SSAFA Short Breaks 2025 - Applications are now open

Click poster to enlarge. 

SSAFA Short Breaks are free, residential adventure breaks for Forces families who have a child with an additional need and/or disability, aged between 5 to 18 years. The break is for the whole immediate family to enjoy together.

Short Breaks in 2025:

• 09 – 11 May at Calvert Trust, Lake District
• 21 – 25 July at Calvert Trust, Lake District
• 04 – 08 August at Calvert Trust, Exmoor
• 27 - 31 October at Calvert Trust, Exmoor

Eligibility for SSAFA’s Short Breaks:

• All children within the family must be between 5-18 years.
• Children are dependents of a current Serving person or reservist.
• One child attending must have an additional need and/or disability.
• At least one parent must attend the break with their child/ren.

To apply for the break, please click the link:SSAFA Short Breaks 2025

Please note, Short Breaks are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to families who have not attended before or in the past 5 years. If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close the process early.

For more information, please visit the SSAFA Short Breaks website. 

Online Wellbeing Sessions

 

Research Participants Sought - Survey of British Military Parents

Challenges, support mechanisms and coping strategies of parents in the British armed forces.

Who is doing this research? The research will be conducted by Lt Col Jess Beck, a student on the Advanced Command and Staff Course, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, and will be supervised by Dr Ellen Hallams, School of Security Studies Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, King’s College London. 

What is the research about? The study will examine the challenges, advantages and disadvantages of being a parent in the British military, and the coping strategies which are used by military parents. It aims to understand what additional support and flexibility is required to enable a military career to be maintained, and where there are current shortfalls. 

Am I eligible to participate? You are eligible to participate in the study if you are a Regular member of the British military, have one or more children, and are aged over 18. 

NHS Step into Health: Upcoming Webinars

NHS Step into Health are pleased to share that their next Application Guidance Webinar, and Introduction to Step into Health webinar registration links are now live.

• Application Guidance Webinar, Tuesday 8 April 2025 – 1:00-2:30pm

• An Introduction to Step into Health - Wednesday 12 February 2025 – 11:00am–12:00pm / Wednesday 2 April 2025 10:00-11:00am

​A reminder also that NHS England are also hosting a series of Introduction to Allied Health Profession webinars. You can find out more including dates, and how to register here.

DIO Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Communications Update - 24 Jan

Open Offices

Following feedback from families at recent SFA Roadshows; DIO, Pinnacle, Amey and VIVO have opened local housing office drop-in sessions to offer support and guidance face to face. The following locations are now available:

• South West: Larkhill, Plymouth, Blandford, Gosport, and Portsmouth
• South East: Windsor, Brize Norton, Brompton, and Aldershot
• North: Leuchars and Weeton
• Central: Colchester, Cosford, and Waddington

​Dates and times are available on the Pinnacle website.

Raising repairs prior to move-out

It is important to report any necessary repairs in your home even while you're in the process of moving out. This allows for any required work to be completed before a new family moves in, creating a smoother transfer for all. You should report any repair issues by contacting the Pinnacle National Service Centre on 0800 031 8628 or Repairs@pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk

Aurora New Dawn Domestic Abuse Survey - Meeting the needs of the Armed Forces community

Survey - Meeting the Need of the Armed Forces Community

Recruit For Spouses January newsletter

 

Please click here to read this latest newsletter online

DIO - Upcoming roadshows at Stafford, Cosford and Brize Norton

 

Universal Credit for Armed Forces personnel posted overseas

 

Serving Personnel and families are entitled to claim Universal Credit, regardless of their location. This means families stationed overseas can submit claims in the same way as those in the UK.

Please click here to find out more

Pinnacle Group - free coaching & mentoring

 

Do you have links to the military community? Pinnacle Group's Social Value team deliver employability, money management and business mentoring programmes which are free to SP, Veterans, Reservists, and their Spouses / Partners and their families.

So whether you are looking to change your job or find yourself out of work we can support you to get that next role via our employability programmes and if you are someone looking to start a business or maybe you are a Veteran or Spouse / Partner with an Existing Business looking for support to grow your income and profits, we have business mentoring programmes where experienced Business Mentors will support you all the way.

For more information please visit https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/families-first/family-and-community-support/ or email psv@pinnaclegroup.co.uk​

Over £3.3 million awarded in latest round of Covenant Fund awards

Over £3.3 million awarded in latest round of Covenant Fund awards

The Armed Forces Covenant Trust (the Trust) is delighted to announce over £3.3 million has been awarded in the latest series of grants made under the Covenant Fund.

The Trust has supported a total of 34 fantastic projects across four different Covenant Fund programmes, all set to make significant improvements for Armed Forces communities across the UK.

