The Ripple Pond: Autumn 2026 Newsletter - Together, We're Shaping Better Support for Families

 

To read this newsletter in full, please go to: Autumn 2026 Newsletter

Little Troopers: Free All Together Online Space workshop on 10 Oct, and further dates

All Together ONLINE – Space Detectives Workshop

Saturday 10th October 2026, 1100hrs

SPACE DETECTIVES - All Together Online - fun virtual sessions bringing together military children

Journey around the Solar System and discover the size and distances of planets within our own neighbourhood. Take part in the “Human Solar System,” experiment with how it was formed and then assemble your own scale model.

👉Book your family space here

All Together sessions run frequently until April 2027.

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 years old.

Everyone from the serving military community is warmly welcome to join us.

To find out more and to book, please go to: All Together - ONLINE by Little Troopers | Eventbrite

Dept for Work & Pensions: Latest News Update – 2 Oct

 

State Pension Triple Lock announcement

This week the Prime Minister made an announcement on an adjustment to the State Pension Triple Lock.

The current Triple Lock will be maintained until the end of this parliament. The changes are proposed from 2030/31, with the adjusted Triple Lock meaning the State Pension will always increase by at least the highest of 2.5%, Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation or a new earnings link – so that the State Pension will never fall below its level as a share of average earnings when we adjust the Triple Lock.

Blandford: Reach recovery conference - Tues 13th Oct.

 

Information provided Bovington HIVE

Bovington: Tank museum 'On Track' event - Thurs 8th Oct

Credit: Tankmuseum

On-Track is FREE to attend, and FREE to exhibit. It offers valuable insights on mental and physical health, signposting toward useful communities and organisations that can support the armed forces community, networking opportunities with like-minded organisations, and a Q&A session to address your questions.

The UK Armed Forces community includes:

• Serving Personnel: Regular and reserve members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army, and Royal Air Force.
• Veterans: Anyone who has served for at least one day in the Regular or Reserve Armed Forces.
• Families: Spouses, civil partners, children, and dependent relatives of serving personnel or veterans.
• The Bereaved: The immediate family members and dependents of Service personnel and veterans who have died, regardless of whether the death was connected to their Service.
• Cadet Force Adult Volunteers & Merchant Navy: Adults who volunteer for cadet forces and members of the Merchant Navy who served on commercial vessels in support of legally defined UK military operations

For more information about the event and to register click HERE

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Army HQ: Army HQ: Family Welfare Matters Edition 04 now available

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

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

Bovington: Citizens Advice sessions at Bovington HIVE every Thursday - Free advice & support

The mobile advice bus will be parked adjacent to the HIVE building (Corner of King George V Road & Swinton Avenue) Speak to advisors face to face.

Available to all Garrison personnel, spouses, partners, reserves, veterans, civil servants, MOD contractors and local civilian community. Confidentiality guaranteed.

Appointments are not necessary, just turn up. First come, first serve basis.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Give Us Time - Autumn last minute breaks and more!

Give Us Time still have lots of breaks and other opportunities available over the coming months – read all the way down for the big news!

“Give Us Time supports Forces families to spend time together on donated respite breaks following separation due to deployment, bereavement, physical or mental injuries, financial need, or other welfare issues.”  Find out more at Frequently asked questions - Give us time - Breaks for service personnel and their families

OCTOBER

• Cwm Llan cabin, North Wales, 5 – 9 October, sleeps 2
• Broadland Sands Holiday Park, Suffolk, 5 -9 October, sleeps 6
• Seawick Holiday Park, Essex, 12 – 16 October, sleeps 6

Give Us A Moment days out for half term:

• Visit the newly re-opened Palm Houses at Edinburgh Botanic Gardens
• Enjoy Pumpkin Picking at Hatters Farm, Essex
• Explore the Gardens at Monteviot House near Jedburgh

NOVEMBER

• Polperro, Cornwall, Platinum standard lodge, 9 – 13 November, sleeps 6
• Pevensey Bay, Sussex, Platinum standard lodge, 9 – 13 November, sleeps 6

DECEMBER

• Kidlandlee holiday cottage, Northumberland, 7 – 11 December, sleeps 6

PLUS THE RV GUESTHOUSE, FALMOUTH - DATES THROUGHOUT OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

THE BIG ONE!! 🎄🎅🎁

We’re also thrilled to have more tickets for the Polar Express! This year we’ll be travelling along the Spa Valley Railway from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on Friday 6 November, leaving at 7pm - please visit the website for more information!

