Hounds for Heroes - Autumn Newsletter

To view the Hounds for Heroes Autum newsletter, please go to: Autumn Newsletter - 2025

To find out more about the Hounds for Heroes mission and their work, please visit: Homepage | Hounds for Heroes

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

Centrica 2026 recruitment opportunities open!

Centrica have various apprenticeships planned for 2026! Recruitment adverts are out now, and anybody who is looking for a new career should apply now!

Each advert has the locations for recruitment, and throughout the year they will be refreshed with new locations.

Links to the current adverts are below:

Apprentice Electrician:
Apprentice Electrician, Flexible / Berkshire / Nottinghamshire / Bedfordshire / Vale of Glamorgan / Merseyside / East Dunbartonshire / Leicestershire / Glasgow / Hertfordshire / Aberdeenshire / Greater London / Wiltshire / Gloucestershire / Essex / West Dunbartonshire / Staffordshire | We're energising a greener, fairer future

Apprentice Gas Smart Metering Engineer:
Smart Metering Apprentice, UK - Field Based (Engineers) / Greater London | We're energising a greener, fairer future

Apprentice Gas Heating Installation Engineer:
Apprentice Heating Installation Engineer, UK - Field Based (Engineers) | We're energising a greener, fairer future

Nominations Open for the 2026 Celebrating Forces Families Awards

The Celebrating Forces Families Awards are delighted to announce that nominations for the 2026 ceremony are now officially open! 

These national awards honour the exceptional contributions of UK Armed Forces families, recognising the strength, resilience, and dedication of those who support our military personnel behind the scenes. Whether through personal achievement, community impact, or professional excellence, these families play a vital role in the life of the Armed Forces. 

Sarah Walker CFF, spokesperson for the awards, said:
 "Forces families are the unsung heroes of our military community. These awards are about giving them the recognition they truly deserve and showcasing the incredible ways they contribute to the fabric of Armed Forces life." 

Award Categories for 2026 Include: 

Update from GOV.UK: Digital version of Veteran Card launched for quicker and easier access to support

Nearly 2 million veterans can now get and benefit from a digital version of the Veteran Card, which will make it easier and quicker to access key services and discounts via their smartphones.

From today, Friday 17 October, it will give veterans a seamless way to confirm their status in person and will include information already featured on their physical card - displaying their name, photo, latest service, and date of birth with the security features that protect their personal information.

Veterans can now apply for and download a digital version of the Veteran Card on their smartphone.
From registering with GPs to housing support and discounted entry to museums, the card will ensure veterans can access services quickly and easily online.
Part of the blueprint for modern digital government, as government makes public services simpler and more accessible so they work around people’s lives as part of the Plan for Change.

To view the news update in full, please go to this LINK

BFBS to Launch First-Ever AI Skills Programme Exclusively for Military Partners

BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) has been awarded a significant grant of £66,884 from The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to deliver a groundbreaking AI skills programme exclusively for military partners helping them develop digital skills, grow career opportunities and strengthen employability in an increasingly tech-driven world.

The programme, which will be the first of its kind and part of the BFBS Academy, launches in January 2026. It will combine flexible online learning that participants can complete in their own time, in addition to monthly live evening webinars and four one-off in-person workshops across Cyprus, Catterick, Blandford, and Edinburgh. The entire programme will be fully funded by the grant.

Jackie Collins, Head of Social Media at BFBS (Academy & Creative) who is leading this initiative and will oversee the programme’s delivery said: “The grant is a game-changer for military partners. With so much hype and confusion around AI, this innovative course will focus on delivering practical skills that cut through the noise, giving participants the confidence and knowledge to explore new job opportunities, develop careers or take businesses to the next level.”

BFBS Academy will guide participants throughout the programme, providing one-on-one coaching, to ensure training is meaningful and accessible to all military partners.

