Elgin: Moray Pathways at Dr Grays, Thurs 5th Feb

click on image to enlarge

Moray Pathways will be at Dr Gray’s on Thursday February 5th from 10am-1pm. 

Come along to connect with local support, get money advice and explore job and training opportunities.

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Hampshire: Forces Connect South East

Forces Connect South East

Hampshire County Council is proud to be part of Forces Connect South East

Forces Connect South East is a cross border partnership comprising Hampshire, Surrey, Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex County Councils, Brighton and Hove, Medway Councils and Sussex NHS.

It is a two-year Ministry of Defence Armed Forces Covenant Funded Programme aimed at making it easier for servicemen and women and their families, as well as reservists and veterans, to access public sector services including healthcare, housing, schools, financial advice and support to find jobs.

Click HERE for more information.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub.

Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan: Support for unpaid carers - Tu Vida Financial Wellbeing Service

Are you an unpaid carer in Cardiff or the Vale of Glamorgan facing financial hardship?
Support is available through the Financial Wellbeing Service.
To request help, email: financialwellbeingservice@tuvida.org

and include:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Which area do you provide care, Cardiff or the Vale of Glamorgan?
• Whether you need a grant, financial wellbeing support, or both.

TuVida website - Financial Wellbeing Service.

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub

Serve & Protect Credit Union: 2026 Upcoming Webinars

 

Upcoming Webinars for 2026

To find out more and to register Click Here

Staffordshire Household Support Fund - applications close 31 March

Molly (AWS CDW) is able to refer families if needed to the Household support fund. Please email molly.nash112@mod.gov.uk if you need the support

Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

 

Serve & Protect Credit Union: Free financial webinars – January dates

✍ Budgeting 101: Take Control of Your Money
Dates: Thursday 15th January
Time: 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
What to Expect: How to create a budget that meets your goals, with tips to cut spending.
🔗 Register Here

☔ The Road to Financial Resilience: Preparing for the Unexpected
Date: Wednesday 21st January
Time: 12:00 PM – 01:00 PM
What to Expect: Explore why financial resilience matters and simple, practical tips to improve it.
🔗 Register Here

🚀 Credit Score 101: Tips to Boost Your Score
Dates: Thursday 22nd January
Time: 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
What to Expect: Understand the importance of looking after your credit score, with tips to improve it.
🔗 Register Here

💡 Before You Borrow: Key Things to Know
Date: Thursday 29th January
Time: 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
What to Expect: Understand the key factors lenders may evaluate, with tips to consider before applying.
🔗 Register Here

Powys: Welsh Government Learning Grant (FE) open for eligible students 19+

Welsh Government Learning Grant FE applications remain open for 2025/26.

If your 19+ family member is eligible, they can still apply for up to £1,919 in funding.
www.gov.wales/making-education-work-you

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.

Motorfinity: Top tips to finding suitable Black Friday car deals

Motorfinity have created a blog post with advice on Black Friday car deals.

The article covers:


What Black Friday car deals are
Who offers them
The type of deals you can experience
Top 5 tips to finding suitable deals for you
How to find out more about our Black Friday deals

To read the Motorfinity blog please go to: 

Our top tips to finding suitable Black Friday car deals | Motorfinity

First Defence Finance: Resources from Safer Gambling Week

Last week marked Safer Gambling Week, and our colleagues at First Defence Finance (one of the three MOD-endorsed Credit Unions) have produced a booklet on this topic that can be viewed online at: 

👉 https://heyzine.com/flip-book/FDFGamblingSupport

Read on for further information:

Defence Your Offer: Black Friday 2025 - Defence discounts make your money go further

Black Friday 2025: Defence discounts make your money go further

The countdown is on! Whether you’re ticking off your Christmas list early or saving up for something special, this year’s Black Friday event is your chance to make every penny count.

In Defence, your offer provides access to exclusive savings as a member of:

• Defence Discount Service – For all staff, veterans, and Armed Forces families – giving access to thousands of online discounts from over 14,000+ brands.
• Blue Light Card – The UK’s leading discount service for the Armed Forces, emergency services, NHS, social care sector and teaching community, giving access to thousands of online discounts from 15,000+ brands.
• MyLifestyle – For Defence Civil Servants – giving access to thousands of online and instore retail savings from over 800 retailers.

Defence Discount Service and Blue Light Card

Here’s what to expect this Black Friday…

• Early access to some of the biggest discounts of the year –Members will enjoy 24-hour priority access to daily deals before the public – meaning you can snap up savings first.
• Exclusive offers throughout November – with discounts from top brands, including Panasonic, KitchenAid, Nike, loveholidays, Gousto, Dyson, VistaPrint, Benson for Beds, Charlotte Tilbury, Halfords, and more.... And remember, many of the offers from Blue Light Card and Defence Discount Service can be combined with brand Black Friday discounts for even bigger savings!
• Mark your calendar for Friday 28 November to Monday 1 December – and get ready to see just how much further your money can go!

More than discounts: rewards and support for our community

Serve and Protect Credit Union - 10 Years of Supporting the Armed Forces

Last week marked a special milestone for us at Serve and Protect Credit Union. On Wednesday, 15th October 2025, we proudly celebrate ten years of providing dedicated armed forces support to service personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families.

