Friday 24 March 2023
Thursday 23 March 2023
MOD Domestic abuse: guidance and support for the armed forces community
* male or female victims
* perpetrators looking to change their behaviour
* military or civilian practitioners
* chain of command
* concerned family and friends
* perpetrators looking to change their behaviour
* military or civilian practitioners
* chain of command
* concerned family and friends
Armed Forces Families Fund grants improving lives for Service Families
Armed Forces Families Fund grants improving lives for Service Families
Funding includes
* £2 million awarded to 54 projects specifically for Service pupils across the UK to deliver real change for Armed Forces communities.
* £900K for 18 projects enhancing early years learning for Service children aged 0-5.
* £500K for 12 projects that will make a difference for the partners of our serving personnel, addressing their particular needs and challenges.
Further funding programmes to open from April 2023.
In January 2022, the MOD published the Armed Forces Families Strategy 2022-2032, its 10-year strategy for improving support to Armed Forces families.
Following the launch of the strategy, the MOD created the Armed Forces Families Fund, a dedicated fund to deliver against the eight themes of the strategy: Family Life, Service Life, Family Home, Education, Health and Wellbeing, Childcare, Support to Partners and Spouses, and Non-UK families.
Addressing the challenges Service children face
54 projects from across the UK were awarded a total of over £2 million to help address the challenges that Service children can face in conjunction with meeting the objectives set out in the Armed Forces Families Strategy.
This impactful programme will deliver real change to Armed Forces communities by improving the educational pathway of Service children.
Stanchester Academy’s project, Safe Space and Support, will provide a bespoke, supervised safe space for Service children. It will also be used as a meeting place, homework room and dining area, as well as a location for an additional Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) to provide one-to-one tutoring.
The project was designed following consultation with parents and pupils who ranked a safe space and Emotional Literacy Support, alongside one- to-one tutoring as being the most impactful where Service families are concerned.
As part of this project, a member of staff will also be trained as a 'Bounce Forward Armed Forces Resilience Champion', who will lead 'Building resilience within military families’ sessions and other community events to help improve the lives of Service children and their families.
Transforming Service children’s futures
Headteacher Gregg Mockridge said: “We would like to thank The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the Armed Forces Families Fund and mention how grateful we are to receive this grant. These grants are allocated for very specific projects, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to transform the futures of our Service children.”
Teacher Rebecca Hendry, was delighted to be awarded the funds: “We have a high number of pupils that transfer to our secondary school in later years or mid-way through the year. Many of our students experience having a parent deployed or based elsewhere and away during the week. By funding a specialist ELSA staff member and offering them extra tuition combined with a safe space, we can ensure that they have all the support needed to help them.”
Supporting Service children’s wellbeing
Peter Davis, Head of the Armed Forces Families Team, said: “We are really pleased with the breadth of work funded in this round of the Education Support Fund. Service pupils’ needs and the challenges they face have been properly considered in each of the 54 projects that will take place across the UK. From tackling the negative effects of separation, to allowing Service children the best chance of building resilience and developing their academic skills against a backdrop of mobility; these projects will make a positive difference to the wellbeing of Service children in many valuable ways and will contribute significantly to the implementation of the MOD’s Armed Forces Families Strategy.”
Further Funding available from April 2023
The Armed Forces Families Fund will reopen for applications from April 2023.
The Service Pupil Support Programme will open in early April. This programme will award grants to projects that meet one of the three key aims.
* Addressing the needs of SEND pupils through early identification and intervention using a collaborative and coordinated approach.
* Closing the gap in attainment between Service and non-Service pupils, using data led evidence.
* Identifying and addressing the needs of small cohorts of Service pupils within educational settings.
Further rounds of the Early Years Programme and Supporting Partners programme will open in Summer 2023; along with a specialist programme that will award a small number of strategic grants linked to themes within the wider Armed Forces Families strategy.
Find out more
For a full list of all projects funded under the Armed Forces Families Fund, check out the Trust’s website, www.covenantfund.org.uk
Tuesday 21 March 2023
Over £3.4 million awarded to 38 Forces projects in the second round of the Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme
Over £3.4 million awarded to 38 Forces projects in the second round of the Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme
The Armed Forces Covenant Trust (the Trust) is excited to announce the second round of awards under its Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme.
In this latest round, the Trust has supported 38 projects across the UK. In total, the programme has so far awarded over £6 million, across 65 diverse projects. Each project can last up to three years and will deliver significant changes and/or improvements in Armed Forces communities, where there are hidden or compelling needs.
