Hounds for Heroes: Spring Newsletter

To view the newsletter in full, please go to: Spring Newsletter - 2026

At Hounds for Heroes, Hounds are specially trained assistance dogs, and Heroes are physically disabled or injured personnel of HM Armed Forces and the Emergency Services, whose lives are transformed through partnership with a Hounds for Heroes dog.

To find out more, please visit: Hounds for Heroes Assistance Dogs | Hounds for Heroes

Bovington: Garrison contact houses for short term accommodation use

To check availability or to book click HERE

or email Tel: 01929 402239 during office hours

For all bookings, a £50 deposit will be required within 7 days of making the booking and the full balance is to be paid 28 days prior to stay. The rate is set at £50 per night for the first three nights, then £25 per night thereafter.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Weeton: HomeStart - support for military families in Weeton

Information provided by Weeton HIVE

Scotland: MyGov Scot Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are payments that help towards the costs of being pregnant or looking after a child.
About Best Start Grant

The 3 Best Start Grant payments are:

Pregnancy and Baby Payment

Pregnancy and Baby Payment helps with the costs of having a baby. You can apply for this payment during pregnancy to help prepare for your baby's arrival, or after your baby is born.

Early Learning Payment

If your application is successful you'll get £319.80 to help with the costs of early learning. You can get the payment when your child is aged between 2 years old and 3 years and 6 months old. To get this payment your child does not need to go to nursery.

School Age Payment
School Age Payment is a payment of £319.80 per child. It helps with the costs of preparing for school when your child is first old enough to start primary school.

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.

PLEASE NOTE:

THERE WILL BE NO ADVICE BUS SERVICE SESSION ON THURSDAY 7th MAY. 

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Stop Loan Sharks Week 2026: 11 -17 May

Loan sharks play games with people’s lives

– let’s make it game over

Loan sharks don’t always look like villains. Sometimes, they change
character, switch tactics and reinvent themselves - just like players in an
online game.

But this isn’t a game. And the consequences are real.

A loan shark, also known as an illegal money lender, is someone who lends
money without proper authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority
(FCA). That means they don’t have to follow the rules that exist to protect
borrowers. They set their own terms, charge what they want, and stack the
game against you from the very start.

Loan sharks often appear friendly at first can - they reinvent themselves to
look like a trusted friend, a neighbour, another parent at the school gates or
someone recommended by family. But behind the friendly avatar, is
someone playing a dangerous game with people’s lives.

When they offer to do you a favour by lending you money when you need it,
it can feel like an easy option. But once you’ve pressed ‘start’, the game has
begun and things can quickly spiral out of control.
If borrowers struggle to keep up with repayments, what began as a helping
hand can turn into intimidation, threats or even violence. And in real life,
there’s no pause or exit button, just constant pressure and fear.

Knowing the warning signs can help you recognise when something isn’t
right. You could be dealing with a loan shark if:

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
• Welfare Support Officer - Zoe Van de Zande

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

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 Welfare Team during normal working hours on:

Blandford Garrison Support Unit (BGSU)

Garrison Welfare Clerk - BlandfordGar-BGSU-WCSO Tel: 01258 481938

Garrison Welfare Warrant Officer - BLANDFORDGAR-BGSU-GWWO Tel: 01258 482694

Garrison Welfare Officer - BLANDFORDGAR-BGSU-GWO Tel: 01258 481936

BGSU Padre - Revd Carl Stokes 

Carl.Stokes103@mod.gov.uk

11 (RSS) Sig Regt Welfare Team

Unit Welfare Senior NCO - DSCIS-11SR-RHQ-Welfare NCO Tel: 01258 482619

Asst Unit Welfare Officer - DSCIS-11SR-RHQ-AUWO Tel: 01258 482902

Unit Welfare Officer - DSCIS-11SR-RHQ-UWO Tel: 01258 482901

11 Sigs Padre - Rev Caroline Rogers 

Caroline.Rogers118@mod.gov.uk 

Out of hours emergency contact the Guardroom on - 01258 482402.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Bovington: Homestart support for military families

 

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Kent & Medway: Domestic Abuse Support

 

Trigger Warning: Domestic abuse can lead to a person feeling like there is no escape and having suicidal thoughts. 30% of suspected suicides in Kent and Medway have domestic abuse as a factor (@KentPolice).

Support services are there for anyone experiencing abuse and can provide practical and emotional support including refuge, safe accommodation, specialist programmes and 1-2-1 help.