As always, we book on a first come first served basis via the website - https://bookings.giveustime.org.uk/login - breaks are accommodation only, days out are entry ticket only – GUT cannot cover the costs of travel, food etc.

Blandford: Garrison welfare support

The Welfare support teams and chaplaincy services offer support and advice to all Soldiers, Officers and families living or working on the Garrison

Should you require help and support or have a welfare issue please contact a member of your efare Team during normal working hours on:

Blandford Garrison Support Unit (BGSU)

Tel 0743 631 8137.

Email: BLANDFORDGAR-BGSUWELFARE@mod.gov.uk.

For Contact House Enquiries: Blandfordgar-ContactHse-Bookings@mod.gov.uk.

BGSU Padre - Revd Carl Stokes 

Carl.Stokes103@mod.gov.uk

11 (RSS) Sig Regt Welfare Team

Unit Welfare Senior NCO - Tel 0743 631 7952
Asst Unit Welfare Officer - Tel 0743 631 8332
Unit Welfare Officer - Tel 0743 631 8050

Email: DSCIS-11SR-RHQ-Welfare@mod.gov.uk 

11 Sigs Padre - Rev Caroline Rogers 

Caroline.Rogers118@mod.gov.uk 

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Bovington: Garrison welfare team

The Welfare team aims to provide the best possible welfare advice to all soldiers and their families. The Welfare office is located by Costcutter food store on King George V Road, Bovington. 

• Unit Welfare Officer - Mr Adrian Ingham 
• Garrison Welfare Warrant Officer - WO2 Scott Forrester

Tel: Welfare Office 01929 402239 or 01929 402240

Email: CMC-BovLulSU-WELFARE-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk 

In case of emergency - duty welfare mobile number 07971 577282

Please only contact the duty mobile number if it is an urgent welfare matter. 

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Gloucestershire: Agencies, Charities and Organisations for Gloucestershire's Military community

 

Please note that this guide was created by the HIVE Information Support Officer covering Lyneham.

The first page consists of QR codes to make access quicker for a small selection of the websites. The rest are weblinks.

Information is correct as of September 2026. Please access this document from a Civilian device.

Please click here to access this document online

Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

Wiltshire: Agencies, Charities and Organisations providing support to Wiltshire's Military community and beyond

 

Please note that this guide was created by the HIVE Information Support Officers covering Colerne, Lyneham and the South West HIVE Hub.

Information is correct as of September 2026. Please access this document from a Civilian device.

Please click here to access this guide online

Information provided by Colerne, Lyneham & South West Hub HIVEs

Combat Stress ‘Stronger Together’ Webinar series – starting 1 Oct

Are you supporting a veteran with PTSD or trauma? @CombatStress, the UK's leading charity for Armed Forces mental health, has a free Stronger Together webinar series that can help:

Five sessions delivered by in-house clinical lead, Dr Vicky Aldridge

Gain insight into PTSD and trauma, communication strategies and how best to support your loved one and yourself

Starts Thursday 1 October 2026, every Thursday throughout October

Register to book your place today: https://combatstress.org.uk/referrers/combat-stress-learning/family-and-friends-of-veterans/

Department for Work & Pensions update: Do you know your state pension age?

With Pension Awareness Week 2026 ongoing, DWP are encouraging customers, service users, colleagues and stakeholders to take one simple first step: checking their State Pension age on GOV.UK.

As State Pension entitlement is linked to National Insurance contributions, the Service community are reminded that spouses or civil partners who accompanied their Serving partner on an overseas assignment can complete a Gov.uk online form to request that NI credits are applied to their record for time spent overseas. For further information, eligibility criteria and the online form, please go to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-insurance-credits-for-partners-of-armed-forces-personnel-overseas

Department for Work & Pensions: Latest news updates

Loved ones of asbestos and dust-disease victims to receive fairer compensation

Families who have lost loved ones to asbestos and other dust-related diseases will get higher compensation payouts, as part of the Government’s effort to support bereaved families.

Workers who develop asbestos-related and dust-related diseases like mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis caused by their work can claim a one-off payment from the Government if they haven’t already secured compensation from their employer.

