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

Leuchars: Carers Drop-in with AWS next drop-in 13th Nov

click on image to enlarge

Contact jane.allen208@mod.gov.uk

Information provided by Leuchars

Wiltshire & Gloucestershire: Civilian mental health support services

Please find below for a selection of links for mental health support agencies in the Wiltshire, Swindon and Gloucestershire areas.

Wiltshire incl. Swindon

• NHS Talking Therapies in BaNES, Swindon & Wiltshire
• Alabare mental health support services in Wiltshire
  
• Wiltshire Mind
  
• Swindon (& Gloucestershire) Mind
• Wiltshire Children & Young People Emotional Wellbeing Service
• Wiltshire Council mental health support info
• Swindon Borough Council mental health support info

Gloucestershire

• Gloucestershire NHS Talking Therapies
• Connect and Offload support service
• Empowering Minds - Rethink Mental Illness support in Gloucestershire
  
• Gloucestershire (& Swindon) Mind
• On Your Mind support finder for 0-25 year olds
• Gloucestershire County Council mental health support info
  
• Other sources of support in Gloucestershire

Please note these lists are not exhaustive and other support services may be available

Information provided by Colerne and Lyneham HIVEs

Grantham: On camp 2 X AED'S to save lives. In the event of a heart attack/cardiac arrest

Can be accessed by untrained personnel as automated. Located at Guardroom & Gymnasium.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Give Us Time & Walling2Recovery Spring 2026 dates now available

Give Us Time are teaming up with Walling2Recovery again for spring 2026 to provide a brand new opportunity for Forces families!

The initiative will combine family time in the beautiful Lake District with practical, hands-on experience of the traditional skill of dry stone walling.

The expertise is provided by Andy Docherty, a veteran of 30 years experience in the British Army, and truly understands the impact of Forces life on families.

This year we sent some families away walling, they said, “The accommodation was fantastic and we ate like royalty throughout. The group size was perfect and we couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of ‘wallers’.”

The dates are: 10th to 12th of April 2026, arriving at 1700 on 10 April and depart 1600 on 12 April. The accommodation is in Yonder End Cottage which has 4 family bedrooms

The cost for any family wanting to join will be £30 per person per day which covers the food and administration cost.

Please note – due to the nature of the activities, only children 14 years old and older will be allowed to participate – there will be no provisions available for younger children.

If you would like more information on taking part email enquiries@giveustime.org.uk – Deadline for bookings is Friday 31 October 2025

More info on Give Us Time breaks is at: www.giveustime.org.uk

Hounds for Heroes - Autumn Newsletter

To view the Hounds for Heroes Autum newsletter, please go to: Autumn Newsletter - 2025

To find out more about the Hounds for Heroes mission and their work, please visit: Homepage | Hounds for Heroes

Grantham: Contact Welfare House

1 fully furnished 2 bedroom house which can be booked for family & friends.

Maximum sleep is 4 with a travel cot for 1 child.
Bedding provided.
No pets.
No smoking.

£30 per night.

The Contact House is available provided there are no emergency cases.
Emergency cases take priority which may result in immediate vacating.

For bookings and further information please contact the Unit Station Welfare on 07879119195.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Church Crookham: Army Welfare Service Volunteers to join a Committee.

 

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month – Types of Domestic Abuse

For information on sources of support and advice on domestic abuse, please see this topic area on the HIVE Blog at https://armyhiveinfo.blogspot.com/search/label/Domestic%20Abuse

Our information sheet on domestic abuse support can be downloaded at: https://armyhiveinfo.blogspot.com/search/label/Information%20Sheets

MODnet users can also find additional resources on the HIVE Sharepoint site at: Domestic Abuse

Welfare Matters Newsletter Family Edition – out now

Grantham: Coffee and a Natter at the Wellbeing Centre - Grief Share - Grief Support Group - NGAS

www.nationalbereavement.com

Information provided by Grantham HIVE 

Grantham: Lincolnshire Carers Service

 

www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/support-carers/request-support

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Six projects with one goal - to tackle domestic abuse in forces communities

Plus, a reminder of why the Free from Fear programme is so needed…

“In Defence, we are in a particularly vulnerable position to be abused by partners. Whether you are the serving half of the relationship or not, or if you both are, isolation from our support network due to posting and moving around is commonplace among our community. We experience different sets of challenges as part and parcel of military life.” – MOD victim-survivor

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) has funded another six projects under their Free from Fear programme, worth a total of more than three quarters of a million pounds, to further strengthen much-needed support to victim-survivors of domestic abuse in armed forces communities.

The military context

Those facing domestic abuse in armed forces communities often face additional challenges such as:

• economic dependence on the serving person
• isolation from wider family support due to posting locations
• non-UK partners of armed forces personnel being dependent on their partner for their immigration status
• perceptions around rank when raising concerns, or a worry that chain of command won’t support the victim-survivor.

The Free from Fear programme prioritises understanding of the military context, ensuring any additional challenges are considered.

What’s been funded?

The awards encompass many forms of support, including culturally sensitive support for Nepalese families of serving personnel; work to strengthen the local authority response to domestic abuse in serving communities; an online programme for armed forces men who’ve experienced abuse and even holistic work for perpetrators to change their behaviour.

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 

DMWS offer a new online counselling service for Serving and Reservist women across the UK

Funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, DMWS are proud to offer a new online counselling service for serving and reservist women across the UK.

With their military expertise, they understand the unique pressures of service life. This service gives those in need a safe space to talk, connect, and feel heard.

This free, confidential support is tailored to service women’s needs and covers:

Stress and anxiety
Loneliness and isolation
Health concerns
Relationship and family issues
Work pressures and more

Self-refer by emailing: seenandheard@dmws.org.uk

Or call their free helpline for support: 0800 999 3697

To find out more about this exciting project, visit https://dmws.org.uk/seen-and-heard/

Nexus: Young Carers within the Armed Forces - Autumn Newsletter and Upcoming Webinars

 

Nexus is a three-year project funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Trust. The project aims to improve support, resources and access to services for young carers within armed forces families.

The Autumn Newsletter can be read online at this link: Autumn Nexus Newsletter.

A new webinar series ‘A guide to the Armed Forces Covenant for young carers services’ has also been scheduled, with the first webinar taking place on the 11th November at 13:00. For more information please click here.

Wiltshire: Parental support from the Wiltshire Council Family Hub

 

Find out more at about these at the following links:

• Family Hub Support incl. Family Navigators and The Baby Wardrobe

• Parenting Group Programmes

Alternatively click here to visit the homepage of the website

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVEs

Wiltshire, Gloucestershire & Bristol: Marmalade Connections - tackling loneliness in the South West

 

Click here to visit the website

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVEs

Fife: Citizens Advice and Rights Fife - worried about paying your council tax?

Worried about Council Tax?

You’re not alone – and help is out there.

👉 You might qualify for discounts or exemptions
👉  Apply for a Council Tax Reduction if your income is low
👉  Get extra help with rent through Discretionary Housing Payments

💬 We can check what support you’re entitled to and help you apply.

Don’t wait until bills pile up – reach out today.

Get advice 👉 Home | Citizens Advice and Rights Fife

Get help 👉 Cost of Living Support

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Families Posted Overseas – have you nominated a Trusted Contact?