Projects will address either an emerging need, a challenging need or a compelling need – or a mixture of these - to make a significant impact on Armed Forces communities, at both local and national level.
Sonia Howe, Director of Policy and Communications at the Trust, said: “Each of the projects we’ve supported have been really clear about the positive impact they will have on the specific Forces community they are targeting. It is fantastic to see such a variety of work taking place and we look forward to being able to share further updates as the projects progress.”
Improved life chances and emotional wellbeing
Inspire’s ‘Road Map to Recovery’ project will provide a structured and facilitated network of Mutual Aid Partnership (MAP) groups across Northern Ireland offering veterans impacted by addictive behaviours and/or mental ill health the opportunity to work together as peers to make positive changes to achieve recovery, along with support for family members.
Alex Bunting, (Acting) Group Director of Therapeutic and Wellbeing Services, and Group Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services stated: “We are delighted that our Inspire Wellbeing application to the Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities Fund has been successful. Individuals who engage in this Road Map to Recovery project will be supported to maintain improved emotional wellbeing, reduce substance use and be offered new opportunities for volunteering, education and employment.”
One-to-one support
In Scotland, Homestart Lomond will use funding for a Military Families Support Worker to support Forces families in the Lomond area of Argyll, by ensuring children have the best start to life. The Support Worker will offer one-to-one, tailored befriending opportunities; practical help & emotional support; bespoke activities; signposting; advocacy and inclusion work.
Laura Eales, Manager at Homestart Lomond said: “With HMNB Clyde on our doorstep, many of our families have a serving parent with no local family support network, while facing long deployments with no contact. This extra challenge can leave families struggling to cope. With the funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, we can recruit a full-time support worker for these families, to provide emotional support and practical assistance to reduce the risk of long-term impacts of ‘life in a blue suit’.”
Reaching Forces communities across the UK
Other projects supported in the second round include support for Forces children with additional learning needs in Scotland; therapeutic arts sessions for veterans and their families in Wales; and nature-based therapy for Service leavers with mental ill-health in England.
The Trust also supported several UK-wide projects, including Blesma, who received funding to support bespoke activities to meet the compelling needs of female limbless veterans and serving personnel.
Each project supported brings an element of innovation and builds a wider picture of support across the UK.
Find out more
For a full list of these inspiring projects, check out the Trust’s website, www.covenantfund.org.uk
The Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme will be open for applications again in summer 2023. Full details are available on the Trust’s website.
Monday 20 March 2023
Positive change on the horizon as Trust awards almost £3M to 10 transformational projects
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The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) is delighted to have awarded more than £2.9 million to 10 inspiring projects across the UK in the first round of their Transformational Grants programme.
In what proved to be a competitive round of funding, each of the projects supported by this Covenant programme targets specific groups within the Armed Forces community to deliver systemic change long-beyond the initial work funded.
Click here to read the full update
In what proved to be a competitive round of funding, each of the projects supported by this Covenant programme targets specific groups within the Armed Forces community to deliver systemic change long-beyond the initial work funded.
Click here to read the full update
Thursday 16 March 2023
Little Troopers gets ready to celebrate the Month of the Military Child in April
Little Troopers gets ready to celebrate the Month of the Military Child
April is the international month of the military child and charity Little Troopers wants military families and schools to join in the celebrations!
Head to the Little Troopers website to download and take part in fun activities with military children of all ages, helping them to reflect on how special it is to grow up with a parent in British Armed Forces. All the activities are dandelion-themed, the official flower of the military child – a plant that is strong and resilient and blooms anywhere the wind carries it.
At School
Little Troopers has created a special Military Child school pack with activities suitable for both primary and secondary schools. Help children reflect on their journey so far as a military child, make dandelion and lemon biscuits in class, read the dandelion poem together, do some mindful colouring or get the children to run their own assembly all about military life and the Month of the Military Child.
At Home
Families can choose to get involved in dandelion-themed art, recipes, colouring-in sheets and dandelion playdough. As a special gift, Little Troopers will be giving away a free seeded postcard featuring the Dandelion poem.
Little Troopers has organised three free live online events aimed at younger little troopers (under 10) during the month. Places for each event are limited, so families are encouraged to book early:
4th April: Rainforest Discovery with ZooLab
8th April: Creative art base
22nd April: Bake-a-long with Cookstars
There will social media giveaways throughout the month and Little Troopers will also be launching a special new book for pre-schoolers - watch this space!
Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers, comments: “April the Month of the Military Child is our favourite time of year. It’s a chance for us all to reflect on all the amazing little troopers out there. We hope that lots of schools and families take the time in April to tell military children just how special and that taking part in the activities helps children feel part of our growing Little Troopers community.”
The next edition of the Little Troopers Gazette will also launch in April. The free newspaper, which is printed twice a year, is packed with stories written by military children along with news, fun facts and other activities. Families and schools can now order free copies.
For more information and to get involved visit www.littletroopers.net/month-of-the-military-child
Background information:
Little Troopers is a registered charity supporting service children who have parent(s) serving in our British Armed Forces, regular or reserve. These children often face unique challenges including frequent house and school moves, as well as regular periods of separation from their serving parent(s) for varying lengths of time due to exercises, training, operations and other service commitments.
As a charity, Little Troopers ensures our British Armed Forces children and their families have access to child-focused support wherever they are in the world and whatever community they live in. We provide fundamental resources and initiatives to help ease repeated separation periods and keep parent and child connected even when miles apart. We are the only charity in the UK dedicated to celebrating just how special all our Little Troopers out there really are.
For more information visit www.littletroopers.net
Mental Health Awareness Week 2023
Find out more about the week and get involved: http://bit.ly/3YWMnmU
Wednesday 15 March 2023
Brunei: Education & Community Learning Survey - thank you for your feedback! Update....
We had a great response with brilliant actionable feedback!
What you said....
* More courses, workshops and clubs should be offered within BFB
* 63% want Face to Face learning with 15% happy to do LIVE online tutor led courses
* 63% preferred courses to be run in the evening or afternoon and 33% in the morning
* Back to work, career development, computing and technology courses came out on top!
* Followed by Health & Wellbeing courses, Language courses, Arts & Crafts, Sports, Cookery, Finance & Budgeting, Lifeguard Training & Childrens group tutoring (in order of preference)
There were also some specific courses mentioned!
* CO, SSO, GM, 2IC, Civ Sec, EdCen & Hive met on 13th March to discuss the survey results and how we can bring all of the above to life
* Before April leave period, a matrix of courses will be drafted and funding and resource will be discussed to support facilitation.
Please keep up to date with Signal & the HIVE blog for communication of when and where courses will start to become available.
Thank you!
* Thank you to the 3 members of our community who offered to run courses within their skill set/qualified field. We will follow up on this, along with 5 others that left their email addresses.
Next Steps* CO, SSO, GM, 2IC, Civ Sec, EdCen & Hive met on 13th March to discuss the survey results and how we can bring all of the above to life
* Before April leave period, a matrix of courses will be drafted and funding and resource will be discussed to support facilitation.
Please keep up to date with Signal & the HIVE blog for communication of when and where courses will start to become available.
Thank you!
Tuesday 14 March 2023
British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS) - Course Directory available...
Click here for the latest available courses from BFRS
Personal Assistant (PA) – Field Services, British Gas
Job Advert - British Gas
Personal Assistant (PA) – Field Services, British Gas
UK – Home Based Role, with the ability to work flexible hours
Full Time Role
Salary: £27,368.00 with opportunity to earn up to £30,604.80 with reward/if on target
Overview:
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a pro-active and organised PA to join the team performing administrative duties to support effective and smooth co-ordination of administration across Field Delivery, British Gas.
The Role:
You’ll work closely with the Field operations team supporting meetings, administration and booking venues/ meeting rooms. In addition, you will produce documents, presentations, take minutes and print to Executive meeting standards.
You will be responsible for maintaining and monitoring departmental budgets ensuring prompt and accurate payment of invoices and expenses. You’ll organise and prepare complex documents requiring the integration of multiple office technology and software applications.
The Person: To be successful in the role you will:
• Be an excellent organiser with a real attention to detail - someone who has the confidence and ability to build strong working relationships and deal with people of all levels.
• Be a resilient person who handles challenging situations constructively
• Have the ability to work independently, balancing conflicting priorities
• The role requires someone able to demonstrate competence in Microsoft applications including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Ideally you will have relevant administration and stakeholder management experience however this is not essential
Wider benefits as part of the package: email to request
To apply: please submit a covering letter and CV to Laura Blair, Head of Centrica & British Gas’s Armed Forces Pathway: laura.blair78@centrica.com. Please quote “British Gas Personal Assistant” in the email title.