This is often the only option available to sufferers, since it can take years for these diseases to develop, meaning the employer responsible has usually gone out of business by the time someone is diagnosed.

However, under the current system the payment is passed to their grieving family at a reduced rate if it is paid after the sufferer dies. New legislation will ensure that dependants will receive the same rate as sufferers, in full.

Read the press release

*The MOD War Pension Scheme also provides for asbestos exposure claims attributable to Service, such as Diffuse Mesothelioma. See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-for-veterans-diagnosed-with-diffuse-mesothelioma

Major work experience drive for young people

Young people will be given vital work experience opportunities thanks to a major initiative between government and Britain’s leading retailers – with the ambition to create up to 100,000 jobs by the end of the Parliament.

Alongside the sector’s ambitions of creating 100,000 jobs, the British Retail Consortium and DWP are launching a new work experience programme, Opening Shift, which will see 18-24-year-olds looking for work offered two to four weeks of hands-on experience as part of more than 11,000 placements with Britain’s biggest retailers, including Tesco, John Lewis, Waitrose, Curry’s and Costa Coffee, complete with dedicated workplace support and interview experience.

The DWP will manage the pipeline of eligible young Universal Credit customers who will be referred to the voluntary programme through jobcentres, and the retailers will provide the placements and wider support, with 16 to 35 hours of work experience provided each week for two to four weeks.

They could be offered a permanent role if one is available, be put on the retailer’s talent bank, or directed towards apprenticeship and other opportunities.

Read the press release

Pension Awareness Week 2026

As part of Pension Awareness Week, Pension Geeks is offering free online events, including a session on how MoneyHelper can help you. Visit the Pension Awareness Week website for more information.

Defence update: Remembrance weekend - free rail travel for bereaved families

Defence and the Department for Transport have extended free rail travel across Britain over Remembrance weekend, for families of Armed Forces personnel who died while serving.

For the first time, one close family member of someone who died in Service can travel for free on National Rail services. This applies to journeys to Remembrance events between 7 and 8 November 2026.

The family member could be a spouse, partner, parent, child or sibling, who is registered as the nominated next of kin.

This offer now matches the free travel benefits available to Service Personnel and Veterans during Remembrance weekend.
Recognising bereaved families

This new offer will help families join Remembrance services and events, including the Cenotaph, without the cost of travel being a barrier to them attending.

Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said:
“Remembrance Weekend is a time for the nation to come together to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice whilst serving our country.
“Bereaved families are at the heart of these commemorations, and the cost of travel should not prevent them from being there to remember their loved ones.
“Extending free rail travel to next of kin will help more families attend Remembrance events, standing alongside communities, veterans and serving members of our Armed Forces as we honour and remember those who served.”

Minister for Veterans and People, Calvin Bailey, said:
“Remembrance is an opportunity for the nation to come together in recognition of the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces. For bereaved families, this is a deeply personal time.
“We must never forget that behind every name we remember is a family whose lives have been changed forever. Providing free rail travel will help bereaved relatives come together and honour their loved one without financial barriers.”
Mikki Brett is the widow of the late Chief Petty Officer Stuart Brett who served in the Weapons Engineering branch of the Royal Navy and died from cancer while serving, in April 2023.

Speaking with Minister for Veterans and People, Calvin Bailey, Mikki said:
“It's fantastic news that the in-service bereaved have been recognised for the support given to their loved ones, with free train fares to remembrance events this year.”
Mikki is already registered to come to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday and will be one of the first to benefit from the new travel offer.

Co-CEO of Rail Delivery Group, Ola Ogun said:
"Railways have long been connected to remembrance commemorations, recognising the importance of their contribution during wartime. As an industry, we are proud to continue supporting this important national occasion by offering free travel to serving personnel and veterans.
“This year, we are especially pleased to extend that support to one next of kin of those who died while serving in the Armed Forces recognising not only the sacrifice of those who served, but also the families who continue to carry their legacy and honour their memory.”

Reaching bereaved families

Department for Work & Pensions: Latest news updates

Loved ones of asbestos and dust-disease victims to receive fairer compensation

Families who have lost loved ones to asbestos and other dust-related diseases will get higher compensation payouts, as part of the Government’s effort to support bereaved families.

Workers who develop asbestos-related and dust-related diseases like mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis caused by their work can claim a one-off payment from the Government if they haven’t already secured compensation from their employer.

