https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/Find events and activities organised by both ourselves here at RN FPS and our Partner Organisations taking place across the country.en-USTelligent Community 12https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/b/announcements/posts/fwg-days-out---new-additions-for-2026---time-to-book-1948295477Sat, 22 Aug 2026 07:03:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:7bce1404-f9c3-4dd0-a322-807690f95c82RN Forum ModeratorNew Family Welfare Grant Days Out for 2026 have been added to the Members Activities and Events Group. If your loved one is deployed or deploying make sure you take a look. The deadline for some of these events are fast approaching. Full details including eligibility available via the resources section here: FWG Days Out Leaflet All FWG Events are advertised on our Members Events and Activities Calendar (If you are not already a member of "Members Events and Activities" you will need to request to join before following the link above) A consolidated list of the events can also be found within the Deployment Topics area FWG Days Out Full Listing - 2026 (If you are not already a member of "Deployment" you will need to request to join before following the link above) If you have not yet registered an account on the RN Forum you can do so at the link below: https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/profile/register If you have any issues when registering please email rnfpsmediamailbox@royalnavymail.mod.ukhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/b/announcements/posts/families-day-at-tall-trees-community-centreFri, 21 Aug 2026 13:05:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:8213e403-81d9-4c57-a350-bc38d4071c97RN Forum ModeratorCome and enjoy an afternoon of family fun at Tall Trees Community Centre on Sunday 30 August from 1500 until 1800. Packed with activities for all the family including Inflatables, BBQ, Music and Games. No booking required, just come along.https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/b/announcements/posts/little-troopers-monthly-newsletter---august-2026Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:08:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:59c63fdd-3718-43d4-8673-43d70a20c4beRN Forum ModeratorFree Football Events Dates For Your Diary All Together - What next Get Your School On Board Fundraisers of the Month View the newsletter HEREhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/b/announcements/posts/on-track-2026---the-tank-museumThu, 20 Aug 2026 11:19:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:b6c0b8a1-afaf-438a-88b4-c74a8e311d73RN Forum ModeratorJoin us for On Track , a dedicated wellbeing event recognising the unique experiences and challenges faced by those in and around the armed forces. Bovington Tank Museum - 8 Oct 26 Designed for all members of the armed forces community – including regulars and reserves, service families, the bereaved, service leavers, veterans, and anyone connected to life in the forces. The focus is on community, celebrating the power of positive, supportive communities and their impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Whether you’re looking for support for yourself or someone close to you, or simply want to learn more about the resources available, On Track is here to help. On Track 2026 - The Tank Museumhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/b/announcements/posts/are-you-pension-aware-free-live-webinar-understanding-your-afpsWed, 19 Aug 2026 12:39:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:db6c547a-f8c7-42d5-bcff-8a980e9cdff1RN Forum ModeratorAs part of the MOD's Pension Awareness Week 2026, the White Ensign Association (WEA) is hosting a free live webinar for serving personnel, reservists and veterans, covering AFPS 75, 05 and 15, plus Early Departure Payments. WEA Armed Forces Pension experts Dave Scholey and Marty Small, themselves Royal Navy and Royal Marines veterans, will explain the schemes, what they mean for their members and answer questions throughout the live session. Wednesday 16 September 2026, 13:00–14:30 | Online via MS Teams. Know your scheme. Know your entitlements. Know your choices. Be pension aware. CLICK HERE TO REGISTERhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9794Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:43:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:860d7b4b-26a9-45c5-ab1c-7dde3263a2d4TeresaTI'm so sorry I missed this, no excuses, no wonderful trips away, just completely forgot even though I'd genuinely been looking forward to it. I surprised myself and actually really enjoyed the book. I was expecting some dry interpretation of historical events and, apart from the first few chapters which dragged a bit, I thought the way the characters were brought to life was really effective. I became really absorbed in the tension and emotion - I knew most of them would survive because the blurb at the back of the book mentioned what they did next! - but I kept wondering how they would survive and what ingenuity they would come up with. It led me asking questions like, 'Who was the hero?' or 'Were any of them heroes in here?'