Charlie Charlie One - for Service Personnel and Veterans battling Cancer

Cancer is indiscriminate and does not differentiate; age, gender, ethnicity, background, and status are irrelevant. But those seeking our support, regardless of their rank, are united by military service, common values, and, of course, their cancer diagnosis. 

While established as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) in August 2021, we seek to support individuals throughout the United Kingdom.

Visit the website at Charlie Charlie One - Cancer Support

Increase in Visa Fees from 4th October 2023

The Home Office have annouced an increase in Visa fees from 4th October 2023.

For more information, please contact your local HIVE.

Make yourself heard - 999 calls in the UK when you can't speak

If you’re in an emergency situation and need police help, but can’t speak, Make Yourself Heard and let the 999 operator know your call is genuine.​

Cost of Living Payment

 

On 20 September the Government announced that millions of UK households will shortly get a Cost of Living Payment of £300. The payment will be made to eligible customers between 31 October and 19 November.

​This is the second of three payments over the financial year totalling up to £900. Eligible pensioner households will also receive a further £300 payment later this year as an addition to the Winter Fuel payment.

Eligible tax credits-only customers who do not qualify for a payment from DWP will receive £300 from HMRC between 10 and 19 November.

Customers will receive the payments automatically. They do not need to contact DWP or do anything to receive the payment.

From 20 November, people who have become retrospectively entitled, or think they should have had a Cost of Living Payment but have not received one can report it via GOV.UK. If the person is not able to use the internet or they do not know someone who can help them, they can report a missing payment via their benefit telephony line.

Read more information about the Cost of Living Payments on GOV.UK.

For further information about the government's cost of living support package, please visit Help for Households on GOV.UK.

New Accommodation Offer Explained

 

Today, the Minister of Defence People Veterans and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison, announced the New Accommodation Offer for the Armed Forces from 11 March 2024 this new offer will deliver greater access to subsidised accommodation for our Service personnel, their families, and partners.

Online LifeSkills

You are invited to an ONLINE LifeSkills morning hosted by 55 AEC Gp.

A team from the UK will be delivering the sessions focusing on lifeskills, managing finances, housing, armed forces compensation scheme, education and funding.

Anyone interested in attending the sessions can apply using the links/codes on the poster; the MSTeams link will be emailed out on Mon 23 Oct to all those who have applied.

Service Pupil Premium 2023

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zRN-UrcadhH3nfbbcL4JcjKNX_UTeHmR/view?usp=sharing

For more information on eligibility, please visit: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-servicepupil-premium/service-pupil-premium-what-you-needto-know​

For any queries please email: People-AFFS-Education-Mailbox@mod.gov.uk​

Armed Forces Covenant Trust Fund - New awards to support Service children along their educational pathway

The Armed Forces Covenant Trust (the Trust) excited to announce the first awards made under the Service Pupil Support Programme – an MOD funded programme, which is part of the Armed Forces Families Fund. Over £1,700,000 has been awarded to 46 fantastic projects which will deliver real change to Armed Forces communities by improving the educational pathway of Service children and helping to address the challenges they can face.

Reading Force Volunteer Coordinators needed for Bookclubs

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund launches first programmes

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (The Trust) are delighted to announce two exciting new programmes under the Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund that will help increase the stock of housing available to veterans.

The grants awarded under these programmes will enable homes for veterans with a housing need to be brought up-to-date through a refurbishment grant, or will support organisations with the early-stage development of more complex building projects.

Refurbishing existing veterans’ housing
The Refurbishment Grants Programme will award grants of up to £75,000 for projects that will refurbish or extend existing accommodation for veterans. This could be transitional or permanent housing. Permanent housing can only include properties that are available to veterans under a social rent; or are part of a wider facility that provides a rented home to a veteran with the tailored support that meets their needs (this can include care homes).

You can apply to this programme if your project will:

• enable refurbishments of existing affordable homes for rent to veterans
• enable refurbishments of sites that increase the availability of veteran housing
• ensure properties meet decent homes and energy efficiency standards.

Help with development costs
The Development Grants Programme can help with the costs of getting a building idea to provide new housing for veterans to the stage where on site works could start. Grants of up to £25,000 are available for projects lasting up to one year.

Stand Out & Show Up - Young Minds

For Fundraising Pack please click here: fundraising pack corporate helloyellow

Wraparound childcare (WAC): Q&A session for all Service families

In response to feedback received from families, the next Wraparound Childcare (WAC) families Q&A session will be an evening session on Tue 26 September 18.30-19.30 hrs via MS Teams.

If you have a question about WAC, join the call and ask the WAC team. Alternatively you can send you queries to the WAC mailbox
PEOPLE-AFFS-WAC-FRO-mailbox@mod.gov.uk

If you don’t have access to MS Teams, you can join meeting by dialling in. The meeting details are listed below.
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 323 338 569 105
Passcode: JAqaTX

Download Teams | Join on the web
Or call in (audio only)
+44 20 3443 8728 conference ID 583 708 630#​

Wraparound Childcare (WAC): Did you know?

Togetherall Groups – free access for the UK Military Community.

@Togetherall’s groups feature allows members to connect, share and support each other in smaller spaces, on topics that matter to them. For example, Meet the Community, Gratitude Diaries, Work-Life Balance and more.

Togetherall is FREE to anyone in the UK Military, Veterans & Family members aged 16+

Visit togethe​rall.com to join today

Combat Stress: How we can help

Please follow the link below for more information on Combat Stress and how they may be able to help you.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g5BRPw3JWOmwdA67rLOMSr5U9SrYhNUW/view?usp=drive_link

www.combatstress.org.uk​

Mindfulness and Wellbeing course for AF Spouses/partners starts 3 Oct

This is a unique opportunity for AF Spouses/partners to participate in a 10 week 'Mindfulness and Wellbeing' course dedicated solely to them. It is delivered by the coach who delivers the AF Spouse Development programme and begins on Tuesday 3rd October (8-9.30pm) and costs £90. This is open to ALL AF Spouses/partners not just those in Warwickshire.

Click HERE to enrol

UK Health Security Agency - Around 1 in 8 New Students Unprotected Against Meningitis

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and leading meningitis charities are urging students to make sure they have been vaccinated against meningitis and other diseases before the start of the academic year.​​​​. Find out more HERE​

Samaritans Veterans app

The Samaritans Veterans app​ provides UK military Service Leavers and Veterans with emotional health and wellbeing information, guidance and resources. Samaritans Veterans is designed to give you the tools to identify and navigate the emotional health challenges that can be experienced when transitioning out of the military and in your life beyond the Forces.

When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call us free on 116 123 (within the UK or Ireland) or email us at jo@samaritans.org. Whoever you are and whatever you’re facing, we won’t judge you or tell you what to do. We’re here to listen so you don’t have to face it alone. www.samaritans.org.​

Defence creates an information sheet for Family Courts about Service life

Defence has updated and shared information with Family Courts to help demonstrate that Service and family life is compatible. 

The Army Families Federation informed Defence of anecdotal feedback from some families of potential misunderstandings about the nature of Service life when going through the Family Court system.

As a result of this feedback, Defence worked with stakeholders across the Family Court systems to produce an information sheet for Family Court workers.

The information sheet aims to increase understanding about the working and living arrangements of Service personnel, and how their families are impacted. The document also shows the support available for Armed Forces families to build and maintain a stable life at home.