SafeLives: Service community domestic abuse - Welfare staff interviews request

SafeLives are also keen to speak with Army Welfare Officers and Unit Welfare Officers who have experience of supporting victim/survivors of domestic abuse. 

They want to understand your experiences of providing welfare support, and hear your views on the barriers victim/survivors from military families and relationships may face when trying to access help.

If you are interested in taking part in an interview, please scan the QR code on the poster to find out more.

Alternatively click on this link: Army Personnel ABF

SafeLives: Service community domestic abuse victims/survivors interviews request

Survivor Interviews

SafeLives, with support from the Army Benevolent Fund, is looking to improve the domestic abuse response for victim/survivors from serving and veteran families.

SafeLives want to hear directly from victim/survivors who have lived experience of domestic abuse in military families or relationships. Their voices are central to this work.

Victim/survivors who take part will also receive a £25 voucher as a thank you for their time.


If you are interested in taking part in an interview, please scan the QR code on the poster to find out more.

Alternatively click on this link: Survivor ABF

What's On This Weekend

Libori fireworks - Sunday Libori comes to a close this Sunday with a fireworks display scheduled to take place at around 10:30pm. You can use this interactive map to work out where the best viewing spots are.

Other events

Cricket lovers should head to the Peoples park in Dusseldorf for an open tournament  2nd - 4th Aug. Go along and watch, there are more events to come if you want to take part on another date. 

Weinsommer Düsseldorf  31st July - 3rd Aug 

WINE Summer invites you to taste, discover, and enjoy in a cheerful community. Here you have the opportunity to find wines and meet the people behind them – the passionate producers.

Full information here

Detmolder Sommerbühne 2025 31 Jul -2nd Aug. 

A Free music festival turning the city’s marketplace into a vibrant open-air concert venue. For three days, the city’s heart pulses with handpicked live music, blending urban vibes with a festival atmosphere. 

Expect everything from Afro-Brazilian rhythms and singer-songwriter tunes to groovy electro beats, smooth jazz, and powerful brass sounds. With big names, newcomers, and hidden gems, there’s something for every music lover.

Full website in English available here

Machsee Festival Hannover 30th July - 17th Aug 

The massive annual festival starts this week on the iconic Machsee in Hannover. 

Drive time is a 1hour 30 mins from Sennelager. The lake is transformed during the festival with several music and event stages set up around the shore. 

you can walk around the lake and visit all the pop up restaurants, lounges and bars. Or use the boats laid on to transport people between the venues. music is from choirs to rock, dance DJ's and funk. 

Check out the website here for the complete details

Forces Additional Needs & Disability Forum (FANDF): Carers and Careers Survey

 

Are you juggling life in the Armed Forces while caring for someone with additional needs or a disability? Whether you're serving yourself or you're the partner of someone who is, if you're a carer, the Forces Additional Needs & Disability Forum (FANDF) wants to hear from you!

FANDF is collecting lived experiences through a short survey, and the results will be shared directly with the MOD and policymakers at our next committee meeting.

Complete the survey now—it only takes a few minutes but could help shape the future

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Family Focus Programme reopens for applications

The Support for Wounded, Injured or Sick personnel and veterans - Reopens for new applications!

When a serving person becomes wounded, injured, or sick, life can change quickly for those around them. Family members might take on the role of primary carer, carrying a heavy emotional and practical load during recovery.

Ongoing support is essential. Its helps carers recognise their own needs and ensure the wellbeing of everyone involved.

In 2024/25, The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) awarded more than £1.3 million to 16 projects under the Family Focus programme to improve the lives of family members of Wounded, Injured or Sick personnel and veterans.

Give Us Time: Welfare Summer Update

 

The bulk of our breaks have now been booked, although we may have some last minute donations or cancellations over the summer, so please ensure you and any families are following us on social media at Facebook and Instagram.

 

ManKind Acorn Recovery Programme

 

Forces Employment Charity: Empowering You Employment Workshop - 15 to 17 Sept 2025

Empowering You is a hybrid three-day employability and confidence-building workshop in collaboration with Barclays and Forces Employment Charity

Event Overview

Days 1 and 3 are virtual. On day 2, delegates will be hosted at three Barclays locations (simultaneously). Day 3 you will meet employers online from across industries who value the skills and qualities that people from the Armed Forces Community bring.

Join us in person at one of the illustrious Barclays locations in London, Knutsford or Glasgow.

The event is for military spouses and partners (all genders), ex-military women and reservists.

What can you expect:

• Receive a free one-to-one mentoring session with a corporate mentor.
• Hear directly from employers about pathways for the Armed Forces community and regional job opportunities.
• Understand the value that your transferrable skills can bring to employers and gain confidence in yourself.
• Expert sessions delivered by our Families Employment Advisors who are all military spouses or partners with lived experience and who have served too.

Dates and times:

This event takes place on the 15th - 17th September 2025.