. They all had failings but, Cook seemed to be the one who saved them in many ways. I was also asking myself what it takes to be a real leader, what qualities a leader needs and, the extent to which you need to hide the truth to preserve morale. I wondered how many politicians there are today who are similar to De Gerlache, weak and putting their personal vanity and pride before anything else, caring less about the impact! A definite swim from me and I hope you had a great get together. Teresahttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2307/september-book-club-discussion-page---the-rosie-project-by-graeme-simsionTue, 18 Aug 2026 13:10:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:c3c8eb7d-d7aa-47c1-81e7-23a789b488fdCommunity CSW2Our books will be with us soon, and I have started this discussion before they arrive as I am going to be taking some time off to spend with my grandchildren Our next read is The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion: "Love isn't an exact science - but no one told Don Tillman. A thirty-nine-year-old geneticist, Don's never had a second date. So he devises the Wife Project, a scientific test to find the perfect partner. Enter Rosie - 'the world's most incompatible woman' - throwing Don's safe, ordered life into chaos. But what is this unsettling, alien emotion he's feeling? . . ." We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on 21 September at 7.30pm. Happy reading everyone. If you would like to become part of the Book Club then please email navypeople-psrnfpscom@mod.gov.uk to express your interest in joining.National Online CommunityBook Clubhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9792Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:58:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:3add5e36-0c40-435b-9802-c6f3b1587c4bCommunity CSW2Thank you to everyone who came along to the book club meeting last evening, it was lovely to see you all. This book was definitely a marmite read, as it was either really enjoyed or really not! This one got some high scores for the Anchor score out of 10 but also some low scores, which unfortunately brought the score down quite low to 4.69 Anchors. It also SANK with 17 votes, but 13 voted Swim and 2 chose to float.https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2305/discussion-group-the-end-of-oak-street-or-and-a-house-of-dynamite-for-film-clubTue, 18 Aug 2026 10:41:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:2d9568be-b5ad-4158-b9fa-cf5b6ae83a22Community CDW6Here is the space to share your thoughts and reviews of the Film Club chosen movies for this month. This is the space to share your reviews if you cant make the online meeting or wish to share your thoughts with a wider audience. I have not seen the film yet, but am looking forward to going and cant wait for us to review both films at the film club on the 14th September See you all soon Sarah, Nicky and Clarehttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9791Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:16:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:803efdca-5253-42a2-b3b8-d56776d48452LMFloss27I couldn’t make the meeting, apologies. I found this book quite hard going, there was a lot of information given in the first chapters and lots of names that made it quite hard for me to keep track. I thought the authors use of descriptive language was good, could really picture the ship and sounds of the sea. I didn’t finish the book before the meeting but will plough on through as I hate giving up on books.https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/b/announcements/posts/national-book-club---21st-september-2026Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:40:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:a843a6e1-843b-42f1-9d08-0c05f3765b93RN Forum ModeratorThis month’s Book Club read is ‘The Rosie Project' by Graeme Simsion . Don Tillman a thirty-nine-year-old geneticist has never had a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. When an acquaintance tells him he will make a wonderful husband he devises the Wife Project, a scientific test to find the perfect partner. Rosie Jarmin, fiery, intelligent and beguiling makes Don realise that love is not always what looks good on paper. The books picked to read for each month are selected by a voting system twice a year. Members are asked to give their suggestion and the group will vote, winners will be informed in a Teams Meeting. Members will receive a hard, Kindle or Google Play copy of the Book. (Please note: This online activity is only open to those over the age of 18yrs. Children under the age of 18yrs should not be present with the Adult when attending this activity.) Full details of how to join the Book Club can be found on our Member Events and Activities Calendar - National Book Club - 21st September (You will need to request to join the Member Events and Activities group if you have not already done so.)https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9790Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:32:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:1133eaf5-2702-4187-b177-6394ae7dd996Jazzy099I didn’t get the chance to finish this book as it was too much of a slow burn for me. It’s not my sort of book so I don’t have a review. I will be on the call though! But unable to attend the one next month as I’m at a work event ️ I would love to have a change in the sort of book maybe a romance as that’s my sort of genre ️https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9789Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:04:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:abf35eff-e634-41bf-a3b8-653ae17b1935Ellis CI’m really sorry I won’t be able to make it to the meeting tonight as I’ve got work, but I hope you all have a lovely evening! I have to say, Madhouse at the End of the Earth wasn’t really a book for me. I found the subject matter interesting in parts, and I can definitely appreciate the amount of research that went into it, but I struggled to really get into the story and found it quite slow in places. I’d probably give it 3/10. That said, I think a lot of it probably comes down to the fact that this just isn’t my usual genre, so I’m not sure I was ever going to love it! I’m glad I gave it a go though, and it was definitely interesting to read something completely outside my normal comfort zone. I’d be really interested to hear what everyone else thought and whether you enjoyed it more than I