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Showing posts with label Welfare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Welfare. Show all posts

June 12, 2025

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



The mobile advice bus will be parked adjacent to the HIVE building. 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

June 10, 2025

North Wiltshire: New ManDown support groups in Calne and Royal Wootton Bassett

 

Other groups are also available in and around North Wiltshire, including:

  • Bath
  • Devizes
  • Melksham
  • Trowbridge

Man Down UK is a non-profit Community Interest Company founded in Cornwall, dedicated to supporting men with mental health challenges.

We run informal, peer-led talking groups across the UK, providing a safe, judgment-free space for men to share their struggles and connect with others who understand.

By fostering open conversations, we aim to break the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and reduce the number of male suicides. Together, we can end the silence and save lives.

Click here to find out more about the local support groups

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVEs

May 28, 2025

Leuchars: Leuchars Carers Drop-in with AWS

click on image to enlarge

Contact jane.allen208@mod.gov.uk

Information provided by Leuchars

May 19, 2025

Grantham Healthwatch Lincolnshire - Do you look after someone? Have your say as a carer on health and care in Lincolnshire

 

We want to hear from carers!

Do you provide unpaid care?

It could be care for a family member, partner, friend or neighbour who depends on you because of illness, disability, a mental health condition or frailty.
Carers play a vital but often invisible role in society, helping people to live safely and independently. But many carers face challenges in getting the support they need - both for themselves and for the person they care for.

Healthwatch Lincolnshire wants to hear your views in our Carer Survey 2025.

Take the survey now or find out more here.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Grantham: Healthwatch Lincolnshire - Explaining your right to an NHS dentist



Do you have a right to register with an NHS dentist? 
For answers and information click: Healthwatch

Information provided by Grantham HIVE 

Grantham: family lives Community Connects


Community Connects - Promoting emotional wellbeing and physical health

In North Lincs we deliver a peer support service for people who are experiencing emotional wellbeing problems, who may feel isolated, lonely, lack confidence and/or experience a sense of being out of control or powerlessness over their situation. They may feel disconnected from their community and feel unable to live life the way they had hoped to.

At Family Lives we recognise that everyone’s experience is unique to what is happening for them in their life and mind and that everyone will feel things at different degrees of severity over different periods of time.

Our team of Peer Support Workers all have lived experience and have a good understanding of what people are going through and coping with. We know what it feels like to feel you are alone and we understand that sometimes the worry and concern about the stigma associated with mental health can be overwhelming and can act as a barrier to seeking support. We also know how relieved and hopeful people can feel when they do reach out and realise that they are not alone, and support is available.

Our team will use their lived experience of mental health issues by offering emotional, practical and social support to enable people to regain balance in their life. We do this by offering a listening ear and understanding and developing positive peer relationships. We support people to find their own strengths and solutions, build their confidence and self-esteem including the confidence and skills to manage their home and finances. We help them to develop a toolkit and coping strategies on their journey to achieving better mental health, living life independently, pursuing social or vocational interests and achieving their aspirations, forging meaningful connections socially and with family, friends and within the community and live their life with purpose and emotionally and physically healthy and well.

We work closely with the Social Prescribing Service, Recovery Colleges and other community primary health care teams. We have good partnerships with local community services such as colleges, employment, benefit and housing teams, Refugee Council, Family Centres and so much more.
Our support services

At Family Lives we believe that our services are needed more than ever in the current crisis; we know that many individuals and families are experiencing even more challenges. This service provides a programme of support which, includes, face-to-face sessions in the home and community, phone and remote support, group work, social gatherings, signposting and support with accessing other services and activities.

We aim to deliver a friendly service in a manner that encourages participation and partnership and enables us to tailor our service to meet people’s unique needs. We appreciate it will change as we travel together but to begin with, we can offer the following types of support:

One to one individual support for between 2 – 3 months on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
Light touch individual support over a longer period of time 3 – 6 months as and when required but approximately every 3 to 4 weeks.
Group support will be available to everyone waiting for, accessing and following completion of their individual support on a fortnightly basis.
Care to Chat support via telephone or video support for those who are waiting for the service or are not quite ready to meet in person. Duration to be determined with the individuals accessing support.
Phone and online support, including signposting to the Family Lives helpline, email support and live chat and other services is available to everyone throughout the support and for people making general enquiries.
Facebook Group where people can engage and connect with each other in a safe space, offer and receive support, share and gain information about coping strategies, local community events and relevant helpful organisations.
The online support can be accessed along the individual support sessions and group work.

