Ay Nik - BFF Panto Bus - Monday 27th July

The BFF Panto Bus will also be visiting Dhekelia, Episkopi and Akrotiri during the week.

Please contact the relevant HIVE for your location for more details.

Ay Nik - Uniform Swap

Did you know the Ay Nik HIVE has a dedicated Uniform Swap section for QBS and KRS families?

The community is welcome to swap, donate, or pick up gently‑used (and sometimes brand‑new) uniform items.

It’s a simple way to:

• Save money - no need to buy new pieces every time kids grow
• Reduce waste - give uniforms a second life
• Support each other - help families who need items quickly or unexpectedly

What do we have?

There is a wide selection of QBS and KRS uniform items, including:

• Shirts & polos
• Shorts, trousers & skirts
• Jumpers & cardigans
• Sports kit

(Availability varies depending on donations.)

How do you take part?

• Swap items that no longer fit
• Donate clean, good‑condition pieces that you no longer require
• Pick up what your child needs - no cost*, no questions

*If you can, please make a small donation to SSAFA or Home Start. All cash raised will go back into the Ay Nik community.

MOD’s Families Hub is now in its second year – have you used it yet?

Link to the Families Hub: https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/families/ 

MoneyHelper Information: AI and Financial Decisions

 

SW MoneyHelper Financial Wellbeing Network
AI & financial decisions – what you need to know

Paul Fox | Regional Manager SW Money and Pensions Service

July 2026 v1

Introduction

Research surveys suggest AI can boost confidence, but that confidence doesn’t always translate into improved financial decision making or outcomes. A study reported by Fortune found that while many millennials and Gen Z users reported felling more confident after using AI for financial advice, over 50% of them also said it had led them to make at least one poor financial decision. Feeling more confident doesn’t always mean the information is accurate.

Here’s what you need to know before relying on AI for budgeting, saving or investing.

What AI can do

Ask an AI tool to explain a confusing financial term, and it’ll do it in seconds. Want help drafting a letter to your energy provider? No problem. Need a simple budget? It can build one in minutes. AI tools may be able to:

· explain financial terms in simple language

· summarise long documents, like terms and conditions

· help you compare options based on the criteria you give it

· create budgets or savings plans tailored to your goals

· help you role‑play tricky conversations, like negotiating a bill or asking for a refund.

Used carefully, AI can be a helpful starting point for exploring money questions you might have about money – but how useful it is will depend on the quality of the information you give input and the complexity of your personal circumstances. It’s important to remember that AI tools can sound confident even when they’re wrong, so they shouldn’t be relied on without checking information against independent trusted sources.

When AI can go wrong

AI tools can “hallucinate” – in other words, give information that sounds pretty convincing but is simply wrong. Remember that AI doesn’t “know” things; it predicts them.

That means it can give:

· advice that sounds right but isn’t

· give outdated or UK‑irrelevant guidance

· misinterpret FCA‑regulated topics like pensions or investments

· offer steps that go against your provider’s rules

· make assumptions that don’t fit your personal situation

· generate scams or fraudulent content if prompted the wrong way.

Remember that AI cannot replace independent and impartial guidance from MoneyHelper or regulated, personalised financial advice. A recent Which? Investigation found that AI chatbots sometimes gave risky or incorrect investment guidance, even when asked to be cautious.

Forces Employment Charity: Discover careers in consulting and retail banking

 

McKinsey and Metro Bank have partnered with the Forces Employment Charity to host an event that helps members of the Armed Forces community explore careers in consulting and retail banking and discover how their skills and experience can translate into these sectors.

The event will take place in London on 30 July, from 18:00 to 21:00.

This event is open to all Service leavers, veterans, reservists and spouses and partners within the military community. Spaces are limited, so if you're interested in learning more about careers in consulting and retail banking, apply today!

Applications close at midnight on Monday, 20 July.

WSBA Summer Geo Cache

WSBA Home Start and WSBA BFC Youth Service have created a Geo Cache site in Happy Valley.

Pop along to the WSBA Home Start office in the Episkopi Community Hub to collect your GPS device. You will be given a quick demo before you head out.

There are eight boxes to find so please take eight small items to exchange - no sweets or chocolate.

For more information contact the WSBA Home Start team.

WSBA Home Start Weekly Summer Programme - Week 1

 

Apply now: latest Covenant Fund Trust programmes

This month the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust are inviting applications for the Reducing Veterans Homelessness programme, Together for Service Families - Place-based grants, Supporting Partners programme and the Service Pupil Support programme.

To find out more about these grants and their application criteria, please visit: 

Open programmes - Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

For other latest AFCFT news, please see the links below:

Now open for applications
Enter the Collaboration Lab
Help shape support for servicewomen
Have you completed our newsletter survey?
Local authority awards newsflash

Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Communications Update - 16 July 2026

FamCAS 2026: SFA Satisfaction Continues to Improve

The Tri-Service Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS) 2026 has been published today, providing valuable insight into the experiences of Service families and the issues that matter most to them, including housing.

This year’s results show a continued improvement in satisfaction among families living in SFA, building on the positive progress seen in recent years. Overall satisfaction has increased from 44% in 2023 to 53% in 2026, while levels of dissatisfaction have fallen over a number of key areas. Families have reported seeing the strongest improvements in maintenance and repairs, reflecting the continued work to improve the quality of homes and the support provided to Service families.

For further information, see the full article on Defence Homes here.

Keeping Communal Areas Clear

Residents are reminded not to leave rubbish, personal belongings, bicycles, Electric Powered Personal Vehicles (EPPVs), or any other items in communal corridors, stairways, landings, or access routes. Items left in these areas can create significant safety hazards, obstruct access and escape routes, and hinder emergency services during a fire or other emergency incident.

Where storage is required, residents should contact their local Housing Officer to check whether suitable storage facilities are available for items such as bicycles or Electric Powered Personal Vehicles.

Thank you for your support in helping to keep communal areas clear, safe, and accessible for all residents.

Hose Pipe Ban for areas across the UK

Following a period of intense summer heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures, water demand has increased significantly across parts of the UK. As a result, a number of water companies have introduced temporary hosepipe bans. Please check with your water provider to find out whether restrictions apply in your area.

Akrotiri Library Kids Summer Reading Challenge 2026