The partnership between the NHS and MOD has enabled the Armed Forces to provide modern and advanced clinical care, and give it's medical staff the broadest and most up-to-date training and experience.
To find out more on the website,
Thursday, 31 October 2019
Serving Personnel Insurance
As of 30th April 2018, Service Life Insurance SLI365 (https://sli365.com/) has closed to new applications although continues to provide cover to their existing policyholders.
The other MoD endorsed financial providers are:
MoneyForce:
Joining Forces Credit Union:
PAX Insurance:
MoD's Corporate Governance team engage with Forces Mutual https://www.forcesmutual.org/ over their respite breaks.
Make sure the company has SIIAP (Services Insurance and Investment Advisory Panel: http://siiap.org/ ) accreditation and that they are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) https://www.fca.org.uk/ together with the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority, replaced the Financial Services Authority in 2013 and between them now regulate the financial services industry in the UK.
Wednesday, 30 October 2019
Little Troopers Military Moments 2020 Calendar
Little Troopers have released a collection of real-life photos that capture the highs and lows of life as a British Armed Forces family, as seen through the eyes of our military children.
Submitted by families from across the three services, the images will make up the Little Troopers 2020 Military Moments calendar.
The calendar is available to pre-order now and costs £7.50, with all proceeds helping Little Troopers to continue providing fundamental resources and initiatives to support military children such as their Treasures Storytime app and their Separation Pack.
Colerne families may recognise the November entry as Verity Yarker, whose Mum Tara took the picture in the village at last year's wreath laying ceremony.
To pre-order your calendar, CLICK HERE
The Bath & Wiltshire Parent
The Bath & Wiltshire Parent website has been created to help keep families in the area up to date with news, information and events that may be of interest to you.
This is also the official website of The Bath & Wiltshire Parent magazine, a bimonthly publication that has been distributed to families in the area since 2008.
For news, events, attraction reviews and competitions,
Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Dealing With An Emergency In Your Service Families Accommodation
Make sure you and your family are safe in an emergency such as fire, water leaks, gas.
If there is a fire in your home:
- Make sure everyone leaves the property straight away and gathers a safe distance from the building
- if it’s safe to do so, close internal doors on your way out. This will help slow the progress of fire and spread of smoke
- Don’t attempt to put out the fire yourself, unless you can do so quickly and safely
- Dial 999 as soon as possible, and if your accommodation is behind the wire, please follow local station orders
Once the emergency services have been informed, and you and your family are safe, call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 707 6000. The team will provide you and your family with advice and support and, if necessary, find you alternative accommodation.
For advice on water & gas leaks,
Please click images to enlarge
Forces Children's Trust
As a charity we are devoted to working together to help children in need whose father or mother has died, or has sustained life-changing injuries, whilst serving as a
member of the British Armed Forces or Civilian Forces (i.e. Police, Fire and Ambulance Services).
The FCT, by reason of its aims and size, has the flexibility and ability to make decisions and offer help as needed, with minimum fuss and consequent time-loss.
For more information, please
Amey Defence Housing - Guides & Resources
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The Amey website offers a selection of guides, factsheets and guidance on common topics which may occur when living in SFA.
To visit this section of the website, CLICK HERE
Monday, 28 October 2019
#SpouseHour
Welcome to SpouseHour - just one hour a week where military spouses can come together and talk about stuff of interest, promote relevant events or simply just chat.
The hashtag logo is purposefully blue and pink - to include the men as well as the ladies!
BFBS presenter Chris Keen runs his own site, The Military Husband, with blogs and useful shares as a military spouse. He's also set up SpouseHour which recently started
To read more online, CLICK HERE
To visit The Military Husband's blog, CLICK HERE
Apply To Be In The Families Squad!
Fancy helping other families in your local area by giving them the heads up with the best local days out for everyone to enjoy? Well, why not apply to be in the Families Squad!
By becoming part of our Families Squad, you will become the eyes and ears of your local area. You'll be asked to take part on amazing fun-filled missions around your area to get the latest scoop and pass it on to other mums and dads.
You'll also receive a top secret monthly gift just for taking part, only for you to enjoy! There are also opportunities to win FREE family tickets for days out and testing new products.
You'll also be part of a tight-knit community, where you can meet other parents and discover more about your local area!
By becoming part of our Families Squad, you will become the eyes and ears of your local area. You'll be asked to take part on amazing fun-filled missions around your area to get the latest scoop and pass it on to other mums and dads.
You'll also receive a top secret monthly gift just for taking part, only for you to enjoy! There are also opportunities to win FREE family tickets for days out and testing new products.
You'll also be part of a tight-knit community, where you can meet other parents and discover more about your local area!
To find out more, CLICK HERE
The Cheddar Gorge & Caves Armed Forces Discount
Members of the Army, Navy & RAF, as well as Veterans, dependant families and bereaved familes with official ID cards will receive special discounted prices on the Adult & Child Explorer Tickets when booked online.
Military personnel and qualifying guests must present an official ID card on arrival to validate this offer (MOD and DDS cards accepted)
To visit the website, CLICK HERE
Please click images to enlarge
Get Moneyfit With Moneyforce From RBL
Moneyforce is the home of money advice for UK Service families. A joint iniative between Standard Life Charitable Trust, The Royal British Legion and the Ministry Of Defence, the Moneyforce website aims to assist all Service personnel, their partner, families and dependants to be better equipped to manage their money and financial affairs.
