Grantham: Shine Connect Winter Support 2025

As we approach the festive season and look ahead to 2026, we are pleased to launch our Shine Connect Christmas and Winter Support Magazine which can be found here: Christmas Shine Connect 2025. It’s a practical information guide designed to support people who may be struggling, feeling isolated, or in need of extra help over the Christmas period.
The magazine brings together a wide range of key services from health, care and community VCFSE partners, all in one place.
It includes information on local support available over Christmas and New Year, warm and welcoming spaces for those who need them, free phone helplines offering a friendly voice, and community services that help people connect with others and reduce loneliness and isolation during the holiday period.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Grantham: Carers UK Winter Magazine

Carers UK have just shared their Winter Magazine, it has some great carer stories and information -Carers UK

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy

 
Defence sets out commitments to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a new cross government strategy published on 18 Dec.

To view the Strategy documents, please go to: Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy - GOV.UK

Celebrating the Success of SSAFA’s Togetherness Overseas Parenting Programmes

SSAFA are delighted to share the success of their Togetherness (Solihull NHS) online parenting programmes, since launching in April 2025.

Togetherness is available to the Service community living overseas, including UK-based extended family members of Service families assigned worldwide. The BF1 postcode linked to the overseas location where the serving family are based will be needed to access.

What is Togetherness?
Togetherness is designed to support parents at every stage of their journey from pregnancy through to adolescence. These courses empower parents to:

• Understand their child’s brain development and emotional health.
• Decode behaviours and respond effectively to foster positive interactions.
• Develop strong communication skills to nurture confidence, kindness, and emotional awareness in children.

Give Us Time - 2026 breaks are live!

Give Us Time first breaks for 2026 are live on the website now – there are dates in March and April across the UK, in both glamping pods (which sleep up to 4) and holiday lodges (which sleep up to 6). There are two new locations this year as well, at Malvern View in Herefordshire, and Glendal in Cumbria.

As always, the criteria for breaks is here https://giveustime.org.uk/what-we-do/faqs/ and the registration form is here https://bookings.giveustime.org.uk/login

Breaks are accommodation only – Give Us Time do not cover the costs of travel, food, or entertainment as part of the break.

Breaks are booked on a first come first served basis and they ask families to wait 2 years between bookings, but will always consider exceptional circumstances.

More dates for the rest of 2026 will be added soon – announcements will be made on Give Us Time socials here https://www.facebook.com/GiveUsTime and https://www.instagram.com/give_us_time/

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

Garrison Padre - Carl.Stokes103@mod.gov.uk Mobile 07971927485

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

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

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

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

Aurora New Dawn: Armed Forces Domestic Abuse Helpline - Christmas opening hours

For more information on Aurora New Dawn support please visit: www.aurorand.org.uk

Fylde Council: Foodbank Christmas Hampers

This Christmas, no family in Fylde should go without.

We’re proud to support Fylde Foodbank's Christmas Hamper initiative, working with local schools and partners to ensure everyone can enjoy the festive season.

If you know someone who could benefit, please get in touch with Fylde Foodbank on 01253 727455 (St Annes) or 07592 542670 (Kirkham).

Together, we can make Christmas special for all our residents.

Information provided by Preston & Weeton HIVE

(source - Fylde Council)

Recruit for Spouses: Op SPOUSE and how RFS supports you

What is Op SPOUSE?

RFS gives the following overview:

“A nationwide initiative to strengthen Defence retention, readiness and resilience.

“Family dissatisfaction is the leading driver in the Armed Forces retention challenge – and supporting spouses more effectively is critical to improving outcomes across Defence.

“Op SPOUSE is the solution – it equips military spouses with the tools, opportunities, and support they need to thrive, helping to sustain family stability and long-term commitment to Service life.

“Delivered by RFS – the UK’s leading military families charity – this scalable initiative enhances existing MOD commitments to support Service families, and strengthens Defence outcomes by improving retention, readiness and cost-efficiency.”

Find out more at: https://www.recruitforspouses.co.uk/op-spouse

To find out more about the support available from Recruit for Spouses, please view/download the 'How RFS Supports You' brochure.

NHS England: Calling All Young Carers! Workshop dates for Dec 25 and Jan 26

To register for a workshop please email: ENGLAND.NHSTHINKCARER@NHS.NET

For more information about the support and resources available to young carers in the Service community, please contact Army HIVE on RC-Pers-HIVEComms-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk, PM via our social media pages, or use our blog enquiry form (from the blog menu please go to: “If you need further information Please contact us: here.

Leuchars: Carers Drop-in with AWS next drop-in Thursday 11th December

click on image to enlarge

Contact jane.allen208@mod.gov.uk

Information provided by Leuchars

First Defence Finance: Resources from Safer Gambling Week

Last week marked Safer Gambling Week, and our colleagues at First Defence Finance (one of the three MOD-endorsed Credit Unions) have produced a booklet on this topic that can be viewed online at: 

👉 https://heyzine.com/flip-book/FDFGamblingSupport

Read on for further information:

Colerne: Welfare facilities booking request form - Colerne Station

 

The following facilities can currently be booked by scanning the QR code or clicking the link below:

• Welfare house / flat
• Community Centre
• Soft Play
• Noah's Ark family pass

Welfare facilities booking request form

(To check availability first, please check the Google calendar: Welfare facilities Google calendar)

Please note these facilities can be used by any Service Personnel or their family working on Colerne Station (21 Sigs, 13 Sigs, etc.) or living in SFA in Colerne

To find out more about Welfare's facilities, please click the link below to visit the Sway info page:

Colerne Station Welfare Sway info page

Information provided by Colerne HIVE

The Ripple Pond: Autumn Newsletter 2025

The Ripple Pond exists to ensure that everyone caring for a loved one who has a service attributable physical or psychological injury in the British Armed Forces Community is genuinely seen, heard, and supported.

To read this latest newsletter in full please click here: Autumn 2025 Newsletter

To find out more about the support offered by The Ripple Pond, please visit: https://www.theripplepond.org/

Give Us Time – Winter Update

 

The latest Give Us Time update has details of their ‘Give Us A Moment at Christmas’ opportunities, including tickets on the ‘Polar Express’, THREE new breaks in Scotland for next year, and the opportunity to raise some funds.

For more information please go to www.giveustime.org.uk

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

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