Grantham: Shine Connect Winter Support 2025

As we approach the festive season and look ahead to 2026, we are pleased to launch our Shine Connect Christmas and Winter Support Magazine which can be found here: Christmas Shine Connect 2025. It’s a practical information guide designed to support people who may be struggling, feeling isolated, or in need of extra help over the Christmas period.
The magazine brings together a wide range of key services from health, care and community VCFSE partners, all in one place.
It includes information on local support available over Christmas and New Year, warm and welcoming spaces for those who need them, free phone helplines offering a friendly voice, and community services that help people connect with others and reduce loneliness and isolation during the holiday period.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Grantham: Connect to Support Lincolnshire - Armed Forces Community Directory

Following extensive research this directory was co-produced with input from service families, HIVE’s and veterans’ associations. It was without exception that people wanted a directory where they could find not only national information, but regional and local information where they could seek help, support and advice.

This effective directory which lists a wide range of national, regional and local organisations providing support and advice to the Lincolnshire Armed Forces Community. It should not be taken as an exhaustive list of all services on offer across the UK. lincolnshire.connecttosupport.org/armed-forces-community-directory/

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Grantham: Beacon Cafe a space for Veterans - Military - Reservist - Emergency Services

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Grantham: Housing Surgery

Next Housing Surgery at the HIVE Community Centre, Building 162, Thursday 15th January, 1030 - 1230. All welcome!

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Catterick: North HIVE Hub Christmas Closure

 Information provided by North HIVE Hub

Royal Navy Sailing Association: FREE sailing courses for 8-17 year olds – 2026 dates now launched

Please note that these courses are only available to serving RN, RM and RFA families. To find out more please go to: https://rnsayouthcrew.org.uk/

Wales: Wales HIVE Hub office Christmas Closure dates

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.

Scotland: Leuchars HIVE Christmas closure.

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Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Dorset: Christmas bin collection dates 24th Dec - Mon 12th Jan

 

Usual collection day         Revised collection day

Wednesday 24 December     No change

Thursday 25 December        Saturday 27 December

Friday 26 December             Monday 29 December

Monday 29 December          Tuesday 30 December

Tuesday 30 December         Wednesday 31 December

Wednesday 31 December    Friday 2 January

Thursday 1 January              Saturday 3 January

Friday 2 January                   Monday 5 January

Monday 5 January               Tuesday 6 January

Tuesday 6 January              Wednesday 7 January

Wednesday 7 January        Thursday 8 January

Thursday 8 January            Friday 9 January

Friday 9 January                Saturday 10 January

Collection days will return to normal from Monday 12 January.

Christmas and New Year rubbish and recycling - Dorset Council

• We will collect up to two extra sacks of rubbish beside your bin on your first rubbish collection after Christmas Day
• No garden waste collections will take place from Christmas Day until Thursday 8 January
• Household recycling centres are open from 9am to 4pm daily, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
• Extra recycling, including glass and food, will be collected on your recycling collection day, provided it has been separated correctly and placed in a suitable sturdy container (no bags) that can be easily lifted by one person.
• Please help our crews by putting your glass out for collection before Christmas. This ensures you have as much space as possible in your glass box, helping prevent over spilling containers, and reduces the amount of extra glass we collect over the busy festive period.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Bovington: Bump, baby & toddler event - Sun 25th Jan 2026 Register your interest now!

 

In partnership with Little Pickles Markets, The Tank Museum is proud to present its first Bump, Baby & Toddler event – featuring special guest speaker Zoe Blaskey.

Visitors can browse the baby & children’s nearly new sale, listen to a range of talks from our guest speakers, enjoy baby & toddler-friendly activities and enjoy exploring The Tank Museum – with its soft play area, perfect for tots!

Plus, for this event, The Tank Museum is delighted to offer 50% off admission – and under 4s go free! Register your interest Little Pickles Market - The Tank Museum to be notified when tickets become available.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Bovington: HIVE office Christmas closure dates

Blandford HIVE office (outreach from Bovington) will reopen Monday 5th January
Bovington HIVE will reopen Tuesday 6th January.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE 

Blandford: Garrison shop festive closure notice

 

The Costcutter shop will be closed from Sat 20th Dec until Mon 5th Jan 2026

Please note the shop will close at 4pm on Friday 19th December. 

Information provided by Bovington HIVE 

Mission Motorsport – Christmas message and December newsletter

The Mission Motorsport team have the following Christmas message, which includes a link to the Dec newsletter:

As 2025 comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on another successful year of recovery sport. It has been a year packed full of events, some long-standing favourites and some exciting new additions to the calendar. This year saw a trio of exceptional Race of Remembrance events and alongside incredible fundraising for the #YourRoR campaign. Thank you everyone for your outstanding support and commitment. It has been truly wonderful to share so many memories with you all, and we hope you have enjoyed our activities as much as the team has enjoyed delivering them.