You never know what life is going to throw at you and Moneyforce can support you with advice on subjects including:
-Marriage
-Managing your money
-Illness
-Moving into Service Family Accommodation
-Childcare costs and parental leave
-Being posted abroad when you have a family
-Debt
-Bereavement
-Divorce
To visit the 'Life and Family' section of the website,
To visit the main MoneyForce website,
Cotswold Service Community Official Guide 2019-2020
Printed versions of this updated guide are available from Colerne HIVE and also in the MOD Corsham Community Centre, the Buckley Barracks Community Centre and at the Services Cotswold Centre.
To view this guide online, CLICK HERE
Friday, 25 October 2019
Wiltshire Health Visitor Clinics
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Please note that parents can take their young children to any health visitor clinic, regardless of catchment area.
To visit the website, where you can also find out about more local clinics in Lyneham, Calne, Bradford-on-Avon, etc. please CLICK HERE
Wiltshire Council Are Targeting Fly-Tippers
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Wiltshire Council have launched a new campaign to encourage residents to report fly-tippers.
If you spot someone fly-tipping in Wiltshire, report the offender to the Council, and as a reward you'll get a gift voucher of up to £200 following the payment of a Fixed Penalty Notice or a successful prosecution.
To visit the website, where you can also report fly-tippers, CLICK HERE
Thursday, 24 October 2019
The Consequences Of Norovirus
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D&V Norovirus is circulating in the South West - it's currently at expected levels for the time of year but NHS Wiltshire CCG are seeing outbreaks in care homes and hospitals.
Most people don't realise the virus is often brought in by well-meaning visitors. Don't give your loved ones the bug!
To find out more about Norovirus on the NHS website, CLICK HERE
Did You Know Conkers Are Dangerous For Dogs?
Conkers may be synonymous with Autumn, but few people realise that these nuts can post a serious health risk to your pet if ingested.
There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the large nuts could cause a blockage in your pet's stomach. Secondly, they contain a chemical called Aesculin - found in all parts of the horse chestnut tree, including the leaves - which is toxic to dogs.
To read more on the Blue Cross website, CLICK HERE
Care After Combat: Project Phoenix - Supporting Veterans In The Criminal Justice System
'Phoenix’ is the name of the project to reduce the number of re-offending veterans released from prison.
During 2014, the Government undertook a review of Veterans within the Criminal Justice System published in December 2014.
Veterans form the largest occupational group in prison.
Project Phoenix was designed to specifically respond to the issues raised in the report.
The key benefits of Project Phoenix is, of course to the lives of the veterans and their families, but there are significant benefits to wider society.
For further details, CLICK HERE
Wednesday, 23 October 2019
MHFA England: Just About Coping - A New Podcast
Just About Coping is an exploratory podcast looking at the future of mental health and wellbeing. Simon Blake OBE, Chief Executive of MHFA England, will be joined by a fantastic range of guests to discuss their lived experiences, passions, latest projects, and to try and answer the question: how can we create a world where everyone is coping?
The podcast will explore what we can do both as individuals and as a community to build a positive culture around mental health, spread awareness, tackle stigma, and make mental health a normal part of everyday conversation.
You can listen to the trailer for an introduction to the podcast and the first episode featuring the fascinating and utterly unique Ruby Wax; mental health campaigner, performer, comedian, and author.
You can listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and many other podcast apps, as well as the following websites:
Forces Help To Buy Scheme - Extended To 2022
A Government scheme to help military personnel get on the property ladder has been
extended until the end of 2022.
The Forces Help to Buy scheme has lent more than £280 million to more than 18,000 Armed Forces applicants since its introduction in 2014, according to the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
The scheme allows military personnel to borrow an interest-free deposit of up to half their annual salary, but is only accessible to regular serving personnel.
To read more about the scheme online, please visit one of the following websites:
Tuesday, 22 October 2019
Monday, 21 October 2019
Thursday, 17 October 2019
Halloween Bunting & Other Craft Ideas For Little Troopers
To download this Crafty Little Troopers sheet and more from the website, CLICK HERE
(You will have to sign-in but it's free to create an account)
Supporting The Unsung Hero - Upcoming Courses
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The nearest upcoming course is in March/April 2020 at RAF Brize Norton, approx. 50 miles from Colerne.
To find out more on the website, CLICK HERE
Wednesday, 16 October 2019
Domestic Abuse Support For Gurkha Families
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Please see the attached translated version which is for anyone with a Gurkha link regardless of where they live in the world.
For those who can't get to Rushmoor to access the service in person, telephone or email support is provided.
Contact: Karen.Evans@communitysafetynh.org
Tel: 01252 774256
New Office For Veterans' Affairs
The new office sits within the Cabinet Office and will pull together all functions of government, and better co-ordinate charity sector provision.
The Office for Veterans Affairs (OVA) have been tasked with:
- Pulling together all functions of government, and better coordinating charity sector provision, in order to ensure this nation's life-long duty to those who have served
- Ensuring that every single veteran and their family knows where to turn to access support when required
- Helping to generate a 'single view of the veteran' by making better use of data to understand veterans' needs and where gaps in provision exist
- Improving the perception of veterans
To find out more on the website, CLICK HERE
Fifteen Apps Parents Should Know About
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Please click image to enlarge You can find out more about keeping your children safe online via the NSPCC Net Aware website. To visit the site, CLICK HERE |
House Of Commons Defence Select Committee Report Into The 2018 Covenant Report
The MOD is required to produce an annual report about the Armed Forces Covenant to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee (HCDC). The HCDC report was issued on 25 September. It recognised that progress had been made in many areas of the Covenant but raised concerns about a range of areas, attracting a number of media stories about accommodation, access to education and the costs of UK residency for families of non-British service personnel.
The 2019 report is in the process of being produced.
To view the 2018 report online, CLICK HERE
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