Non-UK Nationals: New digital record of exemption for those in the Armed Forces from 19th March 2026

The Home Office has informed the MOD that from 19 March 2026, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) will no longer issue physical exempt vignettes in passports as evidence of their exempt status.

Instead, all new recruits and Service personnel in the UK and serving overseas who are renewing or replacing their passports will be able to apply for a digital record of exemption (DroE). The document below summarises the application processes for applying in the UK and from overseas.

Non-UK Nationals: New digital record of exemption for those in the Armed Forces

PAPYRUS: Fully funded Suicide Prevention Training for Veteran communities

PAPYRUS has been awarded funding by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund to provide fully funded suicide prevention training for those working with or supporting veterans. The aim is to equip participants with skills to identify warning signs, intervene effectively, and reduce stigma around mental health and suicide among veterans. The training is available across the UK. If you work with or support veterans, please do book onto a course: Armed Forces (Veterans) Training | Papyrus

Also see: Funded suicide prevention training in your area | Papyrus

HOPELINE247: HOPELINE247 advisers work with you to understand why thoughts of suicide might be present. They also want to provide you with a safe space to talk through anything happening in your life that could be impacting on your or anyone else’s ability to stay safe. For anyone under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide and for anyone concerned that a person could be thinking about suicide visit HOPELINE247 | Papyrus

Serve & Protect Credit Union: Resources to improve financial wellbeing

Employees can now access a new Fixed Saver through Serve and Protect.

• Key points:Fixed interest rate of 4% AER/gross
• Guaranteed return after 12 months
• FSCS protection up to £120,000

🔗 Take a look and decide if it's right for you here: sandpcu.co.uk/fs12

Upcoming webinars:

Our free weekly webinars help to manage money with confidence. With tips to save smarter, boost your credit score, and prepare for emergencies.

Click here to find out more: Webinars - Serve & Protect

Quick Links & Resources

Financial Tools: 

Budget Planner 🔗
Savings Calculator 🔗
Loan Calculator 🔗
Benefits Calculator 🔗

Our Services: 

Savings Accounts 🔗
Loan Products 🔗
Community Fund 🔗
Financial Webinars 🔗

Dorset: Kickboxing classes (Wool village)

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Aldershot: The Vine Centre

Based in Aldershot, Hampshire and supporting Rushmoor and the surrounding areas, we aim to support our community with their needs as and when they arise. The Vine Centre provides a broad range of services to the most disadvantaged members of our community and we seek to fulfil the basic needs of anyone who seeks our help.

Our mission is to serve the community, enabling individuals to move towards independence, make sustainable change in their lives, reduce social isolation and improve their quality of life by offering specialised support in a safe environment. We support adults and families that are socially isolated, long-term unemployed, homeless or poorly housed, suffering with mental health, addiction or learning difficulties. Often individuals will access more than one of our services - and they are always welcome to join anything we have on offer.

Click HERE for more information

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Hampshire: Hampshire County Council money worries

Please click on the link below to access the HCC website that provides vital information for families who may be struggling due to the cost of living crisis with lots of useful links.

Click HERE for more information.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Sandhurst Military CoWorking Network Games Night Every 4th Tuesday evening of the month 7:30 pm - 9pm

 

Designed to connect military spouses and partners wherever they are, why not join us for a fun evening

of online gaming - all you need is your phone or tablet and a sense of humour, and you’ll have a good time! (Just checking have you also heard about our physical military coworking hub based at Sandhurst? – if not why not book a trial?)

We play Jackbox games so there’s nothing to download, all games are short so you can dip in and out as required and all the games are party style, whether it’s a quiz, teamwork, drawing on your phone/tablet or something completely off the wall.

Every 4th Tuesday evening of the month. Our next event is next week Tuesday 28th October 2025. 7:30pm-9pm

We also host virtual co-working on a Tuesday morning between 9:30am – 12pm.

Completely FREE, just sign up on our website:

https://www.militarycoworking.uk/events

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: New Awards under the Serving Families On the Move programme

New funding will help families settle faster after a posting - with welcome support, connections, and tools for children.

Moving house is hard. Doing it because of service life requirements - again and again - can be harder still.

That’s why the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust has funded 11 new projects through the Serving Families: On the Move programme, helping families feel welcomed, informed and connected in the early weeks after a move.

Over £460,000 will help families settle with confidence - building on more than £1.5 million already funded through the programme.

Three ways this funding help

1. Offer a warm welcome early on through practical guidance, local information and tailored support.

2. Reduce loneliness and isolation through home visits, workshops, group activities and trained volunteers (many with military backgrounds).

3. Help children and young people keep continuity with digital tools that help families discover activities and prepare for moves.

Anna Wright, Chief Executive of the Trust, said:

“It’s important that military families feel valued, connected and supported wherever service life takes them. I remember my own experiences as a military family of relocating to a new area and anything that makes you feel welcome and settled more quickly is so important.”

Find out more.

Full list of all projects funded under the Serving Families: On the Move programme are available on the Trust’s website here.

West Midlands Railway student deal - Get up to 50% off your travel to school, college or university!

With a Student Season Ticket, you only need one ticket for the whole term. It makes daily train travel to school, college or university simple and affordable, giving you unlimited journeys between your two chosen stations throughout the specified travel window — including evenings and weekends.

Want more ways to save? Explore our Student Train Tickets Guide for top tips on reducing your spend on travel during term-time.

Full details: HERE

Information: Central HIVE Hub

 

Department for Work & Pensions: Latest News Update

Department for Work & Pensions: Latest News Update

Mobile Jobcentres

Jobseekers are to benefit from the roll-out of mobile jobs vans across Great Britain.

Following hugely successful pilots in the Scottish Highlands, North and Mid Wales and Greater Manchester, the number of Jobcentres on Wheels will provide enhanced support in six new areas, with a view to explore rolling out the scheme more extensively after testing its impact.

The vans will take jobcentre staff on the road to communities with some of the highest rates of unemployment where support is needed most. Vans will park up outside family hubs, leisure centres, supermarkets, local events and football matches to make taking that first step towards work as easy as possible.

Once on board, people can meet with one of the DWP’s experienced work coaches who will who offer expert support with job searching and training opportunities.

They can also provide information to those with health conditions or disabilities and for accessing childcare costs.

As well as existing customers, the service is open and accessible to all members of the public and forms part of the government’s wider plans to Get Britain Working, kickstart economic growth and give more opportunities for people to get on in their career.

Read the full press release