Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Almost £800,000 Awarded to Support Partners Unlock New Opportunities

Fifteen projects have been awarded a share of almost £800,000 in grants to empower partners and spouses of serving personnel by opening opportunities to upskilling and exploring new work solutions - in the latest round of grants from the MOD's Armed Forces Families Fund.

The projects will also provide tools. Resources and training to support partners move into a job or a career change, and to build easier access to wellbeing support as part of the Fund's Supporting Partners programme.

Anna Wright, CEO of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, said: "This award will provide vital support for service spouses and partners, helping them build resilience, connect with others, and navigate the challenges of military family life. It also opens new opportunities, offering practical guidance and wellbeing activities, to create a stronger, more confident community.”

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

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

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

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub.

Dorset: Parents' guide to your child's Special Education Needs (SEN)

The guide explains the support ordinarily available in Dorset education settings, from early years to post-16 providers, and if a child or young person needs more help to achieve their potential. 

It includes information on how settings should use the Graduated Approach to plan support for children and young people, and how you can access support in your area.

Download guide

Information provided by Bovington HIVE.

Grantham: Street Tag Lincolnshire

Street Tag Lincolnshire

A fun interactive app that motivates parents and children to be active in their local area. Support children in reaching their daily 60 active minutes. 

Interested in signing up for the Street Tag programme? Send an email to: meenakshi@streettag.co.uk

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

 

Grantham: A polite Dog Rules on Camp reminder

When pets are outside the workplace they must be kept on a lead at ALL TIMES, (apart from the areas on the map, Annex D to Grantham Station Orders refer). 

Failure to follow this policy will result in owners being directed to remove the pet from the working environment. Dog walking area guidance

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust - over £300K awarded to enhance Early Years provision for Service families

Ten projects by nurseries and childcare settings across the UK have been awarded a share of £300,000 in grants to help forces families access early years education - in the latest round of grants from the MOD's Armed Forces Families Fund.

The projects, which will also provide development and upskilling opportunities for early years staff, will work to further improve educational experiences for young children from service families as part of the Fund's Early Years programme.

“Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s Armed Forces Families Fund: Early Years programme. These projects and the meaningful change the funding will create, allows the organisations to enhance their services to mitigate the challenges faced by young Service children and their families, due to military life” - Debra Barton, Early Years Specialist Lead, Ministry of Defence.

Moray: Speech and Language Therapy Advice

click on image to enlarge

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Servicewomen - Seen and Heard Programme reopens for applications

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) are pleased to let you know that the Servicewomen: Seen and Heard programme is now open and ready to welcome new applications!

Following the popularity of the programme in 2024, the Trust conducted further research with servicewomen from all three armed services, via several meetings and discussions, to discover more about their current needs and challenges to ensure this year’s programme hits the mark. The Trust would like to thank everyone who shared their experiences to help shape the programme for 2025.

What’s the programme all about?

Part of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, The Servicewomen: Seen & Heard Programme will award grants of up to £100,000 for two-year projects that expand support options for serving women, ensuring they are aware of, and able to access, help that is tailored to their specific needs.

It will address the unique challenges servicewomen face, providing education and information to help maximise their health and wellbeing.