Mission Motorsport: October newsletter out now

 

There’s plenty happening across Mission Motorsport this month, from new partnerships and fundraising initiatives to upcoming events and preparations for Race of Remembrance.

Inside this month’s newsletter, you’ll find:

Legacy Lap – a new way to become part of Race of Remembrance, wherever you are.
The unveiling of our third-generation Mazda Poppy Art Car.
Our new partnership with Gama Aviation.
The growing #YourRoR community.
Upcoming events, volunteering opportunities and fundraising challenges.

Every activity helps Mission Motorsport continue supporting wounded, injured and sick veterans, serving personnel and their families through recovery, rehabilitation and opportunities beyond military service.

To read online, please go to this link: Read the October newsletter

LGBT Veterans affected by the pre-2000 Armed Forces ban - restorative measures applications close on 12 December 2026

 

 link to affectedbytheban.campaign.gov.uk 

Serving personnel and veterans who were discharged or impacted by the pre-2000 ban on LGBT personnel in the Armed Forces have until 12 December to apply for restorative measures, including financial recognition. We’d appreciate your support in asking serving personnel to amplify the final call, so we can reach personnel and Veterans who may have been affected and are unaware of this.

 

Where relevant and appropriate, please support our final call for applications by sharing the communications toolkit in your newsletters, forums and social media channels. Please use a personal device to access and download campaign materials. 

 

The communications toolkit with campaign materials includes posters, social media posts, email banners, website and newsletter content and more. 

 

You can also find material and more information on defnet.

The Ripple Pond: Autumn 2026 Newsletter - Together, We're Shaping Better Support for Families

 

To read this newsletter in full, please go to:  Autumn 2026 Newsletter

 

Little Troopers: Free All Together Online Space workshop on 10 Oct, and further dates

 

All Together ONLINE – Space Detectives Workshop

Saturday 10th October 2026, 1100hrs

SPACE DETECTIVES - All Together Online - fun virtual sessions bringing together military children

Journey around the Solar System and discover the size and distances of planets within our own neighbourhood. Take part in the “Human Solar System,” experiment with how it was formed and then assemble your own scale model.

👉Book your family space here

Dept for Work & Pensions: Latest News Update – 2 Oct

 

State Pension Triple Lock announcement

This week the Prime Minister made an announcement on an adjustment to the State Pension Triple Lock.  

The current Triple Lock will be maintained until the end of this parliament. The changes are proposed from 2030/31, with the adjusted Triple Lock meaning the State Pension will always increase by at least the highest of 2.5%, Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation or a new earnings link – so that the State Pension will never fall below its level as a share of average earnings when we adjust the Triple Lock.

 

Pension Credit Week of Action – 12-16 October 2026 

This October, we're running Pension Credit Week of Action to challenge some of the common misconceptions that stop people claiming Pension Credit. Many people mistakenly believe that owning a home, having savings or receiving a private pension automatically makes them ineligible. It doesn’t. 

As a result, many people of State Pension age who could be entitled to Pension Credit never make a claim. 

Here are some of the myths we're tackling this year: 

Give Us Time - Autumn last minute breaks and more!

Give Us Time still have lots of breaks and other opportunities available over the coming months – read all the way down for the big news!

*HIVE note – many of our customers will have seen the recent posts regarding free Parkdean breaks. Give Us Time offers have similar criteria, and may be of interest to Parkdean breaks applicants, and others who meet the criteria: “Give Us Time supports Forces families to spend time together on donated respite breaks following separation due to deployment, bereavement, physical or mental injuries, financial need, or other welfare issues.” Find out more at Frequently asked questions - Give us time - Breaks for service personnel and their families

OCTOBER

• Cwm Llan cabin, North Wales, 5 – 9 October, sleeps 2

• Broadland Sands Holiday Park, Suffolk, 5 -9 October, sleeps 6

• Seawick Holiday Park, Essex, 12 – 16 October, sleeps 6

Give Us A Moment days out for half term

• Visit the newly re-opened Palm Houses at Edinburgh Botanic Gardens
• Enjoy Pumpkin Picking at Hatters Farm, Essex
• Explore the Gardens at Monteviot House near Jedburg

NOVEMBER

• Polperro, Cornwall, Platinum standard lodge, 9 – 13 November, sleeps 6

• Pevensey Bay, Sussex, Platinum standard lodge, 9 – 13 November, sleeps 6

DECEMBER

• Kidlandlee holiday cottage, Northumberland, 7 – 11 December, sleeps 6

PLUS THE RV GUESTHOUSE, FALMOUTH - DATES THROUGHOUT OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

THE BIG ONE!!

We’re also thrilled to have more tickets for the Polar Express! This year we’ll be travelling along the Spa Valley Railway from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on Friday 6 November, leaving at 7pm - please visit the website for more information!

As always, we book on a first come first served basis via the website - https://bookings.giveustime.org.uk/login - breaks are accommodation only, days out are entry ticket only – GUT cannot cover the costs of travel, food etc.

Army HQ: Army HQ: Family Welfare Matters Edition 04 now available

To read online with accessible links, please go to Family Welfare Matters Sept 2026

For those with access to MODnet, both this edition and the full internal Welfare Matters newsletter is uploaded onto the Army HIVE SharePoint site in the Welfare Latest News section. The link to access is: Welfare

Combat Stress ‘Stronger Together’ Webinar series – starting 1 Oct

 

Are you supporting a veteran with PTSD or trauma? @CombatStress, the UK's leading charity for Armed Forces mental health, has a free Stronger Together webinar series that can help:

• Five sessions delivered by in-house clinical lead, Dr Vicky Aldridge
• Gain insight into PTSD and trauma, communication strategies and how best to support your loved one and yourself
• Starts Thursday 1 October 2026, every Thursday throughout October

Register to book your place today: https://combatstress.org.uk/referrers/combat-stress-learning/family-and-friends-of-veterans/

SSAFA Community Health Survey - ESBA & WSBA

 
How can we help to improve your wellbeing whilst in an overseas posting?

Please fill out our short survey to help us get a better understanding of what difficulties you are facing and what changes we could implement in the future to help improve your wellbeing.

If you think there isn't anything that we can do to help improve your wellbeing then please do complete the survey anyway and let us know!

https://emea.dcv.ms/cxO65mHHhA

SSAFA Lets Talk! Sessions at Dhekelia

LET’S TALK!

SSAFA Community Health

New sessions for September & October!

Come along to our Let’s Talk sessions — a friendly opportunity to meet health professionals, pick up useful advice and ask questions on a range of family and wellbeing topics.

Friday 18th September
Common Childhood Illnesses — with a GP

Friday 25th September
Sing and Sign — with the SLT

Friday 9th October
112, Choking & BLS — with a Paramedic

Friday 16th October
Toilet Training — with the Health Visitor

Friday 23rd October
💼 Managing Challenging Behaviours — with the Health Visitor

Whether you have questions, would like some practical advice, or simply want to learn a little more, come along and join us!

Please share with anyone who may benefit from these sessions.

SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity

How can we help to improve your wellbeing whilst in an overseas posting?

 

Please fill out our short survey to help us get a better understanding of what difficulties you are facing and what changes we could implement in the future to help improve your wellbeing.

If you think there isn't anything that we can do to help improve your wellbeing then please do complete the survey anyway and let us know!

https://emea.dcv.ms/cxO65mHHhA

Department for Work & Pensions: Latest news updates

 

Loved ones of asbestos and dust-disease victims to receive fairer compensation 

Families who have lost loved ones to asbestos and other dust-related diseases will get higher compensation payouts, as part of the Government’s effort to support bereaved families. 

Department for Work & Pensions update: Do you know your state pension age?

 

With Pension Awareness Week 2026 ongoing, DWP are encouraging customers, service users, colleagues and stakeholders to take one simple first step: checking their State Pension age on GOV.UK. 

 

As State Pension entitlement is linked to National Insurance contributions, the Service community are reminded that spouses or civil partners who accompanied their Serving partner on an overseas assignment can complete a Gov.uk online form to request that NI credits are applied to their record for time spent overseas.  For further information, eligibility criteria and the online form, please go to:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-insurance-credits-for-partners-of-armed-forces-personnel-overseas

Defence update: Remembrance weekend - free rail travel for bereaved families

 

Remembrance weekend: Free rail travel for bereaved families

Defence and the Department for Transport have extended free rail travel across Britain over Remembrance weekend, for families of Armed Forces personnel who died while serving.

 

For the first time, one close family member of someone who died in Service can travel for free on National Rail services. This applies to journeys to Remembrance events between 7 and 8 November 2026.

The family member could be a spouse, partner, parent, child or sibling, who is registered as the nominated next of kin.

The Ripple Pond: Free Thinking Family Autumn E Magazine

 

As families prepare for a new school year, the return to school can bring a mixture of emotions. New routines, new environments, friendships and the pressures of school can all feel challenging, particularly for children and young people who may already be navigating difficulties at home.

The latest Thinking Family Autumn Magazine is packed with practical ideas to help families through the autumn term, with suggestions for different ages and stages.

Inside you'll find:

• Back-to-school ideas to help make the transition a little easier
• 101 questions to ask instead of “How are you?” to encourage more natural conversations
• Board game recommendations for different ages, providing simple ways to spend time together
• What to do when school feels hard, with ideas for supporting children when school feels overwhelming
• Age-differentiated ideas for younger children through to teenagers
• Simple ways to connect as a family and create opportunities for conversation and wellbeing

Whether you're supporting a child who is looking forward to going back, feeling anxious about the new term, or somewhere in between, we hope you'll find something useful inside.

To read the magazine online, please go to: Autumn Edition of Emagazine, Thinking Family

Give Us Time: Autumn and Winter breaks

 

The latest Give Us Time breaks include:

Letham Feus, Scotland
14–18 Sept | Sleeps 4 | HOT TUB

Hayling Island, near Portsmouth
28 Sept–2 Oct | Sleeps 6 | Silver Grade

Sand Le Mere, East Yorkshire
5–9 Oct | Sleeps 6

Bowland Fell, North Yorkshire
12–16 Oct | Sleeps 6

Stowford Farm Meadows, Devon
Camping available all weekends in September

The RV, Falmouth
Dates available in November & December

To find out more please go to: https://bookings.giveustime.org.uk/login

Tri-Service Contact House Directory – where to find it online, or how to request a copy

 

Contact Houses, also known as Welfare Houses or Short-Term Families Accommodation, are military accommodation available predominantly for short-term welfare-related bookings, but can sometimes be used by those visiting for leisure reasons. These houses are usually managed by unit staff, where there will be localised policies on priorities for bookings, booking procedures, costs and how to pay.

To access the most up to date version of the Tri-Service Contact House Directory, please use any of the following options:
Go to the Army HIVE webpage at www.army.mod.uk/hives and there is a button to download the Directory at the bottom of the page
Contact your nearest HIVE or RN Family & People Support to request a copy by email. Army HIVEs are listed on www.army.mod.uk/hives, RAF HIVEs can be found on the RAF HIVE Finder at https://www.raf.mod.uk/community-support/serving-families/hive-finder/ and RN Family & People Support local office contact details are at: https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/families-and-veterans/local-support-offices
Contact Army HIVE HQ to request a copy by email via RC-Pers-HIVEComms-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk
Contact us via Direct Message on any of our social media channels – please include an email address so the Directory can be sent as an attachment
Use the Contact Us button on any of the three Army HIVE blogs, where you can submit a request via MS Forms
Go to Army HIVE SharePoint (MODnet access will be needed) to download a copy

Recruit for Spouses: August Update

 

To view the latest RFS newsletter and updates, please go to: Looking for a new job? Read this

Little Troopers: August Newsletter

 

To view the latest Little Troopers newsletter and updates, please go to: Fully-funded football workshops next week plus a summer catch up and looking forward to September

Give Us Time - September 2026 update

 

 

To find out more please go to www.giveustime.org.uk