For more information at: family lives

Information provided by Grantham HIVE 

May 13, 2025

Bovington: Garrison contact houses for short term accommodation use



click on image to enlarge

To book email Adrian.Ingham629@mod.gov.uk or David.Oakes747@mod.gov.uk or call 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



May 8, 2025

Aldershot: What's on in Wellesley Woods

 


What’s On at Wellesley Woodlands

Highlights include:

Health Walks: Join us for a gentle stroll every Friday morning from 10-11am starting from different points each week. Enjoy the beauty and diversity in our woodlands with a small friendly group. Children & dogs on leads welcome.

Wellesley Woodlands Sensory Trail: The basic route with suggested sensory stopping points is live on Sensory walks in nature | Hampshire County Council (hants.gov.uk) Further enhancements such as audio recordings and signage will follow as the project develops.

As with nature, we are constantly evolving. If you have any suggestions for events or activities, or you would like to volunteer within Wellesley Woodlands, please do contact us at Wellesleywoodlands@tcv.org.uk .

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

May 7, 2025

Little Troopers reunites military families in first-of-its-kind family reconnection weekend

Military families were reunited this week when Little Troopers, the children’s military charity,kicked off the first of their “All Together” family reconnection weekends.
(Credit to Paul Brewer Photography)
In January, the organisation revealed they were launching a series of four fully funded family reconnection weekends for forces families to spend quality time together outdoors, funded by Team Forces.

The charity hosted its first weekend this week in Portland, Dorset, with eight families taking part in action-packed activities at the Portland Outdoor Centre in Castletown.

Families arrived on Friday (2nd May), kicking off the weekend by spending time together over a beautiful sunset on the beach and drinking hot chocolates.

On the second day, families got to try out coasteering at Portland Bill, exploring the shoreline by swimming, jumping, scrambling and climbing the rocks and cliffs, and learning coastal bushcraft and cooking fish on the fire. Families headed home on Sunday 4th May after giving kayaking, rafting and stand-up paddleboarding a go.

(Credit to Paul Brewer Photography)

Louise Fetigan, Founder of Little Troopers, said: “Our new family reconnection weekends are aimed at families before, during or after a period of separation or deployment, to help ease periods of separation and help children to connect with their parents. Our Dorset weekend went brilliantly. It was so lovely to see families getting stuck in with all the activities and it was a real joy to see everyone laughing and enjoying some special time together. Military families are generally quite active families, so we felt the weekend really played to these families’ strengths and interests and we hope it will help them to have bonded with one another, whether they’re facing the difficulties of an impending deployment, missing a parent who is away, or welcoming a parent home as they settle back in.”

The Little Troopers weekends invite between six and eight families, with one or both parents and up to four siblings aged nine to 18, to go away for an exciting few days of outdoor adventure and connection, where they are encouraged to put down their phones, meet new people and make memories. Each weekend runs from Friday to Sunday at no cost to the families.

The dates and locations for the next three Little Troopers All Together reconnection weekends in 2025 are: Friday 13th June to Sunday 15th June 2025, New Forest, Hampshire.
Friday 25th July to Sunday 27th July, Brenscombe, Wareham, Dorset.
Friday 26th September to Sunday 28th September, Portland, Dorset.  

The events form part of the charity’s broader ‘All Together’ programme which brings together young people from across the military community to benefit from spending time with others who have shared similar life experiences. For more information about Little Troopers All Together and to learn more about the charity’s work supporting military children, visit www.littletroopers.net

May 2, 2025

Give Us Time - new respite breaks available!



We are absolutely thrilled to have a new set of donations for 2025 from Meadow Bay Villages!

We have 20 breaks available in June, September and October at Billing Aquadrome, near Northampton, and Hayling Island Holiday Park, near Portsmouth. That’s 10 breaks at each park, all running Monday to Friday!

This is Meadow Bay’s second year donating to Give Us Time and we’re delighted to have their ongoing support for our Forces families.

Nikki Rathie, Holidays Director, Meadow Bay Villages, said "At Meadow Bay, we believe in the power of time well spent—especially for those who give so much of theirs in service to others. Donating midweek breaks to Give Us Time is our way of saying thank you to military families, offering them a chance to reconnect, recharge, and make lasting memories in the peaceful surroundings of our parks. It’s a small gesture, but one filled with immense gratitude."

Alex Youngs, Operations Director, Give Us Time, said, “We are honoured and grateful to receive another generous donation from Meadow Bay. Thanks to their generosity, we are able to help more families get away to rest, reconnect and strengthen the bonds that are so essential to our wellbeing."

For more info, please email enquiries@giveustime.org.uk

April 28, 2025

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.

April 16, 2025

Wiltshire: Within My Reach 'Time For Us' parent/carer programme from Spurgeons

 

Spurgeons will be holding a parent/carer programme called ‘Within my Reach’ beginning on Tuesday 27th May 2025, virtually on Microsoft teams from 6pm-8pm.

The programme is delivered for 4 weeks in total and supports parent/carers to navigate positive communication within their relationship, looking at whether their relationship is safe, their relationship expectations and the four communication danger signs. Parent/carers will learn the speaker listener technique and the impact on the child/children when communication is at times negative.

Parent/carers can attend this programme if they are currently still in a relationship and are not currently experiencing any domestic abuse/violence.

Please click here to complete the expression of interest form

Information provided by Colerne and Lyneham HIVEs

April 14, 2025

Aurora New Dawn - Armed Forces Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence and Stalking Helpline is now live

 

The new Aurora New Dawn Armed Forces Helpline for survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking is now live.

This Helpline is for any members of the Royal Navy British Army and Royal Air Force and their family members, including those deployed abroad, who are victims and survivors of Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence or Stalking. 

The Helpline operates 6 days a week. It is independent, confidential, and free.
 
Launched on the 31st March 2025, and funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, and the Army Benevolent Fund the Helpline has already exceeded the number of contacts anticipated.

At Aurora, we understand that the Armed Forces Community is unique, and we know that service life brings with it a number of challenges which can make it harder to talk about these issues.

The Helpline has been designed with an understanding of these specific needs in mind. Many of our specialist team are from Forces families or are ex service personnel. They understand service life, and how difficult it can be to talk about what is happening.  We want to make sure that victim/survivors with links to the armed forces get specialist support that has been designed with them and for them.

Need help?

Get support from the Armed Forces Helpline via phone +44 (0)333 0912 527 (GMT): 0900-1500 Monday to Friday

Get support from the Armed Forces Helpline via WhatsApp on +44 (0)333 0912 527: Monday 0900-1500 / Wednesday & Thursday 1700-2000 / Sunday 1000-140

April 11, 2025

Gloucestershire: Support for families from HomeStart

 

Please click the image above to enlarge

For further information and links to each area as above, please visit the website: https://home-startgloucestershire.org.uk/

Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

MOD Victim Witness Care Unit

 
The Defence Victim Witness Care Unit (VWCU) provides support and guidance for victims and witnesses during their journey through the Service Justice System.

Visit the website for more information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/victim-witness-care-unit-vwcu

Colerne: Updated Welfare opening times and contact information

 

Please click image to enlarge

Colerne Station general enquiries (including those living in Colerne SFA but working elsewhere)

For general enquiries regarding house/flat bookings, park passes, etc. please visit the office during the above times. Alternatively please call or email via the details below:

  • 01225 745210
  • 21sig-colernestn-welfare-mailbox@mod.gov.uk

April 8, 2025

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

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


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

Information provided by Bovington HIVE




April 7, 2025

Aurora New Dawn: Athena Domestic Abuse Awareness & Recovery Programme – 3 Jun to 22 Jul


Aurora New Dawn’s Athena Domestic Abuse Awareness/Recovery Group is military specific and all online via zoom. This programme is for 8 weeks taking place on Tuesday evenings 3 Jun to 22 Jul, and is open to serving personnel and families worldwide.

Details of how to sign up are on the poster, and to find out more about Aurora New Dawn’s support to the Service community, please go to: https://www.aurorand.org.uk/armed-forces/