Virtual event timings (days 1 and 3): 10:00 – 13.00 (duration may vary due to group sizes)

In-person event timings (day 2): 10.00 – 16.00

Locations on day 2:

• Barclays Radbroke Campus – Knutsford WA16 9EU
• Barclays Glasgow Campus – 30 Clyde Place, Glasgow, Glasgow G5 8AQ
• Barclays Headquarters – 1 Churchill Pl, London E14 5RB

Registration Link and Further Info:

• Registration Form
• Event Overview

Recruit for Spouses: What’s on this Summer?

RFS are offering a number of events programmes and services over the coming months.

 All services are free to access for military spouses, partners, veterans, and serving personnel.

Events include:

• Wellbeing Programme: We are currently accepting registrations for our six-week virtual programme, supported by a psychoeducational therapist. The sessions are designed to reduce isolation and help participants forge meaningful connections.
• Coaching & Mentoring Programme: We have spaces available in our coaching and mentoring initiative. With a pool of over 80 volunteers from various sectors – including BAE, Virgin, and AMS – we’re ready to match individuals with mentors who can support professional development or help build confidence. Our Coaching and Mentoring Manager, Helen Callis, is available to guide participants every step of the way.

 

For more information on Recruit for Spouses, please visit: https://www.recruitforspouses.co.uk/

To register and sign up, please go to: RFS Portal.

RAF Job Opportunities for Rejoiners and Inter-Service Transferees

 

RAF Recruitment | Rejoiners | Royal Air Force

Military Mortgage Advice – Housing Webinars, July to Sept '25

 

Paderborn and Bolton celebrate twinning with new exhibition for the Libori

Paderborn and Bolton,  celebrate the 50th anniversary of their town twinning.

To mark the occasion, the two cities, together with the Raum für Kunst (Space for Art) and the German-English Club Paderborn, have conceived an exhibition that will be on display in the city library.

In March of this year, the German-English Club launched an ideas competition under the motto "Look at – Spot on." Ten selected entries from Paderborn and Bolton will now be presented. They will be presented in pairs to reflect the twinning connection expressed in the English term "twin town." 

The artworks were created by students from both cities, while the photographs were taken by German and English students.

The exhibition "Mind the Gap," which was shown in the Raum für Kunst (Space for Art), was created on the occasion of an artistic exchange between Paderborn and Bolton. 

"Mind the Gap"—originally a warning sign from the London Underground system—becomes a symbol of the gaps and disruptions of our time. 

The presentation in the city library features a selection of works by Paderborn artists that were part of the exhibition in the Raum für Kunst (Space for Art). 

The focus is on questions of social, cultural, and personal spaces in between.

Libori 2025

All the information for this years celebration can be found on the Libori website here.

Here are some dates for the calendar 

Sat 26th July 

• At 3 p.m. the relics of St. Liborius are solemnly raised in the cathedral, accompanied by the Libori fanfare. A vespers service follows.
• 2 p.m the funfair opens on the Liboriberg 
• 4.30pm Mayor Michael Drier will tap the giant beer barrel at the Rathausplatz which is the traditional start of the non religious celebrations. 

Throughout Libori week you will find entertainment in the city including: 

At the main stage on the Rathausplatz live acts every evening. The Lenz stage a few minutes away on Westernstraße has a smaller stage for bands.

© Matthias Groppe

The forecourt of the city library will be transformed into the "Square of Small Arts." Visitors to this square can look forward to nine special days with a mix of acrobatics, comedy, theatre, puppetry, and music.

Food and drink is well covered with many street food stalls and beer gardens set up to enjoy. The Plaza Europa again will be the focus of the food stalls.

Transport 

A Park & Ride shuttle service is available on both Libori weekends, Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

The large parking lot at Heinz-Nixdorf-Ring (Riemekestraße 154) Parking at the HNF ring is free. Bus tickets are 2 Euro for Adults and 1 Euro for children aged 6-14 years.

Padersprinter are offering some low cost tickets on bus services. for the festival:

• 2.00 €/adult in advance*
• 2.50 €/adult on the bus
• 1.00 €/child (6 – 14 years) in advance and on the bus
• *Discount applies when purchasing an online ticket (timetable app), at the smilecard terminal, at the ticket machine and at the mobile sales points
• Valid for 90 minutes in the city of Paderborn

Details of all bus services can be found on the Padersprinter website here.

The image below shows where you can park and which streets are closed:

What's On at the Mohnesee

The summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia have begun, and with them, there's a lot going on at the Westphalian Sea.  It goes without saying that there's a lot going on in, on, and on the water at Lake Möhne this summer...

Starting on the water. If you don't just want to chill by the lake and occasionally plunge into the waves, you can rent all kinds of boats, go diving, or fishing. The options are there! 

Further information

Wraparound Childcare funding updates for autumn term 2025

What is Wraparound Childcare (WAC)?

The WAC scheme provides funding for up to 20 hours per week, per child, during term time, to eligible Service families with children aged 4 to 11 years old (4-16 years old if in receipt of disability allowances), who are in full-time education in school or being home educated. WAC funding is available to eligible working Service families in the UK, assigned overseas within the European Economic Area & Switzerland (EEA&S), assigned overseas and using Defence Children Services (DCS) before and after school childcare provision or assigned overseas unaccompanied with family remaining in an eligible location.

Since September 2022 WAC has provided funding for 12,500 Service children's before and after school childcare.

WAC funding does not provide childcare spaces, it is funding for costs incurred when eligible families pay for before and after school childcare.

Wraparound childcare is also known as ‘Out of School care’ in Wales and ‘School Age Childcare’ in Scotland.

What's On This Weekend?

Lots of fun to enjoy this weekend. With the start of the holidays kids can access swimming pools in Paderborn / Sennelager free of charge. Rietberg has a water park set up for the kids. Brackwede has a DJ pool party set up. 

Dusseldorf is hosting Germany's biggest funfair with spectacular drone and fireworks show. 

Munster is hosting the Summersend fair.

The Kaltenberg medieval fair puts on a full arena show with jousting and sword combat plus an immersive themed market. 

Rietberg Gartenschau Water fun - Open Now 

The Garden Park is hosting six weeks of water based fun for kids this summer. From 1000 - 1800 each day you pay to enter the park (6 Euro for adults and 3 Euro for kids.) Then the water slides and boats are free to use. 

You will find the water park in the North section of the park (Make sure you head to the correct side of the park you can spend a long time walking between the two sides.)

It’s here: Global Mobility Allowance trial begins

It’s here: Global Mobility Allowance trial begins

From 1 July, eligible Service personnel are now invited to register for a new overseas allowance that offers an easier claims process and greater flexibility on spending.

Global Mobility Allowance (GMA) is being trialled as a new way to receive a financial contribution towards expenses that arise when you move to or from an overseas permanent assignment in:

• Brunei – 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles (2RGR) and Brunei Garrison Staff (incl. 667 Sqn, 5AAC) only
• USA – British Defence Staff US (BDSUS) administered locations only
• Kenya – British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) Garrison Staff only
• Europe/ Rest of World (RoW) – Global Support Organisation (GSO) administered locations only

Assigned overseas? Have your say on Service family life

If you and your partner are assigned overseas, Defence wants to hear from you on what Service family life is like. Share anonymous feedback in the Overseas Families Survey.

Tell Defence what information and support has helped you and your family while serving overseas, and what could be better. Here are some areas you’ll be asked about in the survey: spousal / partner

• employment
• education and childcare
• communications
• safeguarding

Your feedback will help to inform Defence’s policies and initiatives to better meet the needs of you and your family.

How to complete the survey

You can complete the survey online. You and your partner can share your views individually using same survey link. The survey is open to all Regular and Reserve Service personnel and their spouses / civil partners. Please be assured that survey responses are anonymous.

You have until Saturday 30th August to make your voice heard.

Help us to help you

The more people that complete the survey, the better able Defence is to make informed choices on how to improve various aspects of Service life for you and your family.

The previous Overseas Families Survey contributed to the launch of Defence’s new Families Hub – this is a one-stop-shop digital platform, which signposts to a wealth of information, support and organisations, to help navigate Service family life. Topics include childcare, partner employment, housing, welfare and much more. – this is a one-stop-shop digital platform, which signposts to a wealth of information, support and organisations, to help navigate Service family life. Topics include childcare, partner employment, housing, welfare and much more.

If you have questions about the survey, please contact the MOD Armed Forces Families and Safeguarding team: people-AFFS-data-research@mod.gov.uk.

To view previous survey results, visit GOV.UK.
Useful information and resources

To find out about the range of allowances, opportunities, and benefits for you and your family, visit the Discover My Benefits site.

For useful signposting to information, guidance and support to help navigate Service family life, visit the Families Hub.

To explore Defence’s plan to drive forward positive initiatives for Service families, read the Armed Forces Families Strategy 2022-2032.

For information and support on a wider variety of topics affecting your Service and personal life, including relocation and local area information, contact the relevant HIVE:Royal Navy Family and People Support
Army HIVE
Royal Air Force HIVE

DIO Families First Newsletter – Issue 28

Click to enlarge.

The latest issue of the Families First newsletter is now available on the Defence Homes website and Defence Connect.

DIO Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Communications Update - 27 June 25

An update on communal areas

We have heard from many of you at our SFA roadshows and we know families wish to be able enjoy communal spaces and gardens to the front of their properties. In many cases, these areas provide a valuable space for garden furniture and play equipment.

We have a duty to ensure that communal areas are safe, but we also want to see a common-sense approach that balances safety and convenience for families.

The SFA Consumer Charter announced in April sets out our commitment to empower families and to enable you to take decisions about your home.