Follow this link to all the latest news from the RNRMC.
Read moreFollow this link to all the latest news from the RNRMC.
Read moreMaking a service complaint
Serving or former members of the UK armed forces can make a complaint if they feel they have been wronged on a matter that arises when they are subject to service law. This can include complaints of bullying, harassment, discrimination and biased, improper or dishonest behaviour.
Read moreThis October, Forces TV, the home of entertainment and military life, releases a host of new programmes, to mark its launch on Freeview channel 96. The new schedule will combine Forces TV’s unique blend of military and action-themed drama, comedy and factual programming, with news about UK Forces.
Programmes will include: new, exclusive and powerful behind-the-scenes military documentaries Warrior Women: Making US Marines and In Kabul: Britain’s Military in Afghanistan. Cult classics Knight Rider and Street Hawk return to our screens and military favourites including Hogan’s Heroes and Goodnight Sweetheart.
The University of Winchester worked with SCISS (Service Children in State Schools) to host the South East SCISS conference. SCISS is an affiliation of the 6000 plus state maintained schools in England that have children of service personnel on roll. The SCISS National Executive acts as an advisory group to the government on issues around educational disadvantage and promotes good practice in the provision of education for service children.
Read moreThe Not Forgotten Association has recently run two highly successful breaks for groups of injured service men and women: a 4 day trek across Iceland for 22 people and an outdoor activity week in Scotland for 15 people.
Each group included veterans of all three services and a number of Marines undergoing rehabilitation
They represented partner charities and organisations such as Blind Veterans, SAMA82, Band of Brothers and Scottish Veterans; and campaigns from the Falklands to Afghanistan. Coincidentally, the youngest serviceman in each group was aged 22 and the oldest veteran was 62.
Read moreTwo separate groups of teenagers, one based in Exeter and the other from the Blackpool area, recently took part in a community action programme run by the National Citizen Service called Project Brave.
They each set themselves the challenge of raising funds for The Not Forgotten Association (both groups included children of NFA volunteers) and through a whole host of activities including a cake bake, raffle, car wash, football match and fun run, together raised more than £2,000 – a fantastic achievement!
This year, the AFPST is privileged to be supported by Leonardo in our fundraising efforts, a company which is amongst the top ten global players in Aerospace, Defence and Security and one of the biggest suppliers of Defence equipment to the UK MoD. Our inspirational athletes conducted a tour of UK Leonardo sites in April and May, which enthused and motivated employees to start planning and carrying out their own fundraising activities for the AFPST ‘Spirit of Challenge’ campaign.
Highlights from the Edinburgh team have included a team of 12 ‘Leonardo Fitbitters’ who collectively completed over 1.5 million steps in just 5 days, raising over £2,000 in the process. 24 Apprentices based at the Edinburgh site climbed 1,345 metres to reach the summit of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
Read moreThis briefing note (updated July 2017) provides an outline of the current evidence on UK military mental health, including prevalence rates of mental health problems in serving regulars, serving reserves and those who have left service. Findings relating to suicide, help-seeking, risk-taking, violence, offending and
deployment mental health support are also addressed.
According to industry experts, bedroom and bed-space occupancy across the serviced accommodation sector (Resorts, hotels, cottages and B&Bs) has on average remained flat and ranges between 8 out of ten rooms to 7 in in ten rooms in the North of the country. From the data available in the EU occupation ranges from just three in ten to 7 in ten. There are clearly seasonal variations but minimising Dead Space is a challenge for all.
How to make the most of this spare capacity and make it profitable
A number of hotel and property owners, at home and overseas, are already donating their spare capacity to charity. The Military Charity Give Us Time assists Service families who are in need: the beneficiaries have suffered bereavement, physical injuries and mental illnesses, have challenging financial circumstances and/or separation due to deployment. The best way to employ your spare capacity is to donate it to charitable causes like Give Us Time.
Read moreA new initiative by the Aggie Weston’s Storybook Waves project has secured funding from the Annington Trust of over £40,000 for the next three years. Launching at the end of September 2017, the ‘Storybook Waves Book Club in a Box’ initiative seeks to relieve the anxiety of separation that families experience by connecting them through books and a nationwide network of Book Clubs.
Held in community houses at 21 base port areas, the Book Clubs will generally be hosted by Aggie Weston’s Pastoral Workers and will run monthly during term time. Aimed primarily at families of deployed personnel, The Book Clubs will seek to bring families together for fun-filled activity sessions based around the theme of a popular children’s book. While children play, parents can socialise and Pastoral Workers will be on hand to provide support and a listening ear to anyone struggling with the challenges that deployment can bring.
Read moreAfghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here