It’s a decade defined by our commitment to improving the financial resilience of those who serve and have served our country. We are honoured to be the largest credit union available to the military, serving over 16,000 members across the armed forces community.

Our journey in armed forces support

The story began in 2015 when the Ministry of Defence selected Serve and Protect, as part of the ‘Joining Forces’ initiative, to offer financial services to the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Our mission was clear from the start. To provide an ethical and affordable alternative to high-cost lenders. We set out to build a foundation of financial wellbeing for the armed forces community, ensuring they have access to fair and supportive financial solutions.

This partnership was built on a shared goal to enhance the financial resilience of military personnel. We understood that the unique demands of service life can bring specific financial challenges. Our role was to provide reliable armed forces support that personnel and veterans could count on.

To read the article in full, including a YouTube video link, please go to: Serve and Protect celebrate a decade of Armed Forces support

MOD Update: Credit union service for Defence people celebrates 10-year anniversary

Credit union service for Defence people celebrates 10-year anniversary

This month marks 10 years since the launch of Joining Forces – the collaboration of three credit unions, established to help Service Personnel and Defence civil servants save regularly and borrow responsibly.

The Joining Forces Credit Union (JFCU) service – which now supports over 27,000 members – provides a range of simple savings accounts and affordable loans, to help Service Personnel (Regulars and Reservists), veterans, and their families access financial products. Repayments can be made straight from military pay or pension.

Defence Civil Servants can also use the service, with saving and loan repayments made via Direct Debit – rather than payroll deduction.

What is a credit union?

Hampshire: Hampshire County Council money worries

Please click on the link below to access the HCC website that provides vital information for families who may be struggling due to the cost of living crisis with lots of useful links.

Click HERE for more information.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

KCC: The Kent Money Advice Hub

 

'People go to the Money Advice Hub  with a lot on their shoulders, and they finish the call with an instant sense of relief and an increase in confidence.'

Are you worrying about money? The Kent Money Advice Hub could help you.

 
Click HERE for more information

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Wales: Armed Forces Family Focus - Citizens Advice Service in Wales

 
Citizens Advice:

Our Wales-wide holistic advice service supports service men and women, ex-service personnel, and their families by providing practical, comprehensive, and tailored advice on benefits, debt, welfare, and housing, helping them access the right support and information to move forward.

Our project will provide holistic, multi-issue support, including:

• Income maximisation (identifying unclaimed benefits, supporting grant applications)
• Practical assistance accessing financial support following injury or development of health conditions
• Unlocking entitlement to financial support for carers and connecting them with specialist support agencies
• Help with benefit applications and appeals
• Access to emergency financial support (fuel vouchers, food bank referrals)
• Managing problem debt and preventing financial crisis
• Housing rights advice (tenancy support, preventing evictions, ensuring safe living conditions)
• Advice on employment matters, such as general employment rights, flexible working to accommodate caring responsibilities and potential discrimination

Contact our helpline on 0808 531 0313 Monday to Friday 8am until 7pm and Saturdays 9am to 1pm.

https://cacv.org.uk/our-projects/armed-forces-family-advice-service/

This service is provided by Citizens Advice Cardiff & Vale and Citizens Advice Caerphilly Blaenau Gwent and funded by the Armed Forces Community Covenant Fund.

DWP news update: Children to benefit from funded childcare

The Government has delivered its pledge to fund childcare for 30 hours a week – saving parents £7,500 a year per child.

Take-up is expected to be over and above initial projections, with over half a million kids on track to be more school ready by age 5, giving every child the best start in life.

The Best Start in Life website brings together trusted information, guidance, and support into one place where parents will be able to check what childcare help they’re eligible for, find their local family services, sign up for tailored weekly updates, and access advice from everything from pregnancy to preparing a child for school. 

Click this link to Read the full press release

Northern Ireland: NIdirect Cost of Living Information and Advice

  

Information and advice about support with the cost of living, including:
• help with energy costs
• help with your income
• help for families and children
• help for older people
• help with housing
• help with other costs
Find out more: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/cost-of-living
Jobs & Benefits Northern Ireland

Information provided by HIVE NI

Fife: Citizens Advice and Rights Fife - worried about paying your council tax?

Worried about Council Tax?

You’re not alone – and help is out there.

👉 You might qualify for discounts or exemptions
👉  Apply for a Council Tax Reduction if your income is low
👉  Get extra help with rent through Discretionary Housing Payments

💬 We can check what support you’re entitled to and help you apply.

Don’t wait until bills pile up – reach out today.

Get advice 👉 Home | Citizens Advice and Rights Fife

Get help 👉 Cost of Living Support

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Gov.uk Armed Forces Pensions Update: Pension Scams

The over-arching link for all Armed Forces Pensions information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans

Wiltshire: Household Support Fund extended to help Wiltshire's most vulnerable until March 2026

Wiltshire Council has welcomed the UK Government's decision to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) for another year, ensuring vital assistance continues for residents most in need. The seventh round of the fund, known as HSF7, will run from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

The Household Support Fund is designed to provide crisis support to households struggling with essential living costs, such as food and utility bills. It also offers preventative support, including budgeting and cookery classes, and the purchase of energy-efficient appliances like fridges and cookers.