https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/Whether it is BFPO service updates or official statements keep up to date on key information and news from across the Royal Navy and other supporting services. en-USTelligent Community 12https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/royal-navy-60-second-update---episode-231Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:46:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:211a6d81-5c28-44af-8538-3c8413ffdb1aRN Forum ModeratorHMS Dragon brings you the latest Royal Navy headlines as she continues her operations east of the Suez Canal. This and previous updates can be viewed via the Royal Navy Website: 60 Second Updatehttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/m/resources/4985Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:41:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:1dd01e0c-4080-44c2-99aa-1eb43b0898e2RN Forum Moderatorhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/china-fleet-trust---submarine-wellbeing-programmeThu, 13 Aug 2026 13:29:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:19a477f4-eb1c-4c17-b8a3-53f8af58a4f6RN Forum ModeratorGreenwich Hospital awards grant to the China Fleet Trust to launch wellbeing and family resilience support for Royal Navy Submariners The China Fleet Trust has received a £79,440 grant to deliver a new Submarine Service Wellbeing and Family Resilience Support Pilot, providing dedicated support to members of the Submarine Service community and their families. The18-month pilot programme is designed to address the unique welfare challenges experienced by members of the Royal Navy Submarine Service and their families, and aims; To alleviate loneliness and isolation. To maintain and strengthen family relationships. To improve and sustain good mental health and wellbeing. The pilot will support: Personnel affected by displaced maintenance periods in Devonport, Faslane and Barrow-in-Furness. Families experiencing prolonged separation due to deployments and patrol commitments. Personnel returning from demanding submarine patrols. Single submariners affected by isolation and separation from their support networks. Command Teams seeking to recognise exceptional commitment and reward personnel for sustained operational effort. Eligible personnel and families will be able to access funded wellbeing breaks at the China Fleet Country Club, including: A three-night bed and breakfast stay for families or individual personnel. Complimentary access to the Club's Aqua Spa, swimming pool, gym, racquet sports and other health and wellbeing facilities. Travel assistance of up to £200 together with Devonport taxi support costs. Command-led reward and recognition opportunities. Additional welfare interventions where individual or family need is identified. Who is entitled to use this? The pilot is aimed specifically at the SERVING Submarine Community. Eligible personnel or those seeking further information are encouraged to contact the Trust Fund team: trustfund@china-fleet.co.uk Use the following links to find out more about the China Fleet Trust and Greenwich Hospital PDF version available via Resources: China Fleet Trust - Submarine Wellbeing Programmehttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/job-opportunity---social-worker---royal-navy-family-people-supportThu, 13 Aug 2026 12:06:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:ef58a80b-8295-4412-a78b-d6742cc536e3RN Forum ModeratorAre you a qualified Social Worker who wants to make a genuine difference to people facing some of life's most challenging circumstances? Royal Navy Family and People Support is the Royal Navy's dedicated welfare organisation, providing specialist support to serving personnel, their families, and military communities across the United Kingdom and overseas. We help people build resilience, navigate difficult situations, and access the support they need when it matters most. There are 2 positions available, with 1 post based in Portsmouth and 1 post based in Helensburgh. Candidates will be asked to indicate their preferred location as part of the application process. Apply before 11:55 pm on Friday 4th September 2026 Find the full job advert - HEREhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/civvy-street-magazine---august-september-2026-editionMon, 10 Aug 2026 17:30:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:af85c578-b78e-4477-8357-34e32fbbd18aRN Forum ModeratorUse the link below to access the latest Digital Version of Civvy Street Magazine. Civvy Street Magazine - Aug / Sep 2026 Editionhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/support-for-lgbt-veterans-impacted-by-the-armed-forces-ban-27-july-1967-12-january-2000Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:54:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:77fda351-3104-4bab-bdd6-d7927231f4edRN Forum ModeratorRestorative Measures for LGBT Veterans Affected by the Armed Forces Ban (1967–2000) The Ministry of Defence is delivering restorative measures to LGBT veterans impacted by the historic ban on LGBT personnel serving in the Armed Forces. Measures Available are: • Non-Financial Restorative