Salisbury Plain: Salisbury Plain Military Coworking Network Hub - Content Planning Club - Accountability & Advice - First Thursday of the month

Are you a military spouse/partner that creates content?

As well as our physical SALISBURY PLAIN MCN HUB (why not reach out and book a trial?) where you can book a desk to help you get into the zone without the distractions from home, we also run a virtual session to connect us. First Thursday of the month, 10:30am-12pm, totally free. In fact, we are holding a session next Thursday 06.11.2025. 

Content may be something that’s all too easy to slip off your to do list, time and time again, but we hope these sessions provide the accountability you may feel you need to make sure you’re actually creating it once in a while.

Content can range from social media content, to emails, to blog posts, magazine articles or just about anything else!

The bonus? Throughout the session you’re able to ask for feedback and advice in the Zoom chat, so no more analysis paralysis or being stuck for ideas as you can ask in there.

We’d love to see you there

https://www.militarycoworking.uk/events

Information provided by South West HIVE Hub

New Defence Housing Strategy published

 
Defence Housing Strategy

Following an announcement by Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey MP this afternoon, we are delighted to share the new Defence Housing Strategy.

Independently led by a team of experts and driven by the input of more than 6,000 service families, the strategy sets out the most significant change for Armed Forces housing in over 50 years. It marks the start of a fully costed ten-year programme to reshape, redevelop and modernise the Defence housing estate to best meet the realities of modern service family life.

We have summarised some of the key changes set out in the strategy for you and your family below:

Redevelopment and modernisation of UK SFA

• Every service family deserves a home they can be proud of. This transformation will create thousands of high-quality homes, supporting our Armed Forces and their families for decades to come.  
• We will be giving over 40,000 military homes a makeover – new kitchens, bathrooms and heating systems to ensure you have what you need for comfortable modern living.  14,000 of these homes will be substantially refurbished or replaced.
• Rapid improvements are already underway through a Consumer Charter for Forces Families introduced earlier this year. New and upgraded military homes will meet modern property standards comparable to the best professional housing organisations, ensuring they are warm, spacious and of high quality.

£4.5 million awarded to support veterans with a housing need

· 19 organisations to receive a share of £4.5 million under the Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund.

· These projects will provide new builds and significant refurbishment of rental accommodation offering high quality support for veterans with a housing need.

19 organisations will share £4.5 million thanks to funding from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund. The awards cover England, Scotland and Wales and contribute to the Government’s ambition to reduce veteran homelessness and end rough sleeping.

Nine grants are awarded under the Major Capital Grants programme, which supports new build accommodation and significant refurbishment and extension of accommodation for veterans. A further 10 supplementary grants are awarded to existing projects. These latest awards bring the total awarded through this programme to over £12.5 million.

Find out more

You can find a full list of all awardees from this round and previous rounds of the Major Capital Grants programme on the Trust’s website www.covenantfund.org.uk

Keep up to date with funding opportunities

For the latest updates and announcements on Covenant Fund programmes, and any other funding opportunities the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust has available throughout the year, sign up to their e-newsletter via their website www.covenantfund.org.uk

Information about Primary School applications, if your child will be 4 by the end of Aug 2026

Defence Children Services:

Please see the Letter to parents if your child will be 4 by the end of August 2026 and you’re therefore eligible to apply for a Primary school place for your child. The deadline in England for applying for a Primary School place is January 15th 2026. Most Local Authorities have detailed information on their admissions websites about the process.

If you’re considering deferring your child’s start at Primary School, you will still need to apply for a school place in this application round but also request to defer your child’s start at primary school via the Headteacher and or the Local Authority.

Shropshire: Live Well Community Hub Donnington - 1st Friday of every month

 Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

Darlington: Resilience through craft - for Service Women: Seen & Heard

 Information provided by North HIVE Hub

Dreghorn: Pinnacle drop-in sessions, Tuesdays 1300-1500

click on image to enlarge

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Fife: Winter bin collections with Fife Council, brown bin collection dates will change

Brown bin collection dates in Fife will be changing, as usual, for the colder months.

Winter collections mean that your brown garden/food waste bins will be collected every 4 weeks over the coldest months, from 3 November 2025. Regular fortnightly collections will resume from 13 March 2026.

Thank you for continuing to recycle all year round - your efforts are appreciated.

Online bin calendars are up to date and here is the link to check your schedule: www.fife.gov.uk/bincalendar

You can also sign up for bin notifications By registering and signing up with your email, you will get a handy email the day before collection with the bin colour due.

Register for bin notifications online: www.fife.gov.uk/binreminders

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Gloucestershire: Free online career masterclasses

 

Thinking of a career change or looking for a job or just worried about your future work prospects? Don’t know what to do next?

Join Gloucestershire Council's free* online workshops and take the next steps in your employment journey.

All workshops are online. All you need is internet connectivity and the use of a laptop, PC, tablet or smartphone. All masterclasses will run from 9.30am to 1.30pm.

*Participants must be aged 19 or over and reside in England on the first day of learning; be qualified below a Level 2 (less than 5 GCSEs); or earning below £25,000.00 per year. Further eligibility criteria may apply. Contact for details.

Please click here to find out more

Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

DIO SFA Communications Update: 23 Oct – Defence Homes Colour Palette

Patch Hacks: New painting guidelines for UK SFA

As part of their commitment to modernise outdated policies and give Service families more freedoms, DIO has introduced a new Defence Homes Colour Palette. And they say:

“We understand that being able to personalise your home is important. Whilst previously all interior walls had to be returned to magnolia or white before moving out, our new colour palette offers a broader range of colours for families to choose from.

“Colours within this range are light and neutral and will not require reverting to white. Take a look at our new colour palette along with some inspiration on how they could be styled in your home here.

“To give you as much freedom as possible, we haven’t dictated particular paint brands, colour names or types (like matt or silk). If you’re unsure whether your chosen colour complies with the approved range on the colour palette, you can check with your dedicated Housing Officer.

“As always, you are welcome to paint your interior walls other colours outside of the new palette range, but these will require reverting back to white upon move out.

“More information on this new policy, including a Top Tips guide for painting the interior of your SFA, can be found on the Defence Homes website. This includes helpful guidance on everything from choosing the right type of paint for a room to prepping the walls and aftercare.”

Defence Homes Paint FAQs page