Things to do; Belgian Beaches - De Hanne

 

Things to do; Belgian Beaches - De Hanne

 

Belgium has an enormous and amazing coast line. The vast beaches are beautiful sandy and clean. We love the beaches around De Hann (which are only 1.5 hrs away) particularly the quieter ones where the children can explore the endless sand dunes. 

 

We tied in our trip to De Hanne with a trip to Bruges, they are very close together. We booked a night in Bruges. 

 

The Centre of De Hanne has a long promenade to walk along with cafes, take away food, gifts and ice cream. There is a small park on the beach also by the promenade. Being the central resort naturally it is busier than other more quieter parts of the beach.

 

Distance form SHAPE; 1 hour and 28 minutes by car

 

Address; Zeedijk-De Haan 8420, De Haan

 

Map; https://www.google.com/.../@51.2782199,3.../data=!3m1!4b1

 

Cost; Free

 

Dogs; Check notice boards / signs especially in the summer season. If it is a quieter beach and out of season you may be able to let them off. Be sensible and considerate.

 

Toilets; There are public toilets on the promenade (have to pay 50c)

 

Buggy friendly; Beach not really. In De Hanne centre along the promenade you can easily walk with a buggy.

 

Places to park; You can find on street free car parking around the centre of DeHanne.

If you want to get further away from the centre here are some suggestions to park. We used both of these. Parking is free. https://goo.gl/maps/bj9jSynt2YW8Z5y8A

 

This parking spot is near a play park in the woods. From here we followed the path to the sea which took about 4 minutes walk. (We did have to cross a busy road and tramline.) https://goo.gl/maps/PjUcadsqL86eYZZx5

 

Top tip, the beaches are huge that even on a sunny day you can find a quieter spot away from crowds. 

 

 

Volunteer For SSAFA

Support the Armed Forces community directly by becoming a SSAFA volunteer, and change lives for the better!

If you have a direct link with your local Armed Forces base, you may be able to volunteer for a SSAFA Service Committee.

To find out more information about volunteering with SSAFA please click HERE

R is for Rebasing

Please click HERE to access the links
 

Support After Someone May Have Died By Suicide

The Help is at Hand booklet provides information, support and guidance for those affected by suicide.

 Please click HERE to download the booklet

 

The Armed Forces Memorial And The Roll Of Honour: A Guide For Bereaved Families

This guidance is for the bereaved families of service personnel and veterans and provides information about the Armed Forces Memorial and the Roll of Honour. 

Please click HERE to download the document

Free public outdoor swimming pool to open in Brussels this summer

Summers in Belgium can be hot (although you wouldn’t think so with the weather of the past few weeks), but they can be particularly gruelling in Brussels, where, surrounded by concrete, there is little relief from the heat.

In the past, the city has simulated the feeling of being at a beach through projects such as “Bruxelles-les-Bains”, which saw the Canal area of the city being transformed into an inner-city holiday resort, there are very few actual bathing spots.ummers in Belgium can be hot (although you wouldn’t think so with the weather of the past few weeks), but they can be particularly gruelling in Brussels, where, surrounded by concrete, there is little relief from the heat.

Calling Military Veterans

Are you a military veteran experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder?

The PETT study is recruiting military veterans into their research trial which is comparing two psychological therapies for those experiencing symptoms of PTSD. The study is run by Queen’s University Belfast and King’s College London in collaboration with Inspire and offers free online treatment for those qualifying to take part. Is this something you, or someone you know, would be interested in?

Please click HERE to find out more

Costco Membership For The Armed Forces

Costco Wholesale is a membership warehouse club, dedicated to bringing our members quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices. We provide a wide selection of merchandise, plus the convenience of speciality departments and exclusive member services, all designed to make your shopping experience a pleasurable one. We are confident in the quality and value of our products, and we stand behind them with our guarantee of satisfaction.