Measures : Includes letters of apology, replacement discharge papers, restoration of rank/commission, the Etherton Ribbon, and more. • Financial Recognition Scheme - Dismissed or Discharged Payment of £50,000 for LGBT veterans who were dismissed or discharged solely due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. • Financial Recognition Scheme – impact Payment of up to £20,000 to eligible LGBT veterans to recognise the broader impacts of the Ban, assessed by an Independent Panel. Further information about the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme, Non-Financial Restorative Measures, how to apply and support available can be found on the LGBT Veterans: support and next steps – GOV.UK page: LGBT veterans: support and next steps - GOV.UK Financial Recognition Scheme payments are tax-free and will not affect means-tested benefits. Eligible individuals must apply before both Schemes close at 23:59 on 12 December 2026https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/mission-motorsport---august-2026-newsletterWed, 05 Aug 2026 07:25:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:7c50969e-35d3-4aec-8a43-eab14e01b998RN Forum ModeratorMission Motorsport are delighted to share the Mission Motorsport August 26 Newsletter. This month, you can read about our new Mission Motorsport Supporter programme, our latest visits to the Nürburgring and Prodrive, Mission Motorsport Racemakers at the British Grand Prix, and much more. You'll also find details of all our upcoming events, with easy sign-up links, volunteering opportunities, and plenty of ways you can support the charity. We'd love for you to take a few minutes to have a read and see everything that's happening across the Mission Motorsport community. Enjoy reading this month's August 26 Newsletter and they look forward to seeing many of you at an event soon.https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/royal-navy-60-second-update---episode-230Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:57:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:661d00b2-554b-4849-a1a8-86670ec1e42fRN Forum ModeratorRoyal Navy 60 Second Update - Episode 230 For all your latest Royal Navy headlines, y our latest Royal Navy news comes from HMS Stirling Castle who’s back in Portsmouth after recent minehunting exercises with NATO allies. This and previous updates can be viewed via the Royal Navy Website: 60 Second Update CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST NEWS: https://youtu.be/4w4nPRvxqgk?is=_YjSEzfD0GaK4LNThttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/before-the-storm-hitsTue, 04 Aug 2026 12:56:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:e62505b5-aa6f-41e3-9ca0-219d57a84569RN Forum ModeratorThe following article has been written by Lt Matt Newman RN to highlight a time when he needed support. Please be aware this article is very personal and may be upsetting for some. Before The Storm Hits: By Lt Matt Newman RN I am a 56-year-old Royal Navy officer. Thirty-seven years in the service. Helicopters, policy, command. I have been trained to stay calm under pressure, to think clearly when everything around me is falling apart, and above all — above absolutely everything else — to get on with it. I am writing this because the way I had learned to cope, or as it turned out, not cope, very nearly broke me. 4 August 2025 I found my wife, unconscious, on our bedroom floor. Lynn. Fifty-one years old. Cornish through and through, with a laugh you could hear from three rooms away and a heart that had room for absolutely everyone. Together for nearly twenty years, my wife of twelve years, my best friend, my safe harbour. The woman who followed me through every posting the Royal Navy threw at us without a single complaint, who made every house we lived in feel like home within a week, whose Cornish pasties were, without exaggeration, the stuff of legend. I found her, and I knew immediately something was catastrophically wrong. I called the paramedics. I held her. Ella, our eighteen-year-old daughter, was there. Our dog Reggie was there. The paramedics came and they were magnificent — they worked on her for a long time; with a skill and a compassion I will never forget for as long as I live — but they could not save her. Lynn was gone. At fifty-one years old. Without warning, without goodbye, without anything that made the remotest sense. And then — at one o'clock in the morning, in the hours that followed, while I was still sitting in the rubble of everything — one paramedic asked me a question I was completely unprepared for. “Which funeral director would I like to use?” I had no answer. I had never thought about it for a single second. Why would I? Lynn was fifty-one. We had plans for the next twenty years. We talked about them just that weekend. I know we all talk about the importance of having a Will. We are told, correctly, that it is the responsible thing to do — for our families, for the people we leave behind. But nobody tells you that a funeral plan, or even just a nominated person to manage the process, is equally important. In the middle of the worst night of your life, when your brain has effectively