For information, here is the link to our Ex-Forces/Armed Forces Community Pathway web page: Armed Forces Pathway | Centrica plc
We actively encourage applications for our roles from Military Spouses and Partners
Personal Assistant (PA) – Field Services, British Gas
UK – Home Based Role, with the ability to work flexible hours
Full Time Role
Salary: £27,368.00 with opportunity to earn up to £30,604.80 with reward/if on target
Overview:
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a pro-active and organised PA to join the team performing administrative duties to support effective and smooth co-ordination of administration across Field Delivery, British Gas.
The Role:
You’ll work closely with the Field operations team supporting meetings, administration and booking venues/ meeting rooms. In addition, you will produce documents, presentations, take minutes and print to Executive meeting standards.
You will be responsible for maintaining and monitoring departmental budgets ensuring prompt and accurate payment of invoices and expenses. You’ll organise and prepare complex documents requiring the integration of multiple office technology and software applications.
The Person: To be successful in the role you will:
• Be an excellent organiser with a real attention to detail - someone who has the confidence and ability to build strong working relationships and deal with people of all levels.
• Be a resilient person who handles challenging situations constructively
• Have the ability to work independently, balancing conflicting priorities
• The role requires someone able to demonstrate competence in Microsoft applications including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Ideally you will have relevant administration and stakeholder management experience however this is not essential
Wider benefits as part of the package: email to request
To apply: please submit a covering letter and CV to Laura Blair, Head of Centrica & British Gas’s Armed Forces Pathway: laura.blair78@centrica.com. Please quote “British Gas Personal Assistant” in the email title.
For information, here is the link to our Ex-Forces/Armed Forces Community Pathway web page: Armed Forces Pathway | Centrica plc
We actively encourage applications for our roles from Military Spouses and Partners
Serve and Protect Credit Union - Credit and Borrowing Webinar - 21st Mar
CREDIT & BORROWING WEBINAR 🚨📢
The importance of managing your credit profile and accessing affordable credit. | Friday 21st March | 1400-1500 | Register for FREE 👇
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/credit-and-borrowing-tickets-549275536917?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Monday 13 March 2023
Brunei: National Insurance (NI) - State Pension Maximisation - check your forecasted pension now!
There is an urgent decision that some who are eligible for a UK state pension need to make now. Transitional arrangements for buying missing national insurance years from 2006 to 2016 end on 05 April 2023.
All SP are encouraged to check their projected state pension (State pension forecast calculator) and NI history (Check your national insurance record). Once complete, SP will then need to make an assessment on whether the buy-back of any missing NI years, is worth their while.
A comprehensive guide to this process can be found on the Money Saving Expert website link
Join over 4,600 Service families in claiming funding for up to 20 hours of before and after school care for eligible children aged 4 to 11 years old.
Join over 4,600 Service families in claiming funding for up to 20 hours of before and after school care per week for eligible children aged 4 to 11 years old.
Armed Forces Families and Safeguarding (AFFS) recognise that Service families face additional difficulties when trying to access affordable and good quality childcare for their children. The Wraparound Childcare (WAC) scheme is designed to help support working families with the cost of before and after school childcare.
Since the Full UK Rollout of the WAC Allowance in September 2022, over 4,600 Service personnel have registered for the WAC scheme, and over £3.4M has been claimed. We know that there are many more families that are eligible to claim WAC that have not yet registered and are missing out on this financial support.
Who is it for?
Regular or FTRS (FC) Service personnel Serving in the UK or overseas unaccompanied
Service parents with children aged 4 to 11 years old who live at home and attend school or are home schooled in the UK
Service parents with children attending before and after school care during term time.
Check if you are eligible and read the FAQs to find out more
Civilian personnel can find out what financial support is available to them on gov.uk.
If you live in Wales or Scotland
Wraparound childcare is known as ‘Out of School Care’ in Wales and ‘School Age Childcare’ in Scotland.
Claim in five steps below.
1. Register your child/ren on JPA
2. Check you meet the WAC eligibility criteria
3. Apply for a Tax-Free Childcare account
4. Register for the Wraparound Childcare scheme
5. Claim up to 20 hours per eligible child per week
These steps and their related resources are available on the:
Discover My Benefits Army webpage (www)
Defence Childcare Portal on defnet or Defence Connect
Have questions?
Personnel and Service families can email the WAC team at
PEOPLE-AFFS-WAC-FRO-mailbox@mod.gov.uk
Further Links:
Friday 10 March 2023
Brunei: Dependants Community Needs survey - please take 5 mins to complete this survey
Please Scan the QR Code and provide your feedback by 31st March.