Enjoy a read of December's Newsletter as we look over Race of Remembrance, recovery motorsport, some incredible fundraising and ways to get involved with Mission Motorsport in the new year. There is the exclusive first access to the link to sign up to the National Transition Event 2026.

Our staff will be taking some well-earned Christmas leave, and we will be operating with reduced numbers between 22nd December and 2nd January. If you can’t reach the office by phone, please note that the team@missionmotorsport.org inbox will be checked regularly. If you are struggling over the festive period, you are not alone, and we know that reaching out for support can be a big step but there is always an option Mental Health — MISSION MOTORSPORT.

Finally, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you, beneficiaries, volunteers, sponsors, partners, and supporters for your continued commitment. We truly couldn’t do it without you. We’ll be doing it all again in 2026, so keep an eye out for next year’s calendar of events, which will be published soon!

We’d like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Give Us Time - 2026 breaks are live!

Give Us Time first breaks for 2026 are live on the website now – there are dates in March and April across the UK, in both glamping pods (which sleep up to 4) and holiday lodges (which sleep up to 6). There are two new locations this year as well, at Malvern View in Herefordshire, and Glendal in Cumbria.

As always, the criteria for breaks is here https://giveustime.org.uk/what-we-do/faqs/ and the registration form is here https://bookings.giveustime.org.uk/login

Breaks are accommodation only – Give Us Time do not cover the costs of travel, food, or entertainment as part of the break.

Breaks are booked on a first come first served basis and they ask families to wait 2 years between bookings, but will always consider exceptional circumstances.

More dates for the rest of 2026 will be added soon – announcements will be made on Give Us Time socials here https://www.facebook.com/GiveUsTime and https://www.instagram.com/give_us_time/

New Awards Made under The Armed Forces Families Fund: The Early Years Programme

600K Early Years Funding Supports Youngest Service Children

Speaking at the SciP Alliance conference in November, Minister for Veterans and People Louise Sandher-Jones reminded attendees that “Service is rarely an individual act. It’s a collective commitment shared and shouldered by a wide network of people who themselves have to develop the same qualities of strength and resilience that we ask of those family members serving in the military.”

But how does this translate to our youngest service children aged 0-5 years?

In the latest round of the Armed Forces Families Fund: Early Years programme, The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) has awarded 11 projects a share of just over £600,000 to tackle this challenge.

From SEND support and sensory spaces that build emotional wellbeing, to creating stimulating outdoor spaces that extend the learning environment for young service children at childcare settings. The Fund has once again shown the breadth of work taking place to ensure service children get the best start, despite the challenges of being part of a military family.

Getting out and active

Supporting service families at various sites across the country including RAF Valley, RAF Honington and RAF Shawbury, RAFAKidz is the largest provider of early years childcare to the RAF. They’ve received three awards in this latest round of funding to transform the outdoor learning environment at their settings - something they have recently received a National NMT Nursery Award for their Medmenham site in High Wycombe.

Josie Mapes, Executive Director of RAFAKidz, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the AFCFT and the MOD for awarding us these generous grants. We’re dedicated to creating environments where the children we care for can grow, play and thrive, and this funding will help us do that. We know from our other settings that having access to outdoor spaces is vital for children’s development and for teaching them about the natural world. RAFAKidz Valley and Shawbury are relatively new to the RAFAKidz family, so we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to enhance the outdoor spaces at these settings, giving our children space to enjoy outdoor play.”

Supporting military families ‘needs

Grantham: Community Pharmacy Lincolnshire

Pharmacy

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Armed Forces Covenant annual report 2025

The Ministry of Defence published the 14th Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report on 16 Dec.

To view the Report documents, please click this link: Armed Forces Covenant annual report 2025 - GOV.UK

For more information on the Armed Forces Covenant, how it can support you and the upcoming Legal Duty extension, visit the Covenant website.

East Fife: Mobile Library Timetable for 5th January - 3rd April 2026

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For any queries about the Mobile Library service, please email fife.libraries@onfife.com.


Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Weeton: Get involved with AWS Community Services - Volunteers needed

Information provided by Preston & Weeton HIVE

Blandford: Garrison main exit road disruption between 24th Dec - Tues 6th Jan

Please be aware both maintenance and repairs will be carried out on sites exit road between 24th Dec and 6th Jan. Disruptions and durations as per the below,

Works commence Wednesday 24th Dec - Road remains open.

Road closures

Tuesday 30th Dec to 1st Jan

Monday 5th Jan to 7th Jan.

Dates could change due to weather conditions or delays.

Once the road is closed, vehicles will exit site via lanes 1 to 3 directly Infront of the guard room, signage and direction will be in place to remind all users. Please take extra time, care and attention during this period.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE