Covenant Fund programming 2024/25 – 'lunch & learn' webinar, 9th Sept,

Want to learn more about the newly launched Covenant Fund programmes? Join the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust on 9 September for the full lowdown on all new Covenant Fund programmes currently open for application. This free webinar will provide:

* An overview of our new funding framework

* A breakdown of all new programmes

* A chance to meet the Trust team working on these programmes.

* A Q&A session where you’ll have the chance to get your questions answered.

You can register to attend via the link below: Covenant Fund programming 2024/25 - a lunch & learn event :Covenant Fund programming 2024/25 - a lunch & learn event : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Armed Forces Pension Awareness Week – Understand Your Pension sessions, 9 to 13 Sept.

Invest in your future – understand your pension.

Please note that some of the following links require a Defence Gateway and/or MODnet account

Join Armed Forces Pension Awareness Week (AFPAW) sessions from 9 to 13 September.

The Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) is one of the most generous UK Pension Schemes across both private and public sectors, reflecting the critical value of our Armed Forces in keeping us safe at home and stronger abroad.

The income provided by the AFPS in retirement is significant and you do not have to contribute any of your salary to it. A Sergeant who serves for 22 years could expect to receive a pension income of around £12,000. In comparison, to achieve a broadly similar income to your Armed Forces Pension – based on commercially available estimates and 2024 values – you would need to pay in the region of £300,000 into a private pension.

Serve & Protect Financial Webinars and Episode 5 of the Smile and Save Podcast.

September Webinars;

Free financial webinars this September from Serve and Protect - don't miss out!

💷Managing the Cost of Living

💷Domestic Violence - The Financial Impact


💷Budgeting & Spending

💷Understanding Wills and LPAs

💷Boost Your Credit Score

💷What Lenders Look For

✍Register: https://sandpcu.co.uk/webinars


Episode 5 of the Smile and Save Podcast is here, brought to you by Serve and Protect’s Jon who shares learnings from his almost 37 years’ experience in the RAF. Discover some tips and things to think about when transitioning to civilian life Watch here: https://youtu.be/ET8BMaOHmeE?si=l1UuQPM-FZ_yZhg5

The Whispering Wind installation for those who have experienced pregnancy, baby or child loss.

Reservations for windmills for our Whispering Wind event in October (9th-15th Oct 2024 at the Defence Academy of the UK at Shrivenham), are still open, but not for long.

So if you or someone you know has experienced pregnancy, baby or child loss, and would like to honour their child's memory through our event, please send them our way. Reservation forms can be requested via DM or emailing dandelionmilfamilies@gmail.com

Windmills are free of charge to families, will be personalised and sent out to families once our Baby Loss Awareness Week event has come to a close.

Thank you to everyone who has sent us messages about their loved ones so far, your strength continues to amaze us and we feel honoured you have chosen to share their memory with us for this event. ​

A-Level and BTEC successes at The Duke of York’s Royal Military School.

Students at the Duke of York’s Royal Military School are celebrating success at A Level, with well over half of all of grades being A* - B, BTEC with an average of Distinction*, and 85% achieving A* - C grades.

Subsequently, most students now head off to university, attending elite institutions on highly competitive courses. Several students will begin military careers, while others have chosen apprenticeships, including Daniel Ibikunle who will begin an apprenticeship in Nuclear Engineering, whilst India Allen will begin her career at BAE Systems.

FREE Prosthetics & Orthotics Career Event.

This free event is open to anyone 14+ from anywhere in England.

Defence Children Services (DCS): Potential Delays for Education Advisory Team (UK) Responses.

Defence Children Services (DCS) have advised that there may be a delay in responses to enquiries, guidance requests and casework due to current staff shortages. A letter has been provided which explains further, and gives details on potential timelines for service delivery. To read the letter please click HERE.

For further information on DCS and EAT(UK) please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/defence-children-services-dcs ​

Tri-Service Military Youth Voice survey for 8-17 year olds - closes Sat 31 Aug.

Click image to enlarge.

The Tri-Service Youth Voice Steering Group would like to give children and young people the opportunity to tell us about their experiences of living in a Forces family, and ask them how they think that experience might be improved.

It’s really important that we reach as many children and young people as possible and so would like to ask for your help with this. Please share the survey with as many people as you can and ask them to support the service children and young people they know and/or work with. The survey is open to anyone aged 8-17 who lives, or has lived in a family that includes a serving person. The QR code and attached flyer can be shared electronically, and printed off.

The results of the Survey will help the Youth Voice Steering Group focus their priorities, inform professionals, policy makers and help improve the experience of children and young people living in service families.

The survey expires Sat 31 Aug. Click HERE to access the survey.

Aurora New Dawn & Mankind - Domestic Abuse recovery programmes.

As part of MOD's partnership with Aurora New Dawn, they are running a sexual violence recovery programme and an Athena domestic abuse programme for female Army and RN personnel and family members.

Find out more at Aurora Abuse in the Armed Forces | Support Service | Aurora New Dawn (aurorand.org.uk)​ Course details, including how to register, are in the documents at these links:

Sexual Violence Recovery Programme

Athena Domestic Abuse Course​

​ManKind have received funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to run their ACORN Recovery Course for male personnel, family members and veterans.

Details, including how to register, are on the poster above (please click image to enlarge).

