MOD Update: Credit union service for Defence people celebrates 10-year anniversary

Credit union service for Defence people celebrates 10-year anniversary

This month marks 10 years since the launch of Joining Forces – the collaboration of three credit unions, established to help Service Personnel and Defence civil servants save regularly and borrow responsibly.

The Joining Forces Credit Union (JFCU) service – which now supports over 27,000 members – provides a range of simple savings accounts and affordable loans, to help Service Personnel (Regulars and Reservists), veterans, and their families access financial products. Repayments can be made straight from military pay or pension.

Defence Civil Servants can also use the service, with saving and loan repayments made via Direct Debit – rather than payroll deduction.

What is a credit union?

Dorset: Bovington & Blandford Coworking hubs - Weekly online events

 

📌 Weekly Virtual Coworking
Every Tuesday: 9:30am–12pm

📌 Content Planning Club
First Thursday of the month

📌 Craft & Chat
First and Third Tuesday of the month: 7:30pm–9pm

📌 Book Club
Second Tuesday of the month: 7:30pm–9pm

📌 Games Night
Fourth Tuesday of the month: 7:30pm–9pm

You are very welcome to all our events and they are totally free to attend. Whether you can join us from the start, pop in partway or need to dip out early, you’re always welcome and please don’t worry if you furry friends or children need your attention, we totally get it.

If you’d like to connect in person too, your local Bovington or Blandford coworking hub is always open. If you haven’t visited yet, why not try a free trial? Links for all are below:

We’d love to see you online or in your hub soon 💛

👉 Book your free spot here for events:

https://www.militarycoworking.uk/events

👉 Book a free trial at our Bovington coworking hub:

Bovington | Military Coworking Network

👉 Book a free trial at our Blandford coworking hub:

Blandford | Military Coworking Network

Kelly, Rachel and Linzi

Your Bovington and Blandford Hub and online support team

Information provided by Bovington HIVE 

Stafford Falcons U13 Girls - New Players Wanted

 Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Latest funding helps change the narrative for servicewomen

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust has awarded eight projects a share of over £650,000 under its Service Women: Seen & Heard programme, focusing on the specific needs of women in our armed forces.

As of April 2025, women represented 11.9% of the UK regular armed forces; however, many still describe it as a ‘man’s world’.

From ill-fitting uniform to availability of sanitary products; a lack of recognition of the role many servicewomen play as main caregiver to their family, to a lack of understanding of the symptoms of menopause. Applications to the Trust’s servicewomen-focused programme made it clear that change is needed.

Body talk

Working across the UK, the Defence General Practice Women’s Health Special Interest Group: Academic Department of Military General Practice, will create a series of short, animated educational clips on servicewomen’s health.

The clips will be designed for use in facilitated discussions across recruitment, training, service and leadership, covering topics such as menstruation, vulval health, urination, menopause, reproductive health and more. This work will support awareness and wellbeing, as well as contribute towards gender-informed leadership in military settings – a key theme of the Atherton inquiry.

Surg Lt Cdr Ruth Guest explains: “Servicewomen tell us about struggling to manage periods on deployment, facing stigma around menopause, or not knowing where to seek support for female specific conditions. With this funding, we can turn lived experience into lasting educational tools that will improve confidence and wellbeing for serving women but also create meaningful discussions and culture change across Defence as a whole.”

Menopause support

Leuchars: Deployment support for RAF personnel at Leuchars

click on image to enlarge

RAF Personnel stationed at Leuchars are part of the military community, they and their families are welcomed to Station events, coffee mornings and activities provided by the Leuchars Welfare Teams. 

HIVE is also here for the RAF Families and has contact with the RAF HIVE Information Support Officer and SSAFA at RAF Lossiemouth. 

RAF Lossiemouth HIVE have produce the Deployment Support document above for RAF personnel at Leuchars.

If you require further help then please contact HIVE at Leuchars.

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Grantham: Contact Welfare House

1 fully furnished 2 bedroom house which can be booked for family & friends.

Maximum sleep is 4 with a travel cot for 1 child.
Bedding provided.
No pets.
No smoking.

£30 per night.

The Contact House is available provided there are no emergency cases.
Emergency cases take priority which may result in immediate vacating.

For bookings and further information please contact the Unit Station Welfare on 07879119195.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Aldershot: Military Veteran Football Club

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

New Award Made under The Armed Forces Covenant Fund: Empowering Bereaved Military Families programme

Bereaved families within the armed forces community will soon benefit from specialist mental health and wellbeing support, thanks to a significant investment from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund’s ‘Empowering Bereaved Military Families’ programme.

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) awarded nearly £2 million to Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) to deliver targeted support – including counselling, emotional and practical care - to military families who’ve lost loved ones during or connected to service.

Long-term vison for transformational change

Weeton: AFC Fylde Community Foundation - Football Development and Mid Week Coasters

Information provided by Preston & Weeton HIVE

Are you being posted overseas? Our Overseas and iHIVE Blogs hold information on your new location

You will find information, including comprehensive Location Guides – plus our local office’s contact details – on our Overseas Blogs at:

• Belgium (SHAPE)
• Brunei
• Brunssum
• Cyprus
• Gibraltar
• Naples
• Sennelager

For those posted elsewhere, anywhere in the rest of the World, our tri-Service iHIVE covers the area.

The iHIVE Blog hosts around 100 Overseas Location Guides that can be viewed or downloaded from our iHIVE Blog: https://internationalhive.blogspot.com/ with more being added routinely. These can also be accessed (by MODnet users) through the Army HIVE SharePoint site Overseas Postings area.

Most importantly, our iHIVE is also available to answer any enquiries about any overseas location worldwide, whether you are in the Royal Navy/RM, RAF, Army or civilian Service communities - please get in touch with any questions you may have.

iHIVE is listed in the Overseas Supportability Checklist as an action for any Service person/family assigned overseas, in order to check that local services, amenities and facilities meet each individual and family’s needs.

Our poster has iHIVE’s contact details, or get in touch by email: RC-Pers-HIVE-iHIVE-0Mailbox (MULTIUSER) RC-Pers-HIVE-iHIVE-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk