Monday 25 March 2024
HIVE is 40!
HIVE is 40
HIVE is collating anecdotes and memories to showcase its 40th Birthday this year; could you add your comments and contribute to our gallery?
We would like to hear from our past and present customers, service users and professional contacts, and also current and former staff members.
Please click on this MS Forms to add your input https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx...
thank you!
Friday 22 March 2024
Open University Disabled Veterans' Scholarships Fund
Last year, The Open University supported around 28,000 disabled students. And, since the Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund was established, more than 300 additional disabled students have been able to access higher education with us.
What is a Disabled Veterans' Scholarship?
If you’ve been injured or disabled in, or as a result of, military service, you could be funded to complete a full Open University qualification.
We offer 50 scholarships annually. All undergraduate and postgraduate modules and qualifications are eligible. You’ll have your fees waived for up to 120 credits per seasonal academic year, up to a maximum of 360 credits, which is equivalent to a full honours degree.
Information and eligibility criteria can be found here:
Disabled Veterans' Scholarships | How to Pay | Open University
Social Media Specialists - free BFBS social media training programme for military spouses plus Veterans and their spouses
The BFBS Academy has announced the launch of Social Media Specialists, a free course open to the broader military community offering the opportunity to upskill in social media marketing techniques.
Click here for further details
Join the RBL at the National Memorial Arboretum to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Members of the public can watch the D-Day 80 Service of Remembrance in the grounds, with seating available on a first come, first served basis.
Entry to the Arboretum is free, but booking your visit in advance is recommended to guarantee entry, and save on parking (£4 in advance, £6 on the day)
For more information visit:
https://www.thenma.org.uk/.../d-day-80-remembrance-service
Defence Discount Service: Veterans Privilege Card Video
Defence Discount Service have introduced a new video to support veterans with signing up for a Defence Discount Service Privilege card. To watch the video, please go to this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/KMIHDeVl3Jo?si=WVF-WFCVde-oZIV6
Tuesday 19 March 2024
Brit Lead - back on the 18th April
MORNING ALL - Due to holidays and half days we are having to take a forced break from our usual upbeat and informative sessions.
BUT.. we are back on 18th April so please make a note of the date and come back to join us. BritLEAD has some really great sessions coming up so if you do come please bring a friend along so we can reach as many people as possible with our informative, helpful and uplifting sessions - these community groups can't work without you all.
I've enjoyed every session at BritLEAD - if you have and you don't mind please comment with what has been your favourite session. See you on the 18th Apr
Reserves Continuous Attitude Survey: ResCAS 2024 closes in 2 weeks, take part now!
The Reserves Continuous Attitude Survey (ResCAS) closes on Tuesday April 2nd 2024.
Please take time out to provide feedback on your experience as a Reserve.
Why complete it?
We
would like to hear your views and experiences so that we can help shape
the policies that support and enable your service, including providing
the right support and training. The more responses we have, the clearer
the picture MOD has of your experience.
For more details on whether you can take part and how, please find your service below.
Army Reserves
ResCAS
is open to selected volunteer Reservists who should have already
received or will be receiving a paper copy of the survey and an email
with a link to the online version. You can also access the survey online
at https://surveys.mod.uk then select ‘Army RESCAS 2024’.
Your
token is your Service number and is case sensitive. Personnel should
use the Google Chrome web browser to complete the survey. For questions,
contact: Army Occupational Psychology Team
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Service Pupil support with new round of funding
Great news for schools supporting
Service children in the UK! The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the
Trust) has announced a new round of the Service Pupil Support Programme.
Part
of the MOD’s Armed Forces Families Fund (AF3), the Service Pupil
Support Programme will award grants of £5,000 to £80,000 to projects
supporting Service children along their educational pathway.
What’s the programme all about?
This
year, the Service Pupil Support Programme will focus on supporting
schools working in collaborative clusters of three or more to design
projects that meet one of three themes.
* Closing the gap in attainment between Service and non-Service pupils.
* Addressing the needs of Service pupils with additional needs.
* Identifying and addressing the needs of small cohorts of Service pupils within educational settings.
