Gloucestershire: Winter HAF bookings open Mon 1 Dec

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is funded by the Department for Education. It supports children from Reception to Year 11 who are eligible for income-related free school meals. HAF offers fun activities and nutritious meals for eligible children.

Find out more and register your child before booking opens at https://familyhubs.gloucestershire.gov.uk/haf

Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

Wiltshire: Winter FUEL Programme from Wiltshire Council - booking now open

        

Winter's Winter FUEL Programme 2025 is open for booking!

The programme will run across various locations in Wiltshire from 22nd December until 2nd January 2026.

FUEL provides eligible school-aged children with free access to enriching activities, nutritious meals and healthy eating information.

Booking is required and open until 12th December.

Find out more about the programme, eligibility, locations and more at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure/fuel-programme

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVEs

Little Troopers - All Together Online Space workshop with SPACE DETECTVES - 15th November 2025

All Together ONLINE – Space Detectives

Saturday 15th November 2025, 11:00hrs

Book your family space here
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../space-detectives-all...

Investigate the simple science of a rocket and touch base with Sir Isaac Newton. We then design, build and engineer one of your own right through to launch. Resource list and online access link will be emailed prior to the session.

All Together sessions run every other weekend until April 2026.
Sessions are free, but places are limited. Please only book if you are confident you can attend so that as many families as possible can take part.

About All Together Online

All Together is a club that brings military children together. As part of this, All Together Online offers a series of exciting, live, online events especially for military children under 11 who have a parent away from home for any military reason.
Everyone from the serving military community is warmly welcome to join us.

Hereford: Free Christmas Parking

 Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub

Leuchars: Christmas Toy Drive Appeal 2025

click on image to enlarge

Leuchars Station are asking for donations of NEW Toys (all ages), if you would like to make a toy donation you can leave it with the HIVE, Bright Horizons or Station HQ.

Last intake is Friday 12th December.

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Leuchars: Do you fly a drone?

click on image to enlarge

It is illegal for anyone to fly a drone within a 5km threshold of an Air Base.

If you do wish to operate a drone you must contact Police Scotland and Leuchars Air Traffic Control in the first instance to seek permission.

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Give Us Time - Welfare Update Winter 2025

Blandford: Garrison pantomime 'Sleeping Beauty' Mon 8th Dec - Tickets on sale now

 

This year's Garrison pantomime from the Forces Foundation will be performed by professional actors from the Panto bus.

Venue: Garrison cinema (on camp)

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Primary School Aged Childcare Overseas Allowance - Launching January 2026

Primary School Aged Childcare Overseas (PSACO) Allowance to launch in January 2026. PSACO is the final phase of the Wraparound Childcare (WAC) Scheme, providing a reimbursement for the costs of before and after school childcare in overseas locations where WAC eligibility criteria cannot be met due to local rules and regulations or because Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) accounts are not available. The launch of the PSACO Allowance means eligible Service families will have access to before and after school childcare funding in all overseas locations. PSACO eligibility criteria and guidance will be added to the Discover My Benefits website from January 2026

Defence Vegan & Vegetarian Network

Find out more about the Defence Vegan/Vegetarian Network

Serving Personnel can now register their status as Vegan or Vegetarian on JPA 

Wiltshire: Family Hub e-newsletter - issue 9

 

Please click here to read this e-newsletter online

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVEs

Hereford: Herefordshire Libraries - Under Fives

 

Children are welcome to join the library from birth and enjoy the great choice of board and picture books in our libraries. There are plenty of spaces to explore, free activities to enjoy and stories to share. Regularly sharing books, stories and rhymes can have a big impact on their development and helps to build a baby's early language skills whilst encouraging a lifelong love of reading.

10 things you will find for under-fives in our children's librariesBoard books: sturdy books for little hands!

Picture books: beautifully illustrated stories to share including fairy tales and bedtime stories
Books for learning new nursery rhymes and songs
Early learning: books about colours, shapes, animals, to help your child understand the world around them.

Hereford: Garden Waste Collection Service

Subscribe to our new garden waste service

You cut. We collect. Nature composts.

Imagine more time to enjoy your garden - not just work in it. With our new fortnightly garden waste collection service, starting in March 2026, you can spend less time transporting waste and more time relaxing in your outdoor space.

