Quest Magazine | Quest Online
Wednesday, 8 October 2025
October Quest magazine is out now
Quest Magazine | Quest Online
Civvy Street magazine: Oct/Nov 25 issue out now
The latest digital edition of Civvy Street Magazine can be read online at the following link:
https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=3f00ed48-0709-4315-82fa-9a0626a2145d
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: New awards to help ease the stress of relocation
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Starting again somewhere new is challenging. Negotiating unfamiliar surroundings and finding your feet in a new community can be intimidating and stressful, especially when you have left friendships and existing support networks behind. But for many military families this is an inevitable part of service life.
That’s where Serving Families: On the Move comes in. The programme sets out to tackle these challenges head on – helping to reduce stress for service families affected by the difficulties relocation can bring.
Armed Forces Covenant Trust (the Trust) have supported a further 6 projects in the latest funding round, bringing the total number to 20 projects worth over £1.5 million! And with the second round still open for applications, there will be more to come.
Offering easily accessible information and advice, fostering stronger community links and creating welcoming spaces where friendships can grow, these projects will hopefully make every move a little easier. Ultimately ensuring service families feel welcome and thrive in their new location.
Peer led support for young people
“When you move it can feel really isolating, sometimes schools and other people don’t think about what’s happening to you”. Forces Children Scotland forum member
Young people can often struggle with building social connections and feeling like an outsider when their family relocates. They can feel forgotten when facing a move with little or no information available specifically for them.
Young Scot (YS) and Forces Children Scotland (FCS) are setting out to change that for young people from forces families in Scotland. Awarded £44,371, they will co-design a tailored package of national and local information for young people to ensure they have accessible support when settling into a new and unfamiliar location.
Young people value receiving information from their peers, and have shared that support which addresses real-life challenges and continues through periods of transition is especially important to them.
“If I’d had this information the last time I moved it would have made me feel special and that someone was thinking of me. I think it would make me feel linked to the new community and the new country I was moving to.” Forces Children Scotland forum member
Finding Your Place in Scotland will provide peer-led information on https://young.scot/ (Scotland's national youth information website) which will signpost discounts and opportunities to make their move easier. FCS will lead co-design with young people, representing all three services across Scotland to ensure their lived experience, local expertise and ideas can be harnessed. The new peer-led content created will feature on a dedicated section on the YS website, and will be promoted to other young people in the digital spaces they use themselves, including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Spotify and YouTube.
“We’re delighted to be working together to co-design the information and support young people from regular, reservist and veteran families need when moving to Scotland. With youth-led content, practical information and wellbeing resources, we’ll help them settle in, feel at home and thrive within their new communities." Steven Sweeny (Forces Children Scotland) and Kirsten Urquhart (Young Scot)
Connecting with local community
Community is key to settling into a new location – knowing where to turn and feeling welcome helps to rebuild vital social connections and support systems, helping to create a feeling of belonging.
In Portsmouth, The Parenting Network (TPN) are working to ensure relocating military families feel genuinely welcomed and integrated into the local community. Joining Forces supports military families relocating or deployed in Portsmouth by offering advice, social connection, and integration into the wider community.
Vicky Chapter, Fundraising Manager at TPN told us “We are so delighted that through this funding, The Parenting Network are able to support more forces families who are relocating or deployed in Portsmouth, offering advice, social connection, and integration into the wider community.”
Conference: How military partners fit within the workforce of the future – 3 Nov
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Monday 3 November, 9:00 – 17:00, Town House, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2EQ
Kingston University are holding an important conference on the employability and skills of Service partners. Hear about the latest research which highlights the skills of Service partners in the workplace, and consider the practical steps needed to ensure these are incorporated – and valued – at work.
Serving personnel and partners, including those who are dual-serving and Reservists, are welcome to attend. Veterans, policy makers, employers and related organisations are also invited.
This event is free to attend and will offer refreshments and networking opportunities.
Find out more about the event and register your place in advance.
Recruit for Spouses: Foreign & Commonwealth Programme
The RFS Foreign & Commonwealth Programme is offered free of charge to military spouses and partners of serving personnel and veterans and includes the following support:
Qualification Conversion: Assistance in converting home nation qualifications to UK equivalents, enabling better access to the UK job market.
Coaching and Mentoring: Access to a pool of over 90 volunteer mentors from various industry sectors, offering support with confidence building, identifying transferable skills, and navigating the recruitment process.
Wellbeing Programme: A six-week course designed to help you connect with other spouses and develop tools to support you in adapting to military life.
To register for the programme, please sign up via the RFS portal: https://portal.recruitforspouses.co.uk/users/sign_in, or for any questions please email: J.kanyua@recruitforspouses.co.uk
Homestart: Free Online Sessions for Army families with their Family Coach
These sessions are a safe, supportive space where people can connect, share, and find strategies that work for their families.
To register, simply scan the QR code on the flyer, or click HERE. If you’d like to find out more first, please get in touch via Home-Start Berkshire East | Because childhood can't wait
First session is 27th October and spaces are limited to 12 per session.
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