Vale of Glamorgan: Vale of Glamorgan Council Budget Consultation 2024 - 2025

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We’ve launched our budget consultation for 2024-25.

The annual funding settlement we receive from Welsh Government makes up just over half of our annual budget. The rest is provided by Council Tax, charges for services, and funding through a proportion of business rates collected across Wales.

Because of the increasing demand on services and rising costs due to inflation we still have a £7.8 million gap in funding for next year.

New Accommodation Offer - new accompanied established Long Term Relationship overseas pilot now live

 

A new pilot launched today will give Service personnel in registered Long Term Established Relationships (LTR(E)s) greater access to subsidised accommodation abroad. This is another positive step in modernising Defence accommodation policy abroad and our commitment to improve the offer to Service personnel.

The way people live is changing, and Defence’s UK accommodation policy is starting to reflect this. As a result, a disparity between UK and overseas policy has emerged. This overseas pilot, which initially runs from 22 January 2024 to 31 March 2025, aims to tackle this and will give Service personnel in an LTR(E) the opportunity to serve accompanied in the Falkland Islands and Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas using Service Family Accommodation on the same basis as those who are cohabiting or married.

Dorset: Local childcare and family services

 

Image: Dorset county council 

Do you need information on child-minders and childcare facilities in your area or have a child with SEND and need support or information? Click HERE

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Celebrating Forces Families Awards 2024 - finalists include two HIVE staff

 

Army HIVE are very proud to announce that two members of staff are finalists in the 2024 Celebrating Forces Families awards!

Jo Ratabuli works in Cyprus and is a finalist in the 'Away From Home' category, and Emma Passant is a finalist in the 'Family Volunteer of the Year' category.

To find out more about the Celebrating Forces Families awards, and to buy tickets for the Awards Night in April, please go to: https://www.celebratingforcesfamilies.co.uk/​

New Accommodation Offer update - draft JSP now available

Whilst the New Accommodation Offer policy will not come into effect until 11 March 2024, the draft of the new JSP 464 'Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations' is being shared with Service personnel now so that they have access to detailed policy information to help inform any future accommodation decisions they may be making. The JSP will be re-issued as 'live' policy on 11 March 2024 to replace the current version of JSP 464.

Parts 1 to 8 of the draft JSP are available on Gov.uk. Parts 9 to 11 will cover Forces Help to Buy, the Combined Accommodation Assessment System for SFA and Four-Tier Grading for SLA – these are not being released now as the policy remains the same as under the current regulations. Part 12 will cover the complaints processes which will be published when the new policy comes into effect.

Link to Draft JSP: Draft tri-service accommodation regulations (TSARs) (JSP 464) - March 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Link to New Accommodation Offer SWAY: New Accommodation Offer Update release 19 Jan 2024 (cloud.microsoft)

Corsham: Repair Cafe 2024 dates

 

Please click here to visit the website

Information provided by Colerne HIVE

Blind Veterans UK - volunteer with us

 

www.blindveterans.org.uk/volunteer

New iHIVE poster

 

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Did you know that contacting iHIVE is listed in the 'key actions to be taken' on the Overseas Location Compatibility Checklist?

For Service Personnel and families moving overseas, the Overseas Location Compatibility Checklist provides an initial list of personal and domestic factors to be considered pre-application for an overseas assignment, to determine the suitability of the overseas location, for the Service person and their immediate/close family.​​

For more information on this, or for any questions you may have on any location worldwide, contact iHIVE via RC-Pers-HIVE-iHIVE-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk or +44 300 167 6864

You can also find ​the iHIVE Blog at: https://internationalhive.blogspot.com/. This platform hosts worldwide location information, including Overseas Location Guides, to enable Service personnel and their families find out more about a potential or current overseas assignment.

Our iHIVE HIVE Information Support Officer can also answer any questions that you may have, including regarding supportability for any specific in-country family requirements.

Hereford: The Cart Shed - Free sessions through the Blue Light Card Foundation

Are you a Blue Light Card holder? For example, do you work as an NHS employee, Social Care worker, a serving member of the Armed Forces or are you an Armed Forces Veteran? Are you struggling with your emotional wellbeing? We have funding from the Blue Light Card Foundation to offer FREE sessions for you to enjoy time in our woods to improve your mental health and wellbeing.

There are a range of seasonal activities available including green wood working, willow weaving, horticulture, drawing and creative crafts. All of these are taught by our expert team of tutors in our beautiful woodlands in north Herefordshire. Our clinical team, comprising of occupational therapists and mental health practitioners, are on hand throughout the day to support you to improve your mental health and general wellbeing.

This is for all Blue Light workers: Please click on this link for the full list of those eligible.

To apply please visit The Cart Shed and fill in an online referral form found on our home page. Please state on the form that you are a Blue Light worker and detail which profession you work for. Free transport is available on request (where possible) from pick-up points in Hereford, Kington and Leominster. The 461 bus route also has a request stop near our site.

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.

Folkestone: AWS Community Support, Monthly Candle Making at Shorncliffe

 

Information provided by Chatham HIVE