This is often the only option available to sufferers, since it can take years for these diseases to develop, meaning the employer responsible has usually gone out of business by the time someone is diagnosed.

However, under the current system the payment is passed to their grieving family at a reduced rate if it is paid after the sufferer dies. New legislation will ensure that dependants will receive the same rate as sufferers, in full.

Read the press release

*The MOD War Pension Scheme also provides for asbestos exposure claims attributable to Service, such as Diffuse Mesothelioma. See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-for-veterans-diagnosed-with-diffuse-mesothelioma

Major work experience drive for young people

Young people will be given vital work experience opportunities thanks to a major initiative between government and Britain’s leading retailers – with the ambition to create up to 100,000 jobs by the end of the Parliament.

Alongside the sector’s ambitions of creating 100,000 jobs, the British Retail Consortium and DWP are launching a new work experience programme, Opening Shift, which will see 18-24-year-olds looking for work offered two to four weeks of hands-on experience as part of more than 11,000 placements with Britain’s biggest retailers, including Tesco, John Lewis, Waitrose, Curry’s and Costa Coffee, complete with dedicated workplace support and interview experience.

The DWP will manage the pipeline of eligible young Universal Credit customers who will be referred to the voluntary programme through jobcentres, and the retailers will provide the placements and wider support, with 16 to 35 hours of work experience provided each week for two to four weeks.

They could be offered a permanent role if one is available, be put on the retailer’s talent bank, or directed towards apprenticeship and other opportunities.

Read the press release

Pension Awareness Week 2026

As part of Pension Awareness Week, Pension Geeks is offering free online events, including a session on how MoneyHelper can help you. Visit the Pension Awareness Week website for more information.

Defence update: Remembrance weekend - free rail travel for bereaved families

 

Remembrance weekend: Free rail travel for bereaved families

Defence and the Department for Transport have extended free rail travel across Britain over Remembrance weekend, for families of Armed Forces personnel who died while serving.

For the first time, one close family member of someone who died in Service can travel for free on National Rail services. This applies to journeys to Remembrance events between 7 and 8 November 2026.

The family member could be a spouse, partner, parent, child or sibling, who is registered as the nominated next of kin.

This offer now matches the free travel benefits available to Service Personnel and Veterans during Remembrance weekend.

Recognising bereaved families

This new offer will help families join Remembrance services and events, including the Cenotaph, without the cost of travel being a barrier to them attending.

Applications now Closed! Free Parkdean Resort Family Breaks 2026 – open to Regular Army personnel and their families

Due to the significant number of applications already received, expressions of interest for the Parkdean Resort 2026 are now closed.

HQ Regional Command as secured a number of fully funded 7-night Parkdean Resort family breaks during 2026.

• Open to all Regular Army personnel
• No eligibility criteria or welfare requirement
• 3-bedroom accommodation (up to 6 people)
• Completely free of charge
• 30% discount voucher for on-site food and beverages
• Selected resorts permit up to two dogs

Army personnel can register their interest via the QR code in the image or this MS Forms: Parkdean Resort Breaks 2026 Fully Funded Family Breaks for Regular Army Personnel – Fill in form

Any questions, please contact any HIVE, or HIVE HQ on RC-Pers-HIVEComms-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk

The Ripple Pond: Free Thinking Family Autumn E Magazine

As families prepare for a new school year, the return to school can bring a mixture of emotions. New routines, new environments, friendships and the pressures of school can all feel challenging, particularly for children and young people who may already be navigating difficulties at home.

The latest Thinking Family Autumn Magazine is packed with practical ideas to help families through the autumn term, with suggestions for different ages and stages.

Inside you'll find:

• Back-to-school ideas to help make the transition a little easier
• 101 questions to ask instead of “How are you?” to encourage more natural conversations
• Board game recommendations for different ages, providing simple ways to spend time together
• What to do when school feels hard, with ideas for supporting children when school feels overwhelming
• Age-differentiated ideas for younger children through to teenagers
• Simple ways to connect as a family and create opportunities for conversation and wellbeing

Whether you're supporting a child who is looking forward to going back, feeling anxious about the new term, or somewhere in between, we hope you'll find something useful inside.

To read the magazine online, please go to: Autumn Edition of Emagazine, Thinking Family