did! ️https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9788Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:52:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:9f01c630-0653-4ba0-94bb-f6e6436ec370CarolineRHi there. I won’t be able to join this evening as need to get cat from vet’s and get her settled back in again and cared for! I also found it slow going, particularly at first few chapters (as mentioned by Annielou) it did then start to flow better. But, my god, what a shambles organisation wise! Unusually for me I haven’t finished it yet (obviously other things going on!) but I will actually finish it as it has interesting moments and even if, right now, it feels more like a lesson in what not to do… A slightly grudging swim as I can tell a lot of research went into this and it should have been absolutely gripping, but so far it isn’t.https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9787Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:50:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:214e193c-0aeb-4b2f-a1d9-69db20df7963Nettie BI may not make it back from work in time for tonight’s meeting. I really struggled reading this book, but i kept going back and preserved and i did finish it! Once the ship prep was done i got more into the story and I was fascinated by the descriptions of how the isolation and food shortages affected all of them and the lengths they took to survive! not my go to kind of book but would recommend swim 6/10https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/b/announcements/posts/spaces-available-with-free-swimMon, 17 Aug 2026 14:53:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:7e42c529-e8f8-4760-be16-1524d97f74f7RN Forum ModeratorReady to jump back in? Spaces are NOW available to book in: HMS Collingwood, Fareham Gosport Leisure Centre Spaces are first come, first served! Please only book one space per child. Coming soon... 24th August: Mountbatten, Portsmouth Goldenstones, Yeovil Corfe Mullen, Poole 31st August: Plymouth Life Centre Helston Sports Centre, Cornwall If you’re unsure what Stage to book, we have a dedicated guidance page with a breakdown of each Stage here: https://swim-free.org.uk/swim-stage-guidance/ You can also contact us at enquiries@swim-free.org.uk or call: +44 (0)300 124 0449 for further support.https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9785Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:29:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:0ca4caf9-3ecf-432e-a3f2-17511344aea5Juliette HThank you!https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9784Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:07:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:cf746606-1b15-4ce4-86c6-801b447e306drhiannonBF25I hope to join you tonight (if I finish work in time) but will be driving so not able to talk so here is my review of this book. Madhouse at the End of the Earth wasn’t really my cup of tea. It is clearly very well researched, and the story of the Belgica expedition should have been fascinating, but I found it slow going and struggled to become fully absorbed in it. There were a lot of crew members, nationalities and clashing personalities to keep track of, and I often found myself forgetting who was who. Many of the men seemed stubborn, poorly prepared and determined to make an already difficult situation even worse. The growing tension, isolation and effects on their mental health were interesting, but I never felt particularly connected to most of the characters. Frederick Cook was the exception and, for me, the most interesting person in the book. He appeared practical, resourceful and genuinely concerned about the crew’s wellbeing. He understood that their minds needed looking after as much as their bodies, and his attempts to improve morale made him seem more capable and compassionate than many of those officially in charge. The later information about Cook also added an unexpected layer to his character and made me reconsider my initial impression of him. Without giving anything away, his wider story is complicated, surprising and rather sad. It raises questions about ambition, reputation and whether someone can be both admirable and deeply flawed. Although I appreciated the extraordinary story and the enormous amount of research behind it, the book never completely came alive for me. Sadly, my attention drifted away long before the ship did. An impressive account, with Cook as its most fascinating and complicated character—just not the book for me. 4/10 sinkhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9783Mon, 17 Aug 2026 07:19:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:7a9d44cb-0b1d-49cf-8668-3461085d0c73Community CSW2Congratulations! Hope you are having a fantastic honeymoon. Please don't forget to let us know your new address so your book doesn't get delivered to the wrong address :-)https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/events/community-events/f/forum/2294/book-club-discussion-for-madhouse-at-the-end-of-the-earth-by-julian-sancton/9782Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:20:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:898c1210-6cbc-4a29-a1f2-1897bcabc0e6MichelleKI am not able to join in the meeting tomorrow as am currently away looking after my mum. I haven't got very far in yet and, to be honest, am struggling with it. I have it as an audible book which has made things very confusing as you don't see the names written down and I just can't got to grips with who's who and who's where and so am finding it all difficult to follow. They're not very far into the voyage but I can't say I've found any of it gripping yet....just chaotic and poorly organised/overseen...with lots of drinking and dissent ! Hopefully a far cry from life on board ship nowadays haha I will persevere a bit longer but it's not really the type of book I'd choose for myself and it needs to throw something up that makes me want to read on Hope you have a good meeting