In
exceptional circumstances, schools can apply with a single bid, for
instance if the number of your Service pupils is due to dramatically
change.
Monday 18 March 2024
Month of the Military Child
Each April, we celebrate Month of the Military Child, a time to recognise the important role that military children play in the wider armed forces community.
We
invite individuals, organisations, schools and groups to participate in
Month of the Military Child this year through 3 key activities:
1: For the 3rd year running, we are holding a poetry and art competition, with the theme:
Life
As a Dandelion. The competition is open to young people 6-18 and begins
1 April and entries must be received by 3 May. Winners announced 27 May
and winners will be invited to London in June to receive their
certificates and a special day out. Each winner will also receive a £25
Amazon Gift Voucher and a goodie bag! One lucky school will also receive
a £250 Book Grant. Cash prizes were very kindly donated by the Armed
Forces Education Trust!
2: Sing Dandelions! Our Voices of Armed Forces Children Choir wrote a song entitled 'Dandelions', which is the symbol of military children. Sheet music, lyric sheet and backing tracks are available.
3: Wear PURPLE on 26 April! A very simple way to show support for your military children is to wear purple, the colour which symbolises them.
To access your set of free resources, song - Dandelion, or competition information,
you can find a link HERE to receive them.
If you are celebrating Month of the Military Child, be sure to use #motmc to spread the awareness of this month and our military children and tag @neversuch if you use any of our resources so we can celebrate with you!
2: Sing Dandelions! Our Voices of Armed Forces Children Choir wrote a song entitled 'Dandelions', which is the symbol of military children. Sheet music, lyric sheet and backing tracks are available.
3: Wear PURPLE on 26 April! A very simple way to show support for your military children is to wear purple, the colour which symbolises them.
To access your set of free resources, song - Dandelion, or competition information,
you can find a link HERE to receive them.
If you are celebrating Month of the Military Child, be sure to use #motmc to spread the awareness of this month and our military children and tag @neversuch if you use any of our resources so we can celebrate with you!
SHAPE Community Life Magazine March Edition is here
SHAPE Community Life Magazine March Edition is here
Don't miss it and check it out on SHAPE2DAY website:
The printed version is already available. Don't forget to look for them around SHAPE and get yours!
Pizza Bowl, Cinema and Rendez Vous opening hours
Dear Community, please note the opening hours of the Pizza Bowl, the Cinema and the Rendez-Vous for the upcoming SHAPE holiday.
Easter Egg Hunt, Clinique de la Brissee
Happy to announce our yearly Easter Egg Hunt on 30 March 2024 from 1000 to 1200.
One Grand Prize to win per age group (0 to 4, 5 to 8 and 9 and older)
We will welcome you with yummy snacks.
See you all then.
Friday 15 March 2024
Things on in Brussels this weekend 16/17th March
Brussels Design Market, Gare Maritime, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 March
Make your way to Gare Maritime in Tour&Taxis for the largest vintage design market on the continent!
This weekend, the indoor flea market dedicated exclusively to design will showcase around 100 passionate exhibitors from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, among others, displaying furniture and other vintage design objects.
From Corbusier to Jacobsen via Bertoia, this event will offer a wide range of choices to meet the diversity of tastes and interiors.
Find more information here.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in Brussels, Tour & Taxis, until 20 May
The exhibition 'Titanic: real objects, real stories' has dropped its anchor in the capital. Until 20 May, keen historians or lovers of the film adaptation can discover more than 260 objects recovered from the wreck site, and numerous reconstructions of the ship's emblematic places, including its grand staircase, a first-class lounge and the boiler room.
The exhibition tells the tragic story of the famous ocean liner, the remarkable men and women who were on board and its fatal crash with an iceberg four days after setting sail.Find more information here.
Saint Patrick's Day in Brussels
Last but not least, Sunday 17 March is Saint Patrick's Day, marking the Emerald Isle's annual celebration of its patron saint. Brussels' growing Irish diaspora means that there is a huge range of events taking place to celebrate the occasion.
From jam sessions and a parade through the city centre to the hotly anticipated Six Nations rugby match and arts and crafts workshops, there is plenty going on for all the family.