Find help and resources:

Domestic Abuse (domesticabuseservices.org.uk)

Mental health - Kent County Council

Every Mind Matters - Kent County Council

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub 

Give Us Time – Welfare breaks for late April, May, and June

Please see our newest Spring update, highlighting our breaks for late April, May, and June. All the breaks are available on the website, except for the Kidlandlee breaks which can only be booked via email

• All our breaks and days out are donated, so are usually off peak. We are unable to request alternative dates or locations from those donated
• Bookings are made on a first come first served basis
• Families must be signed up on our website before making a booking

We will be adding ‘Give Us A Moment’ days out shortly for the summer, and our September and October breaks will be added onto the website in the summer

www.giveustime.org.uk

Wiltshire: Latest updates from Families Out Loud

Families Out Loud is a Wiltshire charity working with families challenged by someone else’s drug and alcohol dependency, supporting them to bravely build a better life.

When the first signs of Spring begin to appear, many of us notice a shift in the world around us, and also within ourselves, too. Spring can bring a sense of renewal, but it can also highlight how heavy things have felt over the winter months.

If you're supporting a loved one through drug or alcohol use, this time of year can be complicated. You might feel pressure to feel 'better' or more optimistic, while stilll carrying the same worries, exhaustion, or uncertainty.

Wherever you are right now, please know this: you are not alone, and you are not expected to have everything figured out. We see you and we're here to walk alongside you, in every season.

Please click here to read the latest news from Families Out Loud, which includes details of the local event below.

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVE

Hounds for Heroes: Latest Newsletters

Click image to enlarge.

Hounds for Heroes latest newsletters are now available:

Winter edition

Autumn 2025 edition

The Hounds for Heroes mission is to provide specially trained assistance dogs to injured or disabled service personnel and veterans, helping them to regain independence, confidence, and companionship.

To find out more about Hounds for Heroes please go to: Hounds for Heroes Assistance Dogs | Hounds for Heroes

Celebrating 30 Years of Army Welfare Service

On 01 April 2026, the Army Welfare Service (AWS) marked its 30th anniversary - three decades of dedicated support to soldiers, their families, and the wider Armed Forces community in the UK and overseas. Since its re‑rolling in 1996, AWS has grown into a dynamic organisation that unites Specialist Welfare, Community Support, and Business Support, bringing together civil servants and Adjutant General’s Corps (AGC) personnel under one mission: delivering exceptional welfare support to the Army family.

The AWS has its origins in the Families Housing and Welfare Service (FHWS), established in 1977 within the AGC. The first male SNCOs joined FHWS in 1993, and the service became the AWS on 1 April 1996. The introduction of civilian Army Welfare Workers (AWWs) in 1999 strengthened the civil–military partnership, while the 2001/02 Welfare Review shaped the modern structure recognised today.

Recruit for Spouses – Latest Newsletter with FREE support resources and upcoming events

The latest newsletter from Recruit for Spouses includes the following articles:

• Free counselling support for military personnel, veterans, and families
• Upcoming online events, such as Making Sense of Pensions: Support and Guidance for Military Families on 22 Apr, and Breaking Down Imposter Syndrome: Confidence Building Workshop on 7 May
• Information and a survey invitation regarding the Foreign & Commonwealth Programme

To view the newsletter in full, please go to: Recruit for Spouses Newsletter – Mar 26

Army Welfare Service – Contact Number Changes for Intake & Assessment Team (IAT) and Services Cotswold Centre

Please be advised that the Army Welfare Service has introduced updated contact numbers for two key services. These new numbers are now active and replace the previous lines, which have been permanently disconnected.

Intake & Assessment Team (IAT)

07813 019 490

The IAT remains available for queries, phone referrals, support, and contact from units, partners, and Service Users via:

• Telephone: 07813 019 490
• Email: RC-AWS-IAT-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk
• Referral Form: via the standard AWS referral process - Army Welfare Service (AWS) Specialist Welfare (SW) Referral Form – Fill in form

Services Cotswold Centre

03311 432754

This number replaces the previous SCC contact line.

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

Please find our Spring 2026 Newsletter jampacked with information for all those in the Armed Forces Community

To read this issue online, please go to: Spring 2026 Newsletter  

Grantham: HAY Lincolnshire

haysouthkesteven.co.uk/

Boosting your mental health and wellbeing!

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

PAPYRUS: Fully funded Suicide Prevention Training for Veteran communities

PAPYRUS has been awarded funding by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund to provide fully funded suicide prevention training for those working with or supporting veterans. The aim is to equip participants with skills to identify warning signs, intervene effectively, and reduce stigma around mental health and suicide among veterans. The training is available across the UK. If you work with or support veterans, please do book onto a course: Armed Forces (Veterans) Training | Papyrus

Also see: Funded suicide prevention training in your area | Papyrus

HOPELINE247: HOPELINE247 advisers work with you to understand why thoughts of suicide might be present. They also want to provide you with a safe space to talk through anything happening in your life that could be impacting on your or anyone else’s ability to stay safe. For anyone under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide and for anyone concerned that a person could be thinking about suicide visit HOPELINE247 | Papyrus

Give Us Time: Spring Welfare Updates