The programme will help participants:

Build foundational AI skills relevant to real-world projects
Explore how AI tools can support work or business growth
Access training in a format that fits around military life and day-to-day jobs
Understand and navigate AI responsibly

The funding marks a major milestone for BFBS Academy’s mission to provide innovative, accessible training for the armed forces community, empowering military partners with the tools they need to thrive in a digital future.

For general updates, follow BFBS Academy on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Almost £1 Million awarded to support more partners of serving personnel

When someone joins the armed forces, it’s a career and a lifestyle that extends to their entire family.

Behind every serving member, whether regular or reserve, is a network of loved ones who quietly support from the sidelines. But for the partners, life in the armed forces can set unique challenges such as relocations, career disruptions, isolation, and the emotional toll from long separations.

Delivered on behalf of the MOD and designed specifically with service partners in mind, the Armed Forces Families Fund: Supporting Partners programme provides tailored solutions and dedicated support to help navigate the demands of service life. It recognises that while service members wear the uniform, their partners also serve in their own way – often by juggling family life, careers, and personal wellbeing.

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) has supported a further 17 projects in the latest funding round, worth almost £1 million to projects that aim to improve the overall provision of support available to partners of serving personnel. Whether it’s promoting skills and experience in the workplace, enhancing access to vital services, or improving wellbeing – these projects are committed to empowering partners to thrive.

Supporting partners across Wales

Adferiad has been awarded a grant to deliver an 18-month, Wales-wide programme aimed at supporting partners into volunteering and employment.

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?

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Latest funding helps change the narrative for servicewomen

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust has awarded eight projects a share of over £650,000 under its Service Women: Seen & Heard programme, focusing on the specific needs of women in our armed forces.

As of April 2025, women represented 11.9% of the UK regular armed forces; however, many still describe it as a ‘man’s world’.

From ill-fitting uniform to availability of sanitary products; a lack of recognition of the role many servicewomen play as main caregiver to their family, to a lack of understanding of the symptoms of menopause. Applications to the Trust’s servicewomen-focused programme made it clear that change is needed.

Body talk

Working across the UK, the Defence General Practice Women’s Health Special Interest Group: Academic Department of Military General Practice, will create a series of short, animated educational clips on servicewomen’s health.

The clips will be designed for use in facilitated discussions across recruitment, training, service and leadership, covering topics such as menstruation, vulval health, urination, menopause, reproductive health and more. This work will support awareness and wellbeing, as well as contribute towards gender-informed leadership in military settings – a key theme of the Atherton inquiry.

Surg Lt Cdr Ruth Guest explains: “Servicewomen tell us about struggling to manage periods on deployment, facing stigma around menopause, or not knowing where to seek support for female specific conditions. With this funding, we can turn lived experience into lasting educational tools that will improve confidence and wellbeing for serving women but also create meaningful discussions and culture change across Defence as a whole.”

Menopause support

Relate at Family Action: Four new job vacancies, UK Home-based with travel

Relate at Family Action have the following 4 new roles at Relate (UK homebased with travel, full time & permanent):

1597 Practice Manager

1598 Business Performance Lead

1599 Head of Training and Consultancy

1600 National and Local Accounts Manager

Relate is now part of Family Action, and they continue to extend the charity’s services across the UK.

The closing date for all roles is Tuesday 28th October at 23:59.

New Award Made under The Armed Forces Covenant Fund: Empowering Bereaved Military Families programme

Bereaved families within the armed forces community will soon benefit from specialist mental health and wellbeing support, thanks to a significant investment from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund’s ‘Empowering Bereaved Military Families’ programme.

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) awarded nearly £2 million to Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) to deliver targeted support – including counselling, emotional and practical care - to military families who’ve lost loved ones during or connected to service.

Long-term vison for transformational change

Are you being posted overseas? Our Overseas and iHIVE Blogs hold information on your new location

You will find information, including comprehensive Location Guides – plus our local office’s contact details – on our Overseas Blogs at:

• Belgium (SHAPE)
• Brunei
• Brunssum
• Cyprus
• Gibraltar
• Naples
• Sennelager

For those posted elsewhere, anywhere in the rest of the World, our tri-Service iHIVE covers the area.