Inspirational Women in Defence - DDS - Nominations Open
https://www.defencediscountservice.co.uk/defencediscountservicenewsdetails.php?id=a3d86110-bd15-11ed-8813-9b84b778ba4a
Thursday 9 March 2023
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust announces Covenant Fund programmes for 2023/24
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (The Trust) has announced the Covenant Fund programmes that will run in the 2023/24 financial year.
Following on from the success of their 2022/23 suite of funding programmes supporting the Armed Forces community, the Trust will be running the same Covenant funding programmes, albeit with some tweaks to bring things up-to-date and ensure funding is accessible and available for those who need it most.
Force for Change
The popular Force for Change programme will now offer grants up to £15,000 for one-year projects.
This is in recognition of the increased cost of living, and the Trust will focus funding on vulnerable Armed Forces communities who are being most impacted.
The Force for Change programme seeks to make positive change at a local level, especially needs which perhaps haven’t been addressed before. Applicants are encouraged to try new ways of supporting their beneficiaries, or to build on previous work, to make a real difference to the Armed Forces communities with whom they work.
This programme will reopen for applications in spring 2023.
Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme
Following success in its first year of existence, the Reaching and Supporting Armed Forces Communities programme will continue to offer grants up to £100,000 for three-year projects.
This programme supports projects that clearly address hidden or compelling needs identified in Armed Forces communities. This year, there will be a particular focus on projects that target those more vulnerable Armed Forces communities that are most impacted by cost-of-living challenges.
This programme was highly oversubscribed in 2022/23 and the Trust expects to still receive high volumes of applications in the coming year.
The programme will reopen for new applications in summer 2023.
The Transformational Grants programme
Building on learning gained from this year’s applications, moving forward the Trust will prioritise those projects that can clearly show they will deliver preventative, long-term outcomes and benefits for Armed Forces communities.
This means projects with a clear and sustained legacy whether in embedded good practice, improved knowledge and evidence, or in some other defined way.
Grants of up to £300,000 for projects up to five years in length will be available.
The programme will reopen in summer 2023.
Have your say!
The Trust will be running a consultation this June to gather thoughts on our future funding programmes for the next three years from 2024. Look out for more details in due course.
Anna Wright, Chief Exec of the Trust said: “We are delighted to be able to deliver each of these successful programmes for another year, with consideration to the current economic challenges. These programmes have and will deliver important positive change to Armed Forces communities across the UK. Moving forward, we’re pleased to be able to plan for the longer-term from 2024 and we encourage people to look out for our upcoming consultation and tell us know how future funding opportunities would best help those most in need.”
Keep up to date with funding opportunities
For the latest updates and announcements on each of these Covenant Fund programmes, and any other funding opportunities the Trust has available throughout the year, sign up to their e-newsletter via their website www.covenantfund.org.uk
National No Smoking Day Wed 08 March
It's never too late to quiet. From the moment you quit, your body starts to repair itself.
If you're trying to quit, you don't have to go it alone. If you do not feel able to quit right now, there are other steps you can take.
For information and support please click here
The Armed Forces Families Single Point of Contact
NHS England are looking for families of serving personnel, veterans, and reservists to complete a survey to gather their thoughts on the future naming and branding of the service.
The survey will be open until Friday 10th March and can be accessed via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/qnj5BAjJtg.
Purple Pack Bereavement Guide For Families of Service Personnel
This extended Purple Pack provides guidance, information and support to those who have a lost a loved one whilst still in service.
CLICK HERE to read
Wednesday 8 March 2023
Step into Health - NHS as your next career path
Step Into Health NHS webinar
Tuesday 7 March 2023
School - National Offer Day
Within England, families have recently been made aware of the secondary school their child has been allocated for September 2023. The primary school offers will follow shortly (dates below):
Secondary National Offer Day March 1st 2023
Primary National Offer Day April 17th 2023
Not all families will be allocated their top preference and understandably, this can cause concern for some; the below provides some useful tips regarding National Offer Day.
National School Offer Day Top Tips
EAT UK Leaflet
Secondary National Offer Day March 1st 2023
Primary National Offer Day April 17th 2023
Not all families will be allocated their top preference and understandably, this can cause concern for some; the below provides some useful tips regarding National Offer Day.
National School Offer Day Top Tips
EAT UK Leaflet
Monday 6 March 2023
Free online 'Parenting For Tomorrow' course for military families
Please click here for details of the Parenting For Tomorrow course, led by Maj Nicole Walker.
This course is FREE for military families.Further contact info:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParentingForTomorrow
Trooping the Colour - Saturday 17th June 2023
Find out more HERE
Friday 3 March 2023
Thursday 2 March 2023
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