• Service Women: Seen & Heard has awarded over £700K to eight projects tackling the underlying issues unique to serving women, providing improved access to support for their mental and physical health and wellbeing.
• Free From Fear has awarded just over £700K to five projects addressing domestic abuse through preventative measures or providing support routes for survivors in Armed Forces communities.
• Serving Families: On the Move has awarded just over £1M to 11 projects helping to improve the quality of life for Service families impacted by relocation.
• Embedding Prevention of Veteran Suicide has awarded just over £860K to 10 projects enabling systemic change and long-term, sustainable impact, building on the findings from the One is Too Many programme.

SSAFA FANDF Conference Save the Date

Forces Additional Needs and Disability Forum (FANDF) Conference
Save the Date: Mon 02 June 2025

Website: ssafa.org.uk/fandf

Email: CS.ANDA@ssafa.org.uk

Facebook Page: forcesandf

Linkedin Essentials Workshop 23rd January 2025

 
LinkedIn Essentials with Lincoln Coutts

Whether you are just getting started or have had a LinkedIn profile for years, Lincoln Coutts will guide you through the platform’s essential tips and tricks.

Join us on 23 January 2025 for one or both online sessions to strengthen your understanding of the platform and ensure you use LinkedIn to its full potential.

This workshop is open to veterans, Service leavers, reservists and military family members. Click HERE for more information and to register.

New Defence survey for those in a Long Term Relationship - survey ends Mon 3 Feb

 

If you’re in a Long Term Relationship (LTR) with a Service person, Defence would like to hear your views and experiences about Service family life. 

Defence has launched a pilot survey to better understand the experiences of Long Term Relationship partners, including dual-serving partners, of serving personnel. This survey is anonymous and closes on Monday 3 February 2025.

Please note that this survey is open to the entire LTR population, and is separate to the LTR Overseas pilot scheme survey that is also currently ongoing.

What do you like about Service life? What can be improved?

Your feedback will help Defence to deliver the UK Armed Forces Families Strategy (2022-32), which drives policy and initiatives in areas such as family healthcare, education and accommodation.

Your feedback will also help Defence to develop eligibility for support, allowances, and accommodation to those in couple relationships. 

How to complete the survey

This survey can be completed using a Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browser: https://www.tools.mod.uk/surveys-ltr/.

To access the survey, please enter your partner’s Service number as the ‘token’ or 'access code'. Please be assured that Service numbers are not linked to responses and is only needed as a security precaution. Dual serving couples will also need to enter their partner's Service number.

This survey will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes to complete.

Every response counts

We want to hear from as many of you as possible, so we can make informed decisions that will have the most benefit for you, and the wider LTR community. Your responses will also be used to inform how we communicate with you in the future.

Rail sale offers up to half price discounts on over 2 million tickets

 

Back and bigger than ever rail sale!

From 14 to 20 January 2025, selected advance and off-peak fares will go on sale at up to 50% off for travel between 17 January and 31 March 2025.

As part of this year’s rail sale, thousands of popular routes across almost all UK train operators, including Transport for Wales and ScotRail, will be offering discounted tickets with journeys spreading the length and breadth of Great Britain.

Discounted rail ticket prices will apply to journeys made between 17 January and 31 March 2025 across Great Britain.

The sale is now live with tickets available through the Rail Delivery Group’s microsite or through individual train operators until 20 January.

For further information: Back and bigger than ever: rail sale offers up to half price discounts on over 2 million tickets - GOV.UK

National Transition Event at Silverstone - Mon 24 Feb

‘Bringing together a community of communities’: Registration now open for the National Transition Event at Silverstone on 24 Feb!

Now in its 6th year, the National Transition Event (NTE) brings together Service Leavers, Veterans, Reservists, spouses & partners and family members to aid successful, sustainable transition & networking opportunities, recognising, demonstrating and celebrating the value of the Armed Forces. It uses the backdrop of the iconic GP racetrack to offer a unique event giving those attending a way to find out about careers and roles across different industry sectors while having a memorable day.

NEW for NTE25 is an invitation for 16–18-year-old Cadets to come along and hear about the opportunities open to them in the job market, apprenticeships and training.

This is the largest event of this kind in the UK and you are invited!

NDNA's Childcare employment programme

 

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:

Barclays - Military Spousal Founders Programme

 
Military Spousal Founders Programme:

For military spouses with dreams of starting or growing a business.
Are you part of the armed forces community with plans to become a business founder? Barclays Military Spousal Founders Programme is designed just for you.

What is the Barclays Military Spousal Founders Programme?

Barclays have partnered with Eagle Labs Academy to run this specially designed programme for military spouses who want to start and grow a business. Continuing our ongoing commitment to the armed forces covenant, the programme aims to assist spousal business owners establish a foundation to be successful in starting their own business.

Eagle Labs Academy is a digital learning platform that helps founders start and scale their business at their own pace.

For more information and to apply please click HERE.

MOD Local Authority Partnership (MODLAP)

The Ministry of Defence Local Authority Partnership (MODLAP) is a partnership between the MOD and 19 English local authorities that have committed to work together to improve the experience and outcomes of children of UK Armed Forces families. The local authority membership of MODLAP represent those authority areas with the highest numbers of service children in England.

Full information can be found HERE.