The iHIVE Blog hosts around 100 Overseas Location Guides that can be viewed or downloaded from our iHIVE Blog: https://internationalhive.blogspot.com/ with more being added routinely. These can also be accessed (by MODnet users) through the Army HIVE SharePoint site Overseas Postings area.

Most importantly, our iHIVE is also available to answer any enquiries about any overseas location worldwide, whether you are in the Royal Navy/RM, RAF, Army or civilian Service communities - please get in touch with any questions you may have.

iHIVE is listed in the Overseas Supportability Checklist as an action for any Service person/family assigned overseas, in order to check that local services, amenities and facilities meet each individual and family’s needs.

Our poster has iHIVE’s contact details, or get in touch by email: RC-Pers-HIVE-iHIVE-0Mailbox (MULTIUSER) RC-Pers-HIVE-iHIVE-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk

Mission Motorsport October Newsletter

This edition of the newsletter covers the events from September and what’s coming up in October.

Highlights include:

• Mission Motorsport’s first Hypercar Invitational at Anglesey, combining community, recovery, and motorsport.
• Operations Manager Mark “Chalky” White winning the 2025 Armed Forces Race Challenge.
• The launch of fundraising and outreach initiatives including #YourRoR, the Biathlon of Foolishness, and ink-cartridge recycling.
• Upcoming events: Banter, Brews & Cars (15 Oct), Veterans @ Heritage (24 Oct), and the opening of Race of Remembrance 2025 entries.
• Other news and updates.

To read the full newsletter, view it on the Mission Motorsport website here.

Morson Group/Army: “Invest in You” Presentation on Eventbrite, 23 Oct 25, 1600 hrs

The key message of this presentation is that securing employment outside of the Services can be challenging and discusses beliefs that military qualifications will automatically set Service leavers apart from their civilian competitors.

The presenters are ex-military, and provide a strong message about planning ahead, and engaging with all the training and educational opportunities available in Service to build a competitive profile.

This event is open to all Service personnel, as awareness is key, regardless of where they may each be on their employment/resettlement journey.

To register, please go to: Link to Register: Morson Group/British Army 'Invest in You' Virtual Presentation Tickets, Thu 23 Oct 2025 at 16:00 | Eventbrite

Rail industry offers free rail travel to help veterans and Armed Forces attend Remembrance Services

Free rail travel offered for serving military personnel and veterans attending Services of Remembrance on 9 November.

Free rail travel offered for Royal British Legion London Poppy Day volunteers and collectors on 30 October, with an additional one day either side of the event.

Travel includes London Terminals and Services of Remembrance nationwide, with proof of ID required.

For more information, click here.

Victory Services Club, London – catch up on the latest newsletters

August: Club Life Newsletter - August 2025

Sept: Club Life Newsletter - September 2025

Welfare Matters Newsletter Family Edition – out now

October Quest magazine is out now

The latest edition of Quest magazine (and back issues also) can be read online at the following link:

Quest Magazine | Quest Online

Civvy Street magazine: Oct/Nov 25 issue out now

The latest digital edition of Civvy Street Magazine can be read online HERE

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: New awards to help ease the stress of relocation

Starting again somewhere new is challenging. Negotiating unfamiliar surroundings and finding your feet in a new community can be intimidating and stressful, especially when you have left friendships and existing support networks behind. But for many military families this is an inevitable part of service life.

That’s where Serving Families: On the Move comes in. The programme sets out to tackle these challenges head on – helping to reduce stress for service families affected by the difficulties relocation can bring.

Armed Forces Covenant Trust (the Trust) have supported a further 6 projects in the latest funding round, bringing the total number to 20 projects worth over £1.5 million! And with the second round still open for applications, there will be more to come.

Offering easily accessible information and advice, fostering stronger community links and creating welcoming spaces where friendships can grow, these projects will hopefully make every move a little easier. Ultimately ensuring service families feel welcome and thrive in their new location.