Find our favourites here.
Thursday 14 March 2024
Easter Eggstravaganza – 22nd March
Easter Eggstravaganza – 22nd March
Our
Easter Event is now only 2 weeks away…… if you are planning on joining
us please make sure you sign up by our cut off date next Friday (15th
March) this is so we can give final numbers for catering.
The
event will be held in the BritBar with Live Music from ‘The Briqs, a
Hog Roast, Bar & a great Easter Egg hunt for the kids which will
include a gift.
Once signed up, please come to the office to pay for your tickets in cash Monday - Friday 9.00 -13.00
Any questions please email the CLO’s on gso-ejsu-belgium-communityhub@mod.gov.uk
Brussels 20k - returning the 26th March
Belgium's biggest participative sporting event – the Brussels 20 km run – is returning Sunday May 26th 2024
Registration for the 44th edition of the event opens today (Wednesday 13 March).
For
many sports enthusiasts in Belgium, Sunday 26 May has long been marked
out on their calendars – the date of this year's Brussels 20 km.
Registration for the event opens at 09:00 on Wednesday. After raising the sign-up fee by €3 in 2023, organiser S.I. Brussels Promotion (SIBP) is now keeping it at €28 (the same as last year).
Anyone who wants to participate in the famous "20 km through Brussels", which brings together tens of thousands of runners in the Belgian capital, can register from Wednesday on the organisation's website, or at 17 Rue de la Chapelle in Brussels, where the organisation's offices are located.
The
number of participants will once again be capped at 40,000 people. As
has been the case in previous editions, the sporting challenge has been
divided into three categories, allowing runners, walkers and people
with disabilities to compete.
The
starting shot will be given at 10:00 on Sunday 26 May, and the run
will begin from Parc Cinquantenaire as usual. The route, considered one
of the most scenic in the region, will take participants all around
the capital, passing by scenic areas, monuments, such as the Royal
Palace, and parks including Parc Royal and Bois de la Cambre.
Sparkoh - free entry 24/25th March
Sparkoh, free entry weekend Sat 23/ Sun 24th March
Come discover the world of SPARKOH!, the science park! It will be open and free to the public throughout the weekend.
Where : Sparkoh! 3, rue de Mons, 7080 Frameries
When : Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 March 1 to 6 pm.
Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/events/1120660105729695...
Little Troopers - April 2024
Some Activities running in April by Little troopers. Details on their website.
SHAPE International Library invites you to celebrate Women in Technology, 20th March at 11.30
SHAPE International Library invites you to celebrate Women in Technology "Tiny Desk Edition" with the AFNORTH BN.
This event will take place on 20 March 2024 at the SHAPE International Library Bldg. 307 from 1130-1300hrs.
This is a free event. Food and Drinks will be provided.
Amadeus, On this weekend 15/16/17 March
Tickets on sale now!
Box office hours are Monday-Thursday from 1530-1730. Building 207
Spring Bank Camp 2024 with CYS
Join us for our 2024 Spring Break camps for some adventures in cave biking, paint balling, survival skills, content creation and more! More info down below!
Wednesday 13 March 2024
Temporary Closure of Continental Mess - 18-21 March 24
Closure of the Continental Mess, Mon 18 - Thurs 21st March
The
Continental Mess will be closed for lunch for exercise Steadfast
Blueprint 24. To support this significant NATO Exercise, the Continental
Mess will be closed for lunch from 18 to 21 march.
The opening hours for breakfast remain unchanged.
Eggstravaganza - Saturday March 23rd at Chievres 11- 2pm
Eggstravaganza, at Chievres, Saturday 23rd March, 11am
The event is opened to all SHAPE ID's holders
Where? Chievres Community Activity Center & Playground Area
Message from the UK Pharmacy, Repeat Medications during Easter
The
UK Pharmacy will be operating on limited hours during the Easter break
from 28th March - 8th April 2024. May you please check you have enough
REPEAT Medications to cover you during this period.
If
you do not have enough to cover you then , all requests are to be
emailed to UKStratCom-DMS-DPHC-MON-Grp@mod.gov.uk , NLT than 22nd March
2024.
Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
What to do In Emergency!
What to do in case of emergency? Here are few things you must know!
- SHAPE Security and Emergency Services provides our community a 24/7 emergency point of contact
- Languages spoken: English and French
- Dial 112 if you're outside SHAPE / Dial ext. 3333 if you're in the base.
Please carefully check more details in the flyer below.
Chievres Playgroup meets every Friday at 10am
Playgroup will be outside on the playground this Friday 15th March, due
to unavailability of the space at the gym. ( where usually held)
Playgroup will be from 10-11.30 unless heavy rain occurs. All ID cardholders with children ages 0-5 are welcome to join!
Monday 11 March 2024
A Message to Domestic Abuse Victims/Survivors
Army Welfare Service (AWS):
A Message to Domestic Abuse Victims/Survivors
Friday 8 March 2024
Celebrate the Month of the Military Child with Little Troopers
Celebrate the Month of the Military Child with Little Troopers
April is the international month of the military child and the charity Little Troopers has organised a special month packed full of events, workshops and downloadable activities, so wherever you live, you can get involved in the celebrations with your little troopers! The charity also has a dedicated Month of the
Military Child Schools Pack so that schools in the UK and overseas can join in and shine a light on their forces children this April.
DIARY DATES
4th April: Free online workshop, science discovery
11th April: Free online workshop, ArtBase drawing
12th April: Little Troopers will be taking 15 children to meet the Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Chelsea Hospital for a morning of fun activities.
20th April: Free online workshop, dinosaur fun
28th April: 1K family fun run in Aldershot. Grown-ups can also sign-up to complete a 10K race.
3rd May: Make this the year you take your little troopers to the Army vs Navy rugby match, as Little Troopers has been selected as the Charity of the Day.
Throughout the month, visit the Little Troopers website to download lots of fun, dandelion-themed activities to do with your little troopers at home, including baking, colouring, crafting and writing. Look out for giveaways including free dandelion magnets and a special ‘Keep my Beat’ beatkeeper, which allows children to record the heartbeat vibrations of a parent before they deploy.
The spring edition of the Little Troopers Gazette will also be available to order for free towards the end of the month and families moving into a new quarter in the North East of England will get a free copy included in their ‘Move You In’ pack courtesy of e50K.
Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers, comments: “April the Month of the Military Child is nearly here and 2024 is going to be bigger and better than ever before. We have lots happening throughout the month and we’d love for families and schools to get involved. We’re particularly excited about our three in-person events, including our 10K and family fun run in Aldershot! We’d love to see lots of Armed Forces families there. Let’s take this opportunity to show all our little troopers just how special they are and how proud we are of them and make this the best April yet.”
For more information and to get involved visit https://www.littletroopers.net/month-of-the-military-child
Monday 4 March 2024
FMWR programme for March 24
Family and MWR is cleaning out the warehouses and getting some Spring cleaning done!
Come out to the NAF sale on March 9/10 for some great buys on gym equipment and furniture.
You won't want to miss the 80's party on March 16. Be there or be square! And
Eggstravaganza on March 23 with the Easter Bunny! chievres.armymwr.com
Breastfeeding Support Groups - a short survey for Serving Personnel & spouses
Breastfeeding Support Groups - a short survey for Serving Personnel & spouses
This survey was created by FAB (Families And Babies) and is tailored to the military community including spouses, either those who may wish to volunteer/undertake training to run the groups, or those who may be interested in attending.
To take part in the short survey on potential Breastfeeding Support Groups across the UK 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y6VZY6W
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y6VZY6W
Junior 2km run 10/03/2024
Junior 2km run 10/03/2024
We are back for UK MOTHERRS DAY. The next SSAFA Junior 2K Run will be Sunday 10th March.
No present no worries, bring your kids and give the present of one hour freedom, or run your PB for your mother and bring her a coffee or tee after.
Mother’s Day no excuse, a reason to come
Meet at the the trim trail entrance with parking at the American Elementary school. Arrive at 09.15, run starts at 09.30. Open to all children aged 4-14
.
. Any questions please just ask.
If you will be there and can help please comment or message.
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