Our year-round service (excluding just two weeks at Christmas) will collect your garden waste directly from your property and deliver it for composting at a local facility.

Subscriptions will open on 22 October 2025, so sign up soon to ensure you're ready for collections to start on 30 March 2026.

If you sign up before 9am on 1 December 2025 you will be entered into a prize draw where 10 winners will be selected at random to win a subscription for a year. For further information see the prize draw terms and conditions.

Sign up to the garden waste collection service

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub

Your Offer - Armed Forces Survey now open

Our people deserve a reward package that meets their needs & reflects their dedicated Service.

Regular personnel – what parts of the #ArmedForces Offer are you most satisfied with? And where do you need extra support?

Tell us so we can build an Offer that works for you 👇

https://ow.ly/2RET50XmmUg

Richmond: Sara Cox's Great Northern Marathon Challenge for Children in Need 12th Nov

 

As part of BBC Radio 2 Children in Need 2025, Sara Cox is walking/running from Kielder to Pudsey in her Great Northern Marathon Challenge.

The exciting news is that Sara will be finishing Day 3 (Wednesday 12th November) in the Market Place, Richmond around 6pm (timings can change). Sara will be coming in to Richmond via Gilling Road. Her route will take her on to Pottergate, Queens Road and then along King Street to the finish point outside the Town Hall.

The official finish time we have been given is approximately 5.45pm – but she can be live tracked via BBC Radio 2 for more accurate information.

Everybody is encouraged to support the Children in Need event by lining the streets and being in the Market Place for the finish line.

The area outside the Market Place will be cordoned off from 12 noon as BBC Radio 2 build an area for the finish line.

Information provided by North HIVE Hub

South East: Reserve Forces' & Cadets' Association for the South East

South East Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (SERFCA) is one of 13 RFCAs UK-wide, SERFCA is a Ministry of Defence (MOD) Arms’ Length Body, responsible to the Defence Council, but separate from military chains-of-command. SERFCA supports the Reserve Forces and Cadets from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force in the Counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and East and West Sussex. SERFCA also helps connect Defence with Society.

If you are interested in becoming a 'Reservist' please click HERE for more information.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub.

Colerne: November edition of the Colerne Parish Magazine

 

Please click here to read this issue online

Information provided by Colerne HIVE

Wiltshire: Are you caring for somebody else's child?

 

To mark last weeks Private Fostering Awareness Day on Wed 5 Nov, Wiltshire Council is encouraging residents to consider whether they may be involved in a private fostering arrangement and to come forward for support if they are.

Please click here to read more online

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVEs

Kinloss: RAF Lossiemouth Flying Notice for Wed 12th November

Kinloss Barracks will be utilised as a 'tactical landing zone' for Royal Air Force aircraft on the 12th of November.

Ex SOARING EAGLE is a collaborative exercise between 39 Engr Regt and RAF Lossiemouth, testing our ability to disperse and operate from austere locations.

Any enthusiasts wishing to see the aircraft are politely reminded to respect Kinloss Barrack's neighbours and not to block any roads or entrances to property. 

Timings shown in the image may change with little or no notice.

As always, thank you to our local community for their support.

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Inverness: Army Welfare Service and 3 SCOTS Poppy Project at Fort George Kirk

Remembrance Day is always a poignant time of year, especially for 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) personnel and their families. The period of quiet reflection this year will culminate in a service held at Fort George Kirk on Remembrance Sunday, led by Padre Paul van Sittert. The service is open to everyone with a 1030 hrs start. The Fijian soldiers have kindly offered to sing as part of the service. All retiring offerings / donations will go to Poppy Scotland.

3 SCOTS, historically known as The Black Watch has a staunch and proud heritage steeped in tradition. Fort George is currently home to the 3 SCOTS Battalion which most of the Craft Club members are affiliated to through their husbands and partners.

The Craft Club have sought to honour and reflect upon that in their display, which incorporates the use of military camouflage netting and Black Watch Tartan ribbon. The spouses and partners are understandably proud of their service personnel and that shows in the way that the display has been handcrafted and produced – with love being an important ingredient.

The poppy focal piece at the Battalion Kirk is the Craft Club’s way of reflecting on a sombre time of dedication and also a time to consider the role of the Battalion and wider Armed Forces Community in what are clearly difficult and challenging times.