Serve & Protect Credit Union: free Sept Webinars and their latest Podcast

 📢 Free financial webinars this September from Serve and Protect - don't miss out!

🛒 Managing the Cost of Living

👤 Domestic Violence - The Financial Impact

✍️ Budgeting & Spending

📝 Understanding Wills and LPAs

🚀 Boost Your Credit Score

🔍 What Lenders Look For

🔗 Register: 

Episode 5 of the Smile and Save Podcast is here, brought to you by Serve and Protect’s Jon who shares learnings from his almost 37 years’ experience in the RAF. Discover some tips and things to think about when transitioning to civilian life 🎧 🔗 Watch here

Armed Forces Pension Awareness Week – Understand your pension, sessions, 9th to 13th Sept

 

Invest in your future – understand your pension.

Join Armed Forces Pension Awareness Week (AFPAW) sessions from 9 to 13 September.

New MOD Booklet: Benefits and Support for Reserve Families

Announcing the new booklet, Alistair Carns MP MC OBE, Defence Minister for Veterans and People, said: 

“Our Reserve Forces are an integral and valued part of the Armed Forces Community. Their hard work and dedication is essential to national security and enables us to be operationally effective no matter the situation. 

“It is essential that we support our people and their families as they navigate the challenges of service life. Whether it’s support with childcare, medical needs or financial advice– there’s a wide range of benefits and support in place to help our Reservists and their families. 

“Today, I’m delighted to share our new MOD booklet for the Reserve community, which signposts the help available, and how to access it. This will allow more of our community to live in a way that best suits their needs.”

Read the booklet here

The Whispering Wind Installation for Those who Have Experienced Pregnancy, Baby or Child Loss

Reservations for windmills for our Whispering Wind event in October (9th-15th Oct 2024 at the Defence Academy of the UK at Shrivenham), are still open, but not for long.

So if you or someone you know has experienced pregnancy, baby or child loss, and would like to honour their child's memory through our event, please send them our way. Reservation forms can be requested via DM or emailing dandelionmilfamilies@gmail.com

Windmills are free of charge to families, will be personalised and sent out to families once our Baby Loss Awareness Week event has come to a close.

Thank you to everyone who has sent us messages about their loved ones so far, your strength continues to amaze us and we feel honoured you have chosen to share their memory with us for this event. ​

Where to Pick Fruit in Paderborn

With September approaching Apples and Pears will soon be ready for harvesting. 

Each year at this time the Paderborn office responsible for looking after green spaces allows the public to harvest fruits from trees in and around the city. 

You can find Apples in the following location 

• The junction Am Almerfeld/Wewerstraße, on Seskerbruch Straße, in Benhausen
• On Dörener Holzweg, in Marienloh
• On Bückler Weg
• In Neuenbeken on Bukhove (at the sports field)

If you want to pick pears

• George-Marshall-Ring (K 29) between Benhauser and Detmolder Straße,
• Benhausen on Hinter den Zäunen,
• Klausheider Straße north of Sande 

Ripe plums can be found at

•  Postweg in Benhausen 
•  Leste- and Steinweg in Wewer.

Before You Arrive in Germany - Check your Mobile Contract

UK Mobile phone contracts / PAYG terms must be checked before deployment by SP to an EU country.  EE, O2 and Vodaphone all offer slightly different practices for deployed SP. 

Deployed SP and family members could be liable for higher charges. The provider could revoke the contract over Fair Use Policy violations.

 EE, O2 and Vodaphone all offer slightly different practices for deployed SP. 

When your contract / PAYG agreement started is really important. The key dates are July and August 2021 if your PAYG or Monthly contract started after these dates you are subject to post Brexit changes and additional roaming / fair use charges. 

Here is a short breakdown with links to websites and your options as a customer if you are deployed to Germany. 

EE

Your choice is to suspend the contract for 12 months.  Contact the EE customer care team and request the form to suspend the contract.

O2

Your contract will continue to operate in the EU as it would in the UK. For deployments outside the EU you can request a contract suspension.  Please note the contract suspension may not include the payments for the handset, make sure to confirm what you will be required to pay by contacting the O2 customer care team. From Jan 2025 new fair use policy will apply limitimg you to 25 GB each month.  

Vodaphone

You can apply for a break in contract for up to three years . It is also possible to get an unlock code allowing the phone to work on EU network providers SIM cards.

Your family should be included in the above arrangements if their contracts are in your name. A Spouse also qualifies if the contract is in their name.