For more information and to preview our warehouses visit:

www.costco.co.uk/join

Individual Membership:

The annual membership fee for Standard Individual Membership is £28 ex VAT (£33.60 inc VAT), which includes a complimentary card for your spouse or domestic partner. To sign up for membership in the warehouse, please provide your employee ID card or current payslip to prove your employment, PLUS one piece of photographic identification.

MOD Diversity Networks

Diversity networks that support civilian and Armed Forces personnel working in the Ministry of Defence.

Defence recognises that our people are our greatest asset, and if we are to maximise the talent of all our people we need to create a culture that is centred on respect and integrity. We are fortunate to have a variety of diversity networks across the organisation, and our subsidiaries, that support and drive forward our work in building an inclusive and diverse workforce.

Our networks make sure that everyone across defence can have their voice heard. They contribute to supporting all under-represented and disadvantaged groups and individuals within our organisation, providing our people with a safe space to speak up, share experiences and facilitate learning and development.

Click here to see the latest list of diversity support networks in the MOD .

Reserve Forces Review 2030

A vision of a greater, more integral role for the Reserve Forces within the UK’s future defence and security capability is set out in a report which follows a wide-ranging review.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/reserve-forces-30-report-published​

Benefits of Walking and Jogging

 

Support Your Child During School Transitions - A Talk With Carolyn MacLeod, The National Transitions Officer (NTO)

Carolyn is an expert in school transitions for children with parents in the Armed Forces. More information can be found here: https://forceschildrenseducation.org.uk/about

For further information please click HERE

Naval Families Federation - Headspace

 Headspace - now open to RN/RM/RFA serving personnel

As part of a pilot project, we are delighted to open up the allocation of the free Headspace licences to Service personnel and their families! These licences are valid until the end of October 2021, so apply now to benefit from the full six months subscription.

Further details/to sign up HERE

This project is supported by Royal Navy Family and People Support and NAVYfit

‘Your parcel is on the way’: Bpost warns of new text scam

People in Belgium have been warned of a new scam text being sent out to mobile phones across the country which asks people to click a link because their “parcel is on its way.”

The text – sent in French – reads “votre colis est en route, suivez-le ici,” as well as a link. Clicking it sends you to a fake web page with the bpost logo and asks you to download a virus hiding as an application.  

“If you click on the link in a phishing message, you will usually be directed to a fake web page. As soon as you pay with your bank details or change your password, you give fraudsters access to your data,” Bpost warns on its website.

In an effort to avoid these situations, the company stressed that it never asks for personal information by e-mail or SMS. It additionally recommends that customers: 

• Don’t rely on just any SMS or e-mail, and don’t give your data to just anyone
• Ask yourself first if you are expecting a parcel.
• Only communicate your personal information if you are 100% sure that you are dealing with bpost.

If you receive suspicious mail, sent it to suspect@safeonweb.be. 

Women Veterans Only: Six Week Online Mindfulness Of Dream And Sleep Course

 

Thanks to funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, we have collaborated with Charlie Morley to deliver a series of six week online courses for veterans struggling to cope with the harmful effects that stress and trauma can have on the amount of time we spend asleep. 

Courses will be delivered over the coming year and the first course will be for women veterans only and runs from 13th May to 17th June. If you would like to register for this course please email Paula Edwards at paula@forward-assist.com.

For more information please click HERE

Farmer moves border marker, making Belgium bigger

 

A farmer in Hainaut province moved the stone marker indicating the border between Belgium and France, making Belgium a couple of metres bigger. It appears that the pillar, in place for 200 years, was interfering with the farmer’s harvest.

It is unclear when the farmer in Erquelinnes, southwest of Charleroi, moved the marker (pictured), but it was recently spotted by three history buffs walking along the border. Technically the farmer has violated the Treaty of Kortrijk with the move.

Signed in 1820, the treaty officially set the border between France and what was then the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The original stone pillars are still in place, marking the border between France, Belgium and Luxembourg today.

The amateur historians noted that the marker in the Féfu forest, which straddles the border between France and Belgium, had been moved about two metres into France – just outside the fencing around the farmer’s field.

To Read more; CLICK HERE