Chatham: Army Welfare Service community support - Volunteering, is it for you?

Have you got skills/ideas you would like to share with others?

Could you spare a couple of hours a week/month to support your community?

Would you like to be part of a team to create opportunities for your community?

Volunteering can make a difference to inspire and empower others. For example working with children and young people. 

Volunteering can give you valuable experience and training to add to your CV.

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Weeton: AWS /CS Summer Youth Club Activities

 Information provided by Weeton HIVE

Colerne: Housing Surgery & School staff visit to coffee morning - Thu 25 Jun

Information provided by Colerne HIVE

Wildshore Blackpool - Watersport and Aqua Park - military Discount

 

Wildshore Blackpool has kindly offered a 10% military discount for all their activities

Bookings are now live.  To book please Click Here

Information provided by Weeton HIVE

Wales: Adferiad Spouses Volunteering & Employment Programme - Tailored support for Military spouses & partners in Wales

Information provided by Wales HIVE Hub

AFCFT ‘Supporting Partners Programme’ opens for applications, closes 23rd Sept with notification by end of Nov

Supporting Partners Programme reopens for applications

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) are pleased to let you know that the Supporting Partners programme under the MOD’s Armed Forces Families Fund is now open and ready to welcome new applications!

What’s the programme all about?

Since 2023, the Trust have awarded over £2.5m on behalf of the MOD to 45 projects under the Armed Forces Families Fund: Supporting Partners programme which seeks to provide support and solutions to help partners of serving personnel navigate the challenges of service life.

Today, the Trust are reopening this programme for new applications which will achieve one or more of the following outcomes -

• Partners of serving personnel have increased their skills and confidence through additional opportunities to explore new ways of working and/or to change careers.

• Partners of serving personnel, including non-UK nationals, are better able to access and engage with employment support that reflects the challenges of service life, such as mobility and separation.

• Service providers and employers demonstrate improved understanding of the unique challenges of service life, enabling more informed and effective support for partners of serving personnel.

• Improved mental health and wellbeing for partners of serving personnel, leading to increased confidence and greater empowerment in personal and career choices that work within service life.

Grants of £10,000 to £150,000 are available for projects lasting up to three years.

Planning to register and claim for the UK Nursery Authority (UKNA) from September? Living in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland? Volunteers needed for the user testing

Planning to register and claim for the UK Nursery Authority (UKNA) from September? The childcare team are asking for volunteers to take part in user testing and provide feedback on some of the products required to register and claim the UKNA reimbursement.

If you haven’t heard about UKNA, read the announcement from March 2026:

Transformative new childcare support will save Defence families up to £6000 a year - GOV.UK

Criteria for taking part in the testing:

• Service personnel (SP) must be Regular or FTRS (FC)
• SP with children aged 9 months to 2 years old living in Scotland or Wales, and SP with children aged 9 months to 4 years old living in Northern Ireland.
• SP that are currently paying for childcare at a registered childcare provider.
• SP that use a Tax-Free Childcare account to pay their provider.
• SP that have sufficient time available to test the product and provide feedback to the team.

User testing will take place between now and September.

If you fit the criteria and would like to take part in the user testing, please contact the Defence childcare team at people-affs-child-expenses@mod.gov.uk

South: Interview Skills Training with Vivo - Thu 9 Jul

 

Please email tessa.pritchard@vivodefence.com to book your space or to find out more info.

Information provided by Colerne & Lyneham HIVE

Bovington: Garrison welfare team

The Welfare team aims to provide the best possible welfare advice to all soldiers and their families. The Welfare office is located by Costcutter food store on King George V Road, Bovington. 

• Unit Welfare Officer - Mr Adrian Ingham 
• Garrison Welfare Warrant Officer - WO2 Scott Forrester

Tel: Welfare Office 01929 402239 or 01929 402240

Email: CMC-BovLulSU-WELFARE-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk 

In case of emergency - duty welfare mobile number 07971 577282

Please only contact the duty mobile number if it is an urgent welfare matter. 

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Blandford: Garrison welfare support

The Welfare support teams and chaplaincy services offer support and advice to all Soldiers, Officers and families living or working on the Garrison

Should you require help and support or have a welfare issue please contact a member of your Welfare Team during normal working hours on:

Blandford Garrison Support Unit (BGSU)

Garrison Welfare Clerk - BlandfordGar-BGSU-WCSO Tel: 01258 481938

Garrison Welfare Warrant Officer - BLANDFORDGAR-BGSU-GWWO Tel: 01258 482694

Garrison Welfare Officer - BLANDFORDGAR-BGSU-GWO Tel: 01258 481936

BGSU Padre - Revd Carl Stokes 

Carl.Stokes103@mod.gov.uk

11 (RSS) Sig Regt Welfare Team

Unit Welfare Senior NCO - DSCIS-11SR-RHQ-Welfare NCO Tel: 01258 482619

Asst Unit Welfare Officer - DSCIS-11SR-RHQ-AUWO Tel: 01258 482902

Unit Welfare Officer - DSCIS-11SR-RHQ-UWO Tel: 01258 482901

11 Sigs Padre - Rev Caroline Rogers 

Caroline.Rogers118@mod.gov.uk 

Out of hours emergency contact the Guardroom on - 01258 482402.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE