Combat Stress: PTSD Awareness Day Webinars 22–26 June

For PTSD Awareness Day 2026, Combat Stress are offering a series of free webinars designed to increase understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), its impact and that support is available to help with recovery.
PTSD can affect how someone thinks, feels, and reacts and it can look very different from person to person.

Between 22–26 June, these specialist webinars will explore topics including recovery, the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD, practical coping strategies, how data is improving treatment, and how organisations can support recovery.

These sessions are open to all members of the public, including veterans, families, carers and professionals, offering insight into the many faces of PTSD and the support available.

Learn more about the webinars and how they can support understanding of PTSD: https://combatstress.org.uk/ptsd-awareness-day-webinars

If you’d like to talk to someone, the Combat Stress free, confidential 24-hour Helpline is available on 0800 138 1619.

Pinnacle Service Families: Latest Accommodation Updates including the next Virtual Outreach Day on 10 June

HomeHub reaches 2,000 families
HomeHub – the new online platform designed to support Service families in reporting and tracking housing repairs – has now reached over 2,000 registrations.
To register for HomeHub, families will first need to register for a One Login account. They can do this on the Government’s One Login Website. Every member of the household will need to register for a One Login account and HomeHub account using their own personal details.
For further information visit www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/homehub
*Please note that the HomeHub is unavailable 20–26 May while Pinnacle carry out updates. During this time, you can still report or track logged repairs via Pinnacle 
Tel : 0800 031 8628
Contact Us - Pinnacle Service Families

Summer Tips campaign now live
Pinnacle’s 2026 Summer Tips social campaign is now live, offering timely, practical advice to support Service families as we head into the warmer months. Running throughout May and June, the campaign helps families prepare their homes, stay safe in hot weather and avoid common seasonal issues.
The posts cover a wide range of summer themes - from keeping homes safe and well‑maintained to managing outdoor spaces and preventing warm‑weather risks inside and outside the property. Each message reinforces our 24/7 helpdesk number so families know exactly where to turn if they need support.
All of this year’s tips can be viewed on the PSF website here.

Our next virtual outreach day
We are inviting all Service Family Accommodation (SFA) residents to join our next Virtual Outreach Day on Wednesday 10th June 2026. This online event is a valuable opportunity for families to connect directly with our support teams via Microsoft Teams, from the comfort of their own homes. 
Whether families are dealing with a tricky repair, have questions about allocations, or simply want to better understand the services available to them, the outreach day is designed to provide tailored assistance and guidance. These sessions are part of Pinnacle’s broader initiative to ensure military families have multiple, accessible ways to get the support they need. 
Booking is now open and can be done easily here.  

Armed Forces Week 2026: Share your messages of support!

Share your messages of support for our Armed Forces! This Armed Forces Week, we're looking for messages of thanks from friends and family of our Armed Forces. Email your message to MODComms-DDC@mod.gov.uk

Hawley Lake Sail Training Centre, Surrey: Military Families' Open Day - Saturday 6th June

Military Families' Open Day - Saturday 6th June from 10:00am to 4:00pm

“This event is open to civil service and wider community and their families working within the military community.”

Come down and chat to the Hawley Lake team about membership options, take part in one of their watersports taster sessions (book in advance to avoid missing out!) or just come and grab a bite to eat and a drink by the lake at the licensed clubhouse bar.

For more information or to book onto a taster session, visit MILITARY FAMILIES OPEN DAY FUNDRAISER SATURDAY 6TH JUNE - Hawley Lake

All proceeds from the Open Day and Charity Fundraiser will be used to support the Hawley Lake Sail Training Centre Charity (number 1149489).

Service Cotswold Centre

The Services Cotswold Centre (SCC) is a tri-Service facility, managed by Headquarters Army Welfare Service (AWS) and funded by Headquarters Regional Command on behalf of the MOD.

It provides short-term transit accommodation for Service Personnel (SP), family members and MOD civil servants. The key role of SCC is to accommodate varying numbers of vulnerable Service families, often with diverse and complex welfare needs.

The SCC accommodation consists of 60 self-contained chalet style homes and a 37 bed residential unit and is located in Neston, near Corsham Wiltshire.

The SCC is used for:

• Emergency accommodation for military families, spouses and civil partners who have been evacuated from assignments
• Meeting a welfare need such as supporting injured personnel, their carers and/or immediate family members
• Responding to family disruption such as marital breakdown
• Provision of accommodation between assignments – both before taking up a post or repatriation back to the UK
• Accommodation for discharging married personnel
• Short Breaks
• Contact Housing
• Transit accommodation – both duty and welfare

The centre has recently changed its telephone number to TEL: 0331 1432730

FIND OUT MORE: Services Cotswold Centre - GOV.UK

EMAIL: RC-AWS-SCC-Bookings@mod.gov.uk

Little Troopers Family Reconnection Weekend July 2026

Family Reconnection Weekend – July 2026
Applications are now open!
We’re heading to Cuffley Activity Centre in Hertfordshire for a woodland weekend full of activities, connection and time together as a military family. Families will also have the chance to connect with others from the military community who truly understand military life.
Register your interest now, open to families with children in Year 4 and above.
We can’t wait to welcome lots of you to our second Family Reconnection Weekend of 2026!
Applications https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XH8RVPF...

