attendees had the chance to put their questions to the Trust team. Find out more here

Supporting Serving Families Overseas is dedicated to recognising and addressing the unique challenges faced by partners, young people and children posted overseas. With grants between £3,000 and £20,000 available, we aim to support projects that enhance emotional wellbeing, mental health, social connections and overall family dynamics. Find out more here

The Family Focus programme is designed to support family members who care for serving personnel and Veterans who are wounded, injured or sick by improving access to support and building resilience to those with a caring role. Grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 to fund projects that address their needs beyond their roles as carers and consider the wellbeing of the whole family unit, enhancing quality of life. Find out more here

Fulfilling Futures will focus on supporting Veterans who have faced significant and evident challenges during their Service, which has created barriers or compromised their ability to have a fulfilling Service experience. Organisations can either apply for a project lasting 12-18 months for grants between £50,000 and £100,000 or projects lasting three to four years for grants up to £300,000. Find out more here

You can find full details of all programmes currently accepting applications on our current programmes page

Hampshire: Home Start Hampshire in Rushmoor & Hart

At Home-Start Hampshire we run a range of family groups which are by referral only, third party or self-referral. The groups are supported by trained and experienced volunteers who will ensure you and your little one(s) are welcomed, feel safe and have a positive experience.

All of our groups provide a safe non-judgmental environment where families can make the first steps to regular social interaction and peer support.

To refer a family to one of our groups, or make a self-referral please complete and return a referral form, which can be found HERE

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub