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

Wales: Neurodivergence Wales - Autism & Girls - Free session for parents & carers - 28 Nov 24

Autism & Girls - free session for parents / carers

Thursday, 28 November 2024, 10am - 12pm.

This session will explore the presentation of autism in girls, highlighting their unique strengths and challenges. It will cover the importance of early identification, the critical adolescent years, and potential health and social outcomes. Participants will gain insights into how to recognise and support autistic girls as parents or carers, while also learning essential self-care strategies.

(Please note: this session is for parents & carers only)

Click here to book your free place.

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.

Wales: Me Time sessions online support sessions for Carers - Nov & Dec 24

Our MeTime online sessions are designed to inform you of your rights and to support your wellbeing.

Sessions vary from practical advice on carers' rights and caring to a set of holistic wellbeing sessions that range from confidence-building to creative opportunities like crafting.

MeTime sessions for carers:

Monday 25 November, 11am-12pm: Carers Rights
Tuesday 26 November 2024, 1-2.30pm: First aid training
Wednesday 27 November, 1.30-2.30pm: Bryn Eryr (Iron Age) with Museum Wales
Wednesday 27 November, 12-1pm: Balancing work and care? What you need to know
Monday 2 December, 2-3pm: Book club
Tuesday 3 December: Crafty catch-up, 1:30 - 2:30pm

Click here to find out more and book onto Me Time Sessions.

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.

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.

Haverfordwest: Paul Sartori Hospice at Home - Toy Drive

 
Message from Paul Sartori, Hospice at home:

If you are having a Christmas clear out, our stores are looking for preloved toys and Christmas decorations. Please book in a time with your local store to drop of any donations.

For details on your local Sartori Store, please visit: www.paulsartoriretail.org

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

Southampton: Royal British Legion Poppy walk 3rd November

Come together during the Poppy Appeal for a short, family friendly walk to lay a poppy tribute and mark Remembrance. 

This November we invite you to personalise and plant your own poppy tribute in honour of someone you may have loved and lost, and in recognition of what others have given and sacrificed for us all. 

Bring friends and family together to celebrate the lives of Service men and women and help raise much-needed funds, as we share a moment of personal reflection on a sociable walk.

Click HERE for more information. 

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

London: Royal British Legion Poppy walk 2nd November

Come together during the Poppy Appeal for a short, family friendly walk to lay a poppy tribute and mark Remembrance. 

This November we invite you to personalise and plant your own poppy tribute in honour of someone you may have loved and lost, and in recognition of what others have given and sacrificed for us all. 

Bring friends and family together to celebrate the lives of Service men and women and help raise much-needed funds, as we share a moment of personal reflection on a sociable walk. 

Click HERE for more information.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Wales: Age Cymru - Gift Box Appeal 2024

We’re really excited to announce our Gift Box Appeal is back in 2024

We’re delighted to be working with Age Connects Wales and Care & Repair Cymru again this year. By working in partnership, means we can reach more older people across Wales.

Christmas can be a lonely time for many older people who have no close family to visit over the festive period, we hope that having a gift to open may make a huge difference.

How you can help:

1. Find a shoe box - wrap the box and lid separately in Christmas paper, or you can use a festive pre-printed box
2. Fill with gifts - suggestions on what you can include in your shoe box on our website
3. Attach a label marking whether your gift is for a male, female or generic
4. Please don't include personal information about yourself.
5. Once your gift box is filled with wonderful gifts, you can drop them into a local office near you. Please ensure your gift boxes are delivered by Friday 29 November 2024.

For details of a local drop-off point near you, please visit our website.

Please help us to make this Christmas a little brighter and support our Gift Box Appeal.

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub. 

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?

Chepstow: Chepstow Warm Welcome Spaces Re-Launch

 
Chepstow Warm Welcome Spaces get ready for this October’s re-launch. The Warm Welcome Campaign (www.warmwelcome.uk) started as a crisis response to keep people warm following the war in Ukraine and the rising cost of fuel. Local spaces were asked to bid for funding to enable them to keep their heating on and invite local people in who might be frightened of the rising cost of keeping their home warm.

If you would like to find out more about our Warm Welcome Spaces in Chepstow please contact; admin@chepstowmethodist.wales

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.

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.

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.

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.