Stafford: SSAFA Discover what's coming up for SSAFA in 2025

Welcome to your latest monthly update, and a heartfelt welcome to all new members of SSAFA. We’d like to kick off 2025 by saying a huge thank you for all your support in 2024. 

Whether you took part in an event, made a generous donation, gave up your time to volunteer, or even just opened one of our emails, you helped improve the lives of our Armed Forces community. 

We are always in awe of the incredible generosity of our supporters, so a BIG THANK YOU!

Read the newsletter here

Information provided by Stafford HIVE

Weeton: ABF The Soldiers Charity - North West - Job Opportunity - closing date 31st Jan 25

 Looking for a new challenge?

ABF North West is looking for an Events Executive. 

A fantastic opportunity has opened up to work within our North-West regional team. If you're looking for a job that offers variety all while supporting an incredible cause, this could be the job for you.

To find out more and how to apply, please click HERE

Information provided by Preston & Weeton HIVE

Little Troopers launches All Together family reconnection weekends

The military children’s charity, Little Troopers, has launched a series of free family reconnection weekends for forces families to spend quality-time together.

Funded by Team Forces, the four Little Troopers weekends invite young people and their parents to go away for an exciting few days of outdoor adventure and connection where they’ll be encouraged to put down their phones, meet people, do new things and spend quality time together.

Open to families with up to four siblings aged 9 and over, the weekends will be packed with adventurous activities including coasteering, raft building, kayaking, mega SUPing and coastal bushcraft, as well as time to relax on the beach, watching the sunset with a hot chocolate.

With a mix of child-only and parent-and-child time, the itinerary has been organised so that the small number of five to six families attending will have an enjoyable break and make memories to last a lifetime.

The dates for the Little Troopers All Together reconnection weekends in 2025 are:

Never Such Innocence: Month of the Military Child - April 2025

Never Such Innocence will be offering a wide variety of activities for Month of the Military Child in April. Whether you are joining the 'Purple Up' day on 25 April, entering the poetry and art competition or singing Dandelions - there is something for everyone! Please visit their website to learn more or access their range of activities. www.neversuchinnocence.com/month-of-the-military-child

Soldiers Arts Academy - free online workshops

 

The Soldiers' Arts Academy aims to provide a platform through which serving and veteran military personnel and their families can participate in the creative arts. Using their skills and experiences to create and engage audiences worldwide, the SAA strives to encourage excellence, engagement and inspiration in its members, as well as building a supportive and strong community.

Online workshops include art, signing, guitar lessons and poetry. All are free for military personnel, veterans and military families. Find out more at www.soldiersartsacademy.org

Royal British Legion Poppy Hike, Epsom Surrey – Sunday 18 May

 

The RBL Poppy Hike is taking place in the beautiful Surrey Hills on Sunday 18th May. By taking part, you'll be helping to raise vital funds and awareness so that RBL can continue to support serving & ex-serving personnel and their families, for as long as needed.

Starting and finishing at Epsom Racecourse, you'll hike through stunning landscapes in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You will also pass through a Centenary Wood which commemorates the sacrifices made in WW1.​

For more information on this event, please go to: rbl.org.uk/eventhike There is a discount for the military community available of 20%, reducing the registration cost to £20. To access the discount code, please ask your local HIVE; use our DM/Contact Us facilities; or email RC-Pers-HIVEComms-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk​

To find more information on:

• Other RBL fundraising events and challenges, please visit: rbl.org.uk/eventbrochure
• The RBL and how they support beneficiaries, please visit: Our Beneficiaries
• How to be a volunteer, please visit: rbl.org.uk/event-volunteer

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

 

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.

Stafford: SSAFA tri services and veterans support centre Stoke-on-Trent

Families in need can get free food at weekly event set up by veterans' charity

Items on offer at the Tri Services and Veterans' Support Centre include fresh fruit and veg, tinned goods and a variety of snacks.

At Tri Services we have a food bank that can be used by veterans & their families also married or single service personal can ask for support . Phone 07935152590.  If you need to use this service pop into the HIVE and talk to Dawn she will explain how you can request and receive any food parcels you need . 

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/families-need-can-free-food-4577073?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Information provided by Stafford HIVE

Winchester - Home-Start Family Groups

Information provided by South East 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

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