DIO: Update on FDIS performance

Update on FDIS performance

For updates on the action DIO is taking to improve the performance of the accommodation contracts, please go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/defence-infrastructure-organisation-service-family-accommodation where you can subscribe for update notifications, or join the Service Family Accommodation on Defence Connect 

Planning for Move-ins, Move-Outs and Removals this Summer

Summer is always the busiest period of the year for housing allocations and removals activity. The last week in July and first week in August are particularly popular dates and are usually fully booked several months in advance. Whilst our suppliers will always attempt to meet families’ preferred Move-in, Move-out and removals dates, it may not always be possible to achieve this against the significant volume of requests received. This is because the removals industry is still experiencing staff shortages. To help us manage this particularly busy time and to ensure families’ needs are met: 

• We would be grateful if families only request services during this period if they are unable to move at any other time.

 • Where circumstances allow, please could accompanied personnel without children avoid planning for a move within the school summer holiday window.

 • Please ensure removals are booked via the Agility portal as soon as Assignment Orders are  received.

• Families do not need a confirmed delivery address to start this process but knowing the location will allow Agility to plan for the summer moves.

• Once families have been allocated SFA, please confirm availability for removals before booking a move in and out appointments...

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BFBS Appoints New CEO

BFBS Appoints New CEO

Ben Chapman has been appointed as the new CEO of BFBS, the military charity and media organisation which provides TV, radio and other media services to the UK armed forces and defence sector.

He is a very experienced media executive, with a long career in audio and digital at the BBC before moving to Audible as Senior Director, Original Content. Among many senior roles, he was Head of Digital and Content Commissioning for BBC Sounds (BBC Radio and Music).

As editorial lead on the project he was in charge of digital activity in the Radio and Music division, including social media, for all the BBC’s national radio stations....

New Service Pupil Support Programme - part of exciting new funding opportunity from the Armed Forces Families Fund

Exciting new funding opportunity from the Armed Forces Families Fund.

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) is delighted to announce the launch of the new Service Pupil Support Programme – an MOD funded programme, part of the Armed Forces Families Fund (AF3).

Specifically supporting Service pupils aged 4-18 years, this programme will focus on those pupils from currently serving families and will support them along their educational pathways.

 Click image for more information

Northallerton: Forces Friendly 1st Weds of every Month

NEW group for the Armed Forces Community in Northallerton!

Join us, @ageuknyd and @sportingforce on Wednesday 5th April for a chat and games with like-minded people. You can book onto the first group at: https://www.carersplus.net/.../forces-friendly...

Information provided by Catterick HIVE Hub

 

Forces families to benefit as dedicated fund returns

Forces families to benefit as dedicated fund returns

Projects supporting military families can bid for a share of funding as the latest round of the Armed Forces Families Fund opens for applications.

The Fund, which is administered on the MOD’s behalf by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, is available to organisations who want to launch projects that have a positive impact on the lives of military communities.

Applications for the 2023 fund can be made from Monday 3 April, with full details of eligibility criteria and how to apply available on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s website.  The Families Fund welcomes applications for projects under three key programmes:

• Service Pupil Support Programme; a programme that awards grants to schools to help address additional challenges that children from Armed Forces families may face  
• Supporting Partners Innovation Fund; a programme that will fund innovative support for partners of those who are serving.   
• Early years Fund; a programme which will fund projects that help support young children from serving Armed Forces families to have great places to learn and develop.

The Armed Forces Families Fund was created to help implement parts of the UK Armed Forces Families Strategy following its launch in January 2022.

Last year’s round of funding supported 84 projects benefiting Armed Forces families, including a Safe Space and Support scheme for the 86 Service children attending Somerset’s Stanchester Academy.

The bespoke, supervised safe space is used as a meeting place, homework room, and dining area, as well as a location for an additional Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) to provide one-to-one tutoring.

The project also allowed the Academy to train a member of staff as a ‘Bounce Forward Armed Forces Resilience Champion’, providing resilience sessions and community events to improve the lives of Service children and their families.

Teacher Rebecca Hendry, who applied for the grant, said: “We have a high number of pupils that transfer to our secondary school in later years or midway through the year.

“Many of our students experience having a parent deployed or based elsewhere and away during the week.  By funding a specialist ELSA staff member and offering them extra tuition combined with a safe space, we can ensure that they have all the support needed to help them.”

Get involved

For full details about the Armed Forces Families Fund, including eligibility criteria for each programme, deadline dates and application guidance, visit the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s website.

Celebrating Forces Families Awards 2023 - Sponsorship

The aim of the event will be to acknowledge and celebrate the resilience, the amazing projects families have undertaken, triumph over adversity and inspiring career paths taken whilst being part of the whole community. 

Click HERE for Sponsorship Brochure

Click HERE for Nominations Form

Expansion of SSAFA’s eRedbook service with support of Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

 

Forces’ families recognise the value of the Digital Personal Child Health Record – commonly known as the eRedbook – launched in 2019 by the Cyprus-based Community Health Team of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

The eRedbook is a parent-held health and development record which allows access to your child’s personal health and development records wherever the family is. It is a simple and convenient service for Forces’ families who may move often and need to securely store and access information on their child's health.

Now, with a grant – the funding is from the MOD Armed Forces Families Fund administered by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust – the eRedbook scheme can expand this service to more parents and more children wherever UK Armed Forces are stationed including Cyprus, Sennelager, BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield in Canada), Gibraltar, Brunei, and BATUK (Kenya).

The grant will enable SSAFA to develop functionality within the eRedbook to better support families as they transition to overseas postings and enter bespoke information for each location, including community health services such as the local Health Visitor details and other vital support.

This will enable families to access key information at the point of need, for example domestic abuse helplines and – discreetly – advice, local emergency numbers, local contacts for welfare and support agencies, and signposting to UK resources such as Mind, Kooth, ICON, and the Child Accident Prevention Trust.

Melanie Ponomarenko, Cyprus-based SSAFA Public Health & Engagement Manager, said: It’s fantastic to be able to offer our families the eRedbook, not only ensuring they are able to access key information and advice empowering them take control of their child's health but also ensuring that they are able to access the same digital health tools that families in the UK are beginning to access under digital health plans.”

Cathey Horsfall, Head of Consulting & Digital Experience at eRedbook developer Sitekit, said: "Sitekit is delighted to be able to support SSAFA as they improve digital service to parents across the Armed Forces."

For more information about SSAFA’s Community Health Team, visit ssafa.org.uk/get-help/ssafa-community-health-overseas.

Royal Wootton Bassett: Busy Toes at the Rugby/Football Club

 Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

More than £400,000 awarded to 42 Forces projects in the latest round of the Force for Change programme

The Armed Forces Covenant Trust (the Trust) is delighted to have awarded grants totaling more than £400,000 to 42 outstanding projects in the latest round of the popular Force for Change programme, which supports community projects that reduce isolation and promote integration in local Armed Forces communities.

Projects across the UK were supported in this latest round, ranging from gardening and woodworking projects, to sporting projects and community wellbeing projects offering opportunities for members of the Armed Forces community to come together and connect with others.

Addressing the cost of living

A common theme addressed through this funding was the continuing cost of living crisis. These latest funded projects will help address some of the challenges the current economic climate presents for Armed Forces communities.

Sonia Howe, Director of Policy and Communications at the Trust, said: "It has been another brilliant year of the Force for Change programme, in which we've funded 100 projects supporting local Armed Forces communities across the UK. In this final round we've been pleased to see a wide range of projects taking place, and a common theme amongst many has been cost of living challenges. Moving forward, when the programme launches again this spring, we'll be increasing the award amount to £15,000 to reflect these challenges."

Forces children's education - celebrate month of the military child this April

Click here to find out more