Blandford: Garrison kitchen garden plots

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Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Llantwit Major: Oliver! A Llantwit Major Comprehensive School Production - Tue 08 - Fri 11 Jul 25

Llantwit Major Comprehensive School's production of Oliver!

Tuesday 8th July - Friday 11th July 2025

Consider yourself at home with Lionel Bart's classic musical based on the Charles Dickens novel, Oliver Twist. The Tony and Olivier Award-winning show is one of the few musicals to win an Academy Award for Best Picture and is widely hailed as a true theatrical masterpiece by actors and audience members alike.

The award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Dickens novel springs to life with some of the most memorable characters and songs ever to grace the stage.

For more information & to book tickets click the link below:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/llantwit-major-school

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.

Leuchars: Army Welfare Service Juniors Youth Club Age 8+, Thursdays

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Meet at the gate opposite the ATM

For more information email Jane.Allen208@mod.gov.uk or Kerry.willison100@mod.gov.uk

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Lyneham: Charity quiz night in the Community Centre - Wed 21 May

 

Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Support for families serving overseas

Support for families serving overseas

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) has awarded over £600,000 to support families serving overseas.

According to UK defence personnel statistics up to April 2024, around 5,700 armed forces personnel were stationed overseas. While the majority (66%) were posted within Europe, other key regions included North America, North Africa and the Middle East, and Asia.

Following the Trust’s own research and consultation, they launched the Supporting Serving Families Overseas Programme. Now, they have awarded nine projects a share of £127,642, with funding making its way to Spain, the Middle East, Cyprus, Belgium, Italy and more!

The projects funded in this round represent a range of support for the whole family. From support for those who have experienced, or are at risk of, domestic violence, to emotional health support for adults and children to help strengthen relationships while overseas.

Overseas, overstretched

A new posting can bring with it the usual upheaval: packing and moving all your belongings (drowning in moving boxes!), changing schools, changing job, leaving the dentist it took you 12 months to find. But add to that a language barrier, not being allowed to work for the next 2-3 years, having to pay for storage for all the things you can’t take with you, not to mention having to rebuy things you’ll need that won’t work in other countries, and you’ve got yourself an overseas posting!

The projects the Trust has supported seek to provide targeted support for families in-location to improve wellbeing and make the transition abroad easier.

Parli Italiano?

They awarded the Home Away Support Initiative Italy £8,500 to enhance available welfare for families, foster a sense of community in this quite isolated destination and help integrate those living there with Italian life.

Staff Sergeant David Skill, Head of locations for North of Italy, said: “When people see its Italy, or Spain or wherever, they make some real assumptions in terms of what you’re going to do and what life’s going to be like. People get this picturesque view that you’re going to live in a villa and be by the pool every day! There is a little bit of that in there, but that is not the day-to-day living experience (…) It’s about managing that expectation.”

One of the activities they plan to offer to the families they support is Italian lessons. Emily Golding, Head of locations for Northeast Italy, adds: “It’s not a very touristy place to live, so when you go out for dinners and stuff, you do have to speak Italian. It’s just a normal human thing to be able to go to the supermarket or a restaurant and have a conversation. People are keen to develop their language skills but also, it’s a chance to get people together.”

But support doesn’t stop there

The Trust has also awarded £500,000 to the Army Families Federation to work in partnership with the Naval and RAF Family Federations to implement an evidence-based portfolio of support that incorporates the whole cycle of an overseas posting: from initial contact prior to relocation, to support on arrival and ongoing support during the posting, moving to support with reintegration back to the UK (or another overseas posting), and finally including post assignment learning and feedback.

Following an initial externally run discovery phase to engage with families, statutory organisation, other charities and chain of command, the Family Federations will launch a range of support work including early engagement briefings; an overseas employment information hub; a tri-service digital engagement platform to provide families with key posting information and improving communication; and more.

The Chief Executives from the Families Federations have released a joint comment: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this four-year grant (…) by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. During this period, we will be launching a series of projects and a research study that will help us inform and support serving personnel and families from all three Services who are going through the cycle of contemplating, serving on, or returning from an overseas assignment. This is a really exciting time for all three Families Federations, and we look forward to working closely with the Trust and the single services on this unique, transformative programme.”

Find out more

A full list of awards made in this latest round are available on the Trust’s website here.

Are you on the mailing list?

Did you know the Trust have a newsletter? Get the latest updates and news straight to your inbox. Sign up via their website www.covenantfund.org.uk

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

DIO SFA Communications Update: An introduction to the Defence Homes website

DIO has launched a new website called Defence Homes for Service personnel and their families, as part of our commitment to enhance the overall SFA experience.

The Defence Homes site hosts the latest SFA information and updates, and has now replaced the Service Family Accommodation pages on GOV.UK.

The Defence Homes site is a helpful and improved source of information and support for your SFA queries. Features on the new site include: 

• SFA news – helping you easily access the latest Families First newsletter
• Events within your local community – sign up to a SFA Roadshow
• Find out who’s who – read more about the teams who are here to support you
• Information and guidance – to support you throughout your time in SFA, such as requesting a repair or reporting an issue

Staffordshire: The Lichfield Summer Festival Market - 29 June

 The Summer Festival Market  will take place on the 29th June  2025 10am – 4pm

Artisan gifts, tasty treats and plenty of fun – we know that the inaugural Lichfield Summer Festival Market will be bursting with unique crafts and local brew, entertainment and – fingers crossed – plenty of sunshine.

Building on the continuing success of the hugely popular traditional Christmas Fayre, Lichfield Chamber is bringing a bright new Summer Festival Market to our vibrant and wonderful city in 2025 for the first time. With plenty of stalls throughout the city centre, along Minster Pool and Dam Street, we’ll be encouraging new visitors and old to explore Lichfield’s fabulous heritage and support local trades, shops and our cafes.

(curtesy of Lichfield Chamber of Commerce)

Information: Central HIVE Hub

Northern Ireland: Vehicle Test Exemption Certificates Update

Did you know? From 1 June 2025, Vehicles first registered between 1 June 2020 and 31 May 2021 or between 1 June 2018 and 31 May 2019 with a valid NI MOT will be given a Temporary Exemption Certificate (TEC).

Find out more at: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/.../guide-booking-your-mot...
NI Road Policing and Safety Share the Road to Zero nidirect

Information provided by HIVE NI

Forest of Dean: Bark in the Park - Sun 18 May at Speech House GL16 7EL

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.