More information on Mankind is at: https://mankind.org.uk/​

HIVE's 40th anniversary celebrations.

This year, HIVE is celebrating its 40th Anniversary, and marking four decades of supporting the Service community. HIVE has come a long way since the first location in Hohne, Germany, was opened in 1984.

To start off the celebrations, a 40th Anniversary Launch Event was held in June at MOD Main Building in London. Army HIVE, RAF HIVE and Royal Navy Family & People Support (formerly RN HIVE) hosted guests from across the MOD and external stakeholders.

Soldier magazine - Army HIVE article 'Stuck on Camp'.

Click on image to enlarge

The August edition of Soldier Magazine features an article on HIVE's support to those staying behind on camp, either on 'rear party' or due to choosing to remain on camp for personal reasons. The article gives signposts and some suggestions to hopefully assist those in this situation, should they be needed.

To view the August edition, please click HERE, the HIVE article is on page ​28.

To find your nearest HIVE for more information or support, please go to www.army.mod.uk/hives or find us on Facebook, X or Instagram.

Based overseas with young children? Find out if you can benefit from an expansion to funded childcare.

From September 2024 eligible families assigned overseas will have access to funded childcare hours for their children aged from 9 months old.

Defence have expanded the childcare offer for families assigned overseas with 9 months – 4-year-old children, to match the entitlement in England.

Little Troopers treetop adventure day - Tue 27 Aug.

Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Hampshire, Essex, Buckinghamshire

The charity Little Troopers has teamed up with GoApe to host a free treetop adventure for 90 military children across several locations on Tuesday 27th August.

The special day is part of the charity’s All Together programme, which brings military children together from all three services, to spend time with each other and feel recognised and celebrated for being ‘little troopers’.

Army Experience 24: 4-day taster events hosted by your Army for 18–49-year-olds at venues across the UK.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in the British Army?

Would you like a free taster of Army life, but without the commitment?​

If so, Army Experience 24 is your unmissable opportunity to be a part of what we do, and find out where you could fit in.

For further information please go to the Army Experience 24 webpage, and to see venues across the UK and register interest or book a place, see: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-army-experience-72800882733

Quest Magazine August Edition.

Please click here to access Quest magazine - August Edition.

Trust launches Armed Forces Covenant Fund domestic abuse programme for 2024/25.

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (The Trust) has launched a specialist and targeted funding programme to support people who have been affected by domestic abuse within the serving Armed Forces community.


The Free from Fear programme will award a small number of targeted grants to projects that can show how they will reduce the impact of, or support initiatives that will have a long-term effect in the prevention of, domestic abuse within serving Armed Forces communities.

Applications will need to give clear evidence of the need for their project and why they are confident that their approach will lead to sustainable long-term changes that will remain after the end of their project delivery.

What will this programme focus on?

The Trust ran a public consultation in 2023, which identified that one of the key areas to focus on was ‘ensuring our Armed Forces communities are not disadvantaged’.

This programme will address both emerging and current challenges within Armed Forces communities, aiming to remove barriers and provide clear pathways for people who have been affected by domestic abuse to access effective support.  The consultation findings are available to read on The Trust website.  

Togetherall - what support is available to the Service community?

You might be asking “What is @Togetherall?"


Let us shed light on it. Imagine an anonymous, caring community that's accessible 24/7, no matter where you are, with an array of tools & materials to elevate your well-being. Ready to embark on this journey? Togetherall is FREE for all UK military serving and veteran personnel and their families.


Join today and discover more at https://togetherall.com/en-gb/mental-health-support-for-all-uk-armed-forces-veterans/

Service Family Accommodation (SFA) communications update

SFA Townhall Events

Summer Safety Campaign - window restrictors

With the warmer weather and children off for the school holidays, it’s imperative you and your family stay safe this summer by following the current safety guidance on window restrictors.

We understand that it can get very warm, and you may want to open windows wide to let in a cool breeze, but there is a risk of children or vulnerable adults falling from open windows and being injured if restrictors are not engaged.

It is important to check whether your window restrictors are operating correctly. Please contact Pinnacle immediately on 0800 031 8628 if your restrictors are not working or your windows can be opened more than 100 mm when restrictors are engaged.


Service Family Accommodation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Going Forward into Employment (GFiE): Latest Civil Service Job Vacancy for Service Leavers, Veterans and Spouses/Partners..

The following vacancy is now open for applications under the GFiE Scheme:

GFIE-331

DWP Service Delivery Support Officer, St Albans

Closing date: 23 Aug 2024

Job Description

GFiE roles are available specifically to people who served in the Armed Forces, or be in your resettlement period and due to leave the Armed Forces within a reasonable time frame or a Military Spouse/Partner (your current partner must still be serving or was discharged within the last 12 months).

To apply, please submit a completed expression of interest form and an up to date CV to GFIE@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

For more information on the GFiE scheme please go to: A complete guide to GFiE – Veterans, Military Partners/Spouses and Service Leavers – Life Chances – Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) (blog.gov.uk)

Mission Motorsport - July Newsletter.

Mission Motorsport - July Newsletter

Also available online at: www.missionmotorsport.org/news/2024/8/4/july-newsletter

BFBS July update.

Click the following link to read this update - BFBS Update July 2024 | About BFBS