SHAPE HOUSE: Call For Volunteers…Please Read

Can you help support our brilliant SHAPE House? See Anna’s plea below….

Volunteering Request!
 
We have fantastic volunteers supporting regular SHAPE House groups, one-off events for different ages groups, and running Pop-Up Coffee weekly at the BritBar. Some of our core volunteers are moving to pastures new this summer, and we would love to broaden our pool of volunteers in preparation. We welcome everyone over 18, whether you want to volunteer at ad-hoc one-off events or would like to regularly run a weekly baby/toddler group, start a new group or anything in between. If you want to chat through different options (without any commitment) just email the community office or pop in and Gemma or Anna would be really happy to help.
 
We are also aware that some of you who have already kindly signed up to be volunteers need to finalise some paperwork – if this is the case Anna is opening SHAPE House for a volunteer drop-in with coffee and cake 9.30-11.30am on Friday 27^th June (children welcome to come and play while you have a coffee and catch up on the paperwork). There will be paper copies of the paperwork you can complete there or a laptop ready to go if you prefer. If you want to come along and find out more but haven’t previously expressed a desire to volunteer, do pop in and we can help you find out more.
 
Volunteering is a fabulous way to meet people, feel involved in the community and settle into this new lifestyle, especially if you are not working out here. 

There is a real risk that without further volunteers coming forward, we will need to cancel some groups, events and sessions.

SHAPE: Sunday Services at the West Chapel, SHAPE International Chapel, 10:00

 

All welcome, always!

Invitation to attend Financial Literacy Focus Groups

 

Financial literacy is a key life skill and is critical to the development of our personal and collective resilience.  The Financial Times charity FLIC is has funding to expand financial literacy into the Armed Forces and they are running 2 online focus groups in June and one face to face focus group in July (details below).  20-30 Service personnel and family members across a mix of ranks, ethnicity and gender are being sought for each focus group, to help FLIC understand the financial challenges that the Armed Forces face, and the information that would be useful.  

 

The three focus groups will take place on the following dates/times:

 

19 Jun 25 (1130-1230 GMT tbc) – Online focus group delivered by via MS TEAMS  (25 pers)

 

24 Jun 25 (0900-1000 GMT tbc) – Online focus group delivered via MS TEAMS (25 pers)

 

17 Jul 25 0900-1200 GMT – Face to face focus group delivered by FLIC, Buller Conference Centre, St Omer, Aldershot. (35 pers). Civilian attire, lunch at PAYD facility.

 

Register interest here: https://forms.office.com/e/at8DSE3evc

 

Volunteers will be asked to take part in a discussion to help shape a package that informs our Service community in a way that is relevant, engaging and accessible.  The discussion will explore their topics of interest, financial challenges and how they want to receive the information.  The session will also include the opportunity to test video and e-learning platform capabilities. 

 

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 30 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 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Communication Update - 16th June 2025

 

Revised move-in and move-out specification.

We are pleased to update Service Personnel and families that the specification to which homes are prepared for move-in has now been revised. This follows changes to the specification that we had to make last year.  

One of the commitments of the Consumer Charter to improve SFA announced in April 2025, is to provide a more robust move-in standard so that families can have confidence that the home they are moving into will be ready on time and will be clean and functional. These commitments support the new Defence Housing Strategy, that will be published later this year. 

Firework Warning! Tuesday 17th June, Evening

Calling all pet owners! Please be aware that there will be fireworks tomorrow evening as Le Ducasse de Mons comes to a close.

Please keep your pets inside if firework noise if likely to scare them.

SHAPE: American Independence Day celebration, Friday 4th July 16:00-23:00

Come and celebrate 4th of July with your American colleagues, at the SHAPE Tent.

Be sure to submit any Visitor 550 forms by Wednesday 25th June 2025.

Please be aware that there will be Fireworks at this event, do ensure your pets are safely at home.

SHAPEFest Headliners Act announced

Have you seen the Headliners for SHAPEFest this year? It’s going to be every Dancing Queen’s dream.

Get the date in your diary and be sure to submit those visitors pass forms in early doors. It’s going to be abba-solutely fantastic.

SHAPE: BRITFete, Friday 20 June, 1500-2200

Don’t forget BRITFete at the SHAPE Tent this Friday!! The Red Arrows are invited and so are YOU.

The Sunshine is booked this year, so do come along, wang a welly, try your luck on the Tombola, enjoy the Morris Dancing, treat yourself to a cream tea, visit the Beefeater, sup a Pimms and much much more!

Treat a colleague to a drink with the ‘Have a Drink on Me’ Tokens, only 4Euros each, available from the Community Office until Friday lunchtime.

SHAPE: Whisky Needed for BRITFete and SHAPEFest

If you are due to leave SHAPE soon, don’t pack or throw away that half empty Whisky bottle…..

Support BRITFete and SHAPEFest from afar by donating your Whisky to the Whisky Stall!