Army HQ: Family Welfare Matters Edition 03 now available

To read online with accessible links, please go to Welfare Matters May 2026

For those with access to MODnet, both this edition and the full internal Welfare Matters newsletter is uploaded onto our SharePoint site under the Welfare Latest News section. The link to access is: Welfare

Army HIVE Says Thank You and Farewell to Longest Serving Overseas HISO

This week marks our longest-ever serving Overseas HISO - Jo Ratabuli - leaving Episkopi HIVE for pastures new. Over her 14 years in post, Jo has been absolutely central in supporting her customers in Epi and wider across BFC, unit moves to and from Cyprus, our Non-UK Nationals, and so much more – her knowledge, warmth and exceptional customer service will no doubt be remembered by many customers and colleagues from across the last decade and a half. Suffice to say, Jo will be a much-missed member of the Army HIVE team, not only from her current BFC colleagues (Karen-Grace, Donna, Emma, James, Jen and Katie) but the rest of the Army HIVE team too!

Our Cyprus Area Manager, Karen-Grace, penned the attached poem and it perfectly captures Jo’s achievements, the differences she has made over her 14 years in service, and the sentiments of her team.

From us all in Army HIVE, Jo, Vinaka vakalevu (thank you very much), Moce mada (until we meet again), and may your next chapter be filled with joy, peace, laughter, and the same warmth you gave so freely to others.

BFBS Marks 15 Years Since Op TELIC Ended With Commemorative Anniversary Campaign

The Forgotten Conflict: BFBS Gives Voice to the Veterans of Op TELIC

BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) today begins a dedicated week of programming to mark 15 years since the end of Operation TELIC (Op TELIC), codename for the involvement of the UK Armed Forces deployed to Iraq between March 2003 and May 2011.

Daily commemorations this week will run across BFBS Radio, BFBS TV, and digital platforms, exclusively bringing together multiple contributors including veterans, serving personnel and BFBS staff as key voices in the special broadcasts forming a comprehensive tribute to the Op TELIC anniversary, and to honour the lived experiences of the UK Armed Forces personnel who served.

While many broadcasters covered the conflict from the outside, BFBS was broadcasting alongside the UK Armed Forces, keeping personnel connected to home throughout operations. From playing music that lifted morale to sharing messages from the families waiting back home, to putting on events to entertain personnel, BFBS served those deployed rather than simply reporting on them. Fifteen years on, that shared experience places BFBS in a unique position to help tell their stories in their own words.

Beginning today, audiences will hear directly from those who served through interviews, long-form specials, bespoke digital content, and live discussions across BFBS radio and social media reflecting on the legacy, with support from BFBS TV. These personal reflections form the heart of the week, capturing a wide range of lived experiences from those who were deployed.

Give Us Time: Summer 2026 Welfare Update

Click poster to enlarge.

To find out more please visit www.giveustime.org.uk

Valuing Forces Families Overseas: Focus Group Invitation

RAND Europe has been commissioned by the Army Families Federation, in partnership with the RAF Families Federation and the Naval Families Federation, to conduct a study exploring the experiences of UK military families throughout the overseas postings cycle. As part of this research, RAND Europe is holding focus groups with military families who have experience of overseas postings, including preparing for, undertaking, and returning from an assignment overseas. These discussions aim to provide an improved and up-to-date understanding of families lived experiences and the challenges they face at different stages of the overseas postings cycle.

This research will contribute to the Valuing Forces Families Overseas (VFFO) programme, funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, which seeks to uncover hidden needs within the Armed Forces community and identify where additional support may be most needed.

If you:

• Are an ex-serving member of the Regular or Reserve UK Armed Forces
• Are a partner of a serving or ex-serving member of the Regular or Reserve UK Armed Forces,

AND if you, within the last 3 years:

• Considered going on an overseas posting (even if you ended up not going), or
• Went on an accompanied posting overseas, or
• Were separated from your partner due to an unaccompanied posting

And are interested in helping researchers to understand how military families can have positive experiences of overseas postings.

Please follow the link below and Expression of Interest to take part in an online focus group to talk about your experience of the overseas postings cycle.

Link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/G0MAAF/

If you have any questions, please contact the RAND Europe research team via email at VFFO_Research@randeurope.org

RAND Europe is a not-for-profit research institute whose aim is to improve policy through evidence-based research and analysis.

Recruit for Spouses: Empowering You Workshops – 9-11 June

Empowering You is back!

Whether you’re exploring a new career, returning to work, or looking for fresh inspiration, Empowering You is here to help you take that next step.

9–11 June
Hybrid experience – join online + in person (London, Glasgow or Knutsford)

Designed for military family members, this supportive series brings together:

• Inspiring real-life career stories
• Forces-friendly employers
• Practical insights to boost your confidence
• A network of people who truly understand military life
• Flexible, engaging, and full of opportunity—spaces are filling fast.

Register now to secure your place

#MilitarySpouses #ForcesFamilies #CareerSupport

Recruit for Spouses: May Newsletter - NEW careers in Defence, healthcare and more...

The latest Recruit for Spouses newsletter is out now. Please go to this link to read in full: NEW careers in Defence, healthcare and more...

Mission Motorsport – May Newsletter

The May newsletter from Mission Motorsport is now available, and it’s a packed edition.

Inside, you’ll find updates on upcoming events, motorsport activity, community news, support opportunities, and ways to get involved. It’s a great snapshot of what’s been happening across the Mission Motorsport community, as well as what’s coming up next.

Whether you’re looking to take part, stay connected, or simply keep up to date with what we’ve been working on, there’s something in this month’s edition for the Armed Forces community, partners, and supporters alike.

You can read it online here: https://www.missionmotorsport.org/news/maynewsletter

Motorfinity - May Update

click posters to enlarge

Motorfinity May Update

Motorfinity supports frontline workers with exclusive discounts on brand-new cars, expert support, and a hassle-free buying experience. From reliable daily commutes to family-friendly upgrades and long road trips, Motorfinity helps those who support our communities save on their next car. Share with someone who could benefit.

Exclusive Savings for Frontline Workers

Motorfinity offers:

✔ Exclusive new car discounts
✔ Part exchange options
✔ Family discounts with participating manufacturers
✔ Friendly expert guidance

ICE vs EV: Should You Make the Switch?

Thinking about switching to electric?

Our latest guide compares petrol, diesel, and EVs to help you decide which option best suits your lifestyle and budget.

Read the guide here

New Changan Partnership

We’re excited to introduce Changan to the Motorfinity lineup, bringing even more innovative vehicle options to UK drivers.

Learn more here

Check out the Changan video - https://youtu.be/LoPebH2IIuE?si=bvyA5iCcdJiM2oEd

New Podcast Episode

Motorfinity recently partnered with the Working Well Community for a podcast featuring Tiger de Souza from Samaritans, discussing leadership, wellbeing, hybrid working, and the future of work.

Watch the episode

Get a quote from our friendly team today - Motorfinity | New Car Discounts for Blue Light & Military

BFBS Selects Synamedia Following Global Competition to Deliver Landmark Digital Platform for UK Armed Forces

Image: For Illustrative Purposes Only

Credit: fxdigital

BFBS Selects Synamedia Following Global Competition to Deliver Landmark Digital Platform for UK Armed Forces

Strategic three-year partnership marks delivery phase of BFBS’ next-generation media vision

Media organisation and military charity BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) today announces it has selected Synamedia as its strategic technology partner to deliver its next-generation global digital platform, following a highly competitive international tender process launched in February 2025, attracting leading technology and media organisations from across the industry.

The announcement comes shortly after the Ministry of Defence renewed BFBS’ contract for a further ten years, reaffirming BFBS’ vital role as a trusted and secure global military broadcaster supporting the UK Armed Forces wherever they serve. As a longstanding and essential provider of media services to Defence audiences worldwide, BFBS continues to play a central role in keeping personnel informed, entertained and connected across some of the most complex and challenging operating environments. Together these milestones mark the beginning of the most significant technological transformation in more than eight decades of BFBS’ history.

Following detailed technical evaluation and industry consultation, with support from digital transformation experts Spicy Mango, Synamedia’s appointment concludes a rigorous process to help shape the future of secure media delivery for the UK Armed Forces and their families worldwide.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) bulk recruitment: 168 DWP Work Coach EO roles in the Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber – closing date 21 May

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have 168 Executive Officer (EO) Work Coach vacancies throughout the Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber. These may be of interest to Service leavers, veterans and Service community members looking at Civil Service roles.

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

Universal Credit Job Centre - EO Work Coach - Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber (Ref: 763) - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK

The vacancies close on 21/05/2026.

Forces Cars Direct: May 2026 Offers

 
Ready for a change? This May, Forces Cars Direct offers have gone even bigger, with an incredible selection of brands and discounts available. Take the Chery Tiggo 8 with a saving of £5,376, or the Cupra Terramar with an impressive £10,710 off.

The friendly team at Motor Source Group are on hand to help you find the perfect car at a great price.

To explore their latest deals, simply follow this link to view this month’s special offers: https://www.forcescarsdirect.com/special-offers/monthly-offers

Quest Magazine – May Edition Out Now

To read this issue online, or any back issues, please go to: https://www.questonline.co.uk/magazine-archive

Service Children's Progression Alliance Impact Centre Listening Tour: UK-Wide and online dates May-Oct 2026

 

Over the next few months, the Service Children’s Progression (SCIP) Alliance are hosting over 30 events across the UK to conduct discussion groups on the topic of evidence mobilisation.

These will be an opportunity for anyone working with Armed Forces families in any professional roles (education, health, local authorities, activity centres, youth groups) to discuss what they think works for supporting Service children, how we know this, and how can evidence be mobilised better.

Find out more about the Tour see here:

https://www.scipalliance.org/events/impact-centre-listening-tour

To express interest in joining in person or online: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/1UqyhEfx72

Written submissions are also available here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/903HRrCff7

Or hear a 45 second ‘walk and talk’ from the research lead: https://youtu.be/jpVOnBuU6l8