shut down and your body is operating on something close to autopilot, you will be asked to make decisions. Practical, administrative, logistical decisions. And the cruellest thing about grief is that it arrives at exactly the moment when you are least equipped to think. Have the conversation now. Write it down. Tell someone. Not because death is coming soon — but because love means not leaving the people you love to figure it out alone at one in the morning. There are a few things I wish I had done long before that night. I will come back to them, but they do matter. The next night, I found myself sitting alone by the fire pit in the garden, and I did what I have always done when I don't know what else to do. I opened PistonHeads. I know how that sounds. But if you know PH, you'll understand. It's a car forum, technically, but it's really a community of people who talk about everything — and I had been posting there for years. So, I sat down, and I started writing. Not for sympathy. Not for hugs or likes. I wrote because I needed to get it out of my head and onto something, and a keyboard felt less lonely than a blank journal page. What happened next genuinely surprised me. Over the next weeks and months, the responses came flooding in. Stories of loss. Words of wisdom. Practical advice. Dark humour when I needed it. People I had never met, had never seen a photograph of, sitting with me through the longest nights of my life. I owe those people a great deal. But I also owe them honesty. And the honest truth is this: for all the comfort a forum can provide, it is not a substitute for professional help. And I waited far too long to get it. The Mask We All Wear Here is something I need you to understand about military culture, and about the sort of man I am, and probably about the sort of person you are if you are reading this. In the military, and often beyond, we rarely ask for help. We manage. We adapt. We find ways to keep moving when everything in us wants to stop. We have been told, implicitly and sometimes explicitly, that needing help is a weakness — that the correct response to pain is to tighten up, drive on, and deal with it later. I believed that. I had believed it for thirty-seven years. After Lynn died, I told myself I was coping. I was walking the dog. I was planning the funeral. I was writing in a forum, which felt like processing. And I was drinking. Every night. Bourbon by the fire pit. Port with friends. Red wine with the family when they descended. Wine to sleep. Brandy to think. I told myself it was grief, and grief looked like this, and I was a functional person who simply needed to take the edge off the evenings. But I was drinking to manage what I was feeling – way more than I wanted to admit, and way more than is regarded as safe. I knew I had crossed a line, and I kept going anyway. My colleagues at work knew it. My closest friends knew it. I knew it. I was not shy about it, I was the functioning alcoholic who could still get through a day, still walk the dog, still write coherent posts on a forum, still make decisions — but who was using alcohol the way a pressure valve is used, and who would have been in serious trouble if it had continued much longer. I say this not for dramatic effect. I say it because if you are reading this in the early days of a personal tragedy, or in the grey sustained flatness that follows, and you are pouring one more drink to get through another evening — please hear me. I understand why. I did it too. But it is not helping. It is only postponing. And there was something else I was postponing thinking about. On the 9 August — just five days after Lynn died — I went upstairs at a family gathering because I needed to get away from the noise. I went to our bedroom. I held her pillow. I could still smell her perfume on it. I sat there and I thought about ending it. I want to be very clear, because the whole point of this article is honesty: I considered, in that room, the need to not want to be here anymore. I had what I can only describe as a practical problem that needed solving, and my broken, exhausted, grief-saturated mind was trying to find solutions. The thought was real, and it frightened me. I was too much of a mess to think coherently. I had, by small mercy, already put Lynn's medication in the loft a few days earlier, which meant there was a required effort standing between me and that option. I am, by nature and by confession, a complete physical coward who inwardly cries at a blood test. But the thought was there, and it was real, and it was the most powerful it had ever been in my life. I need to say something here that I believe with everything I have, and which I want written plainly and without apology. People who attempt to take their own lives, or who succeed in doing so, are not cowards. They are not weak. They are not selfish. They are people who have arrived at a moment where the pain they are carrying has overwhelmed the information available to them, and who have made a decision — often a courageous decision, in its own terrible way — to try to solve an unbearable problem with the only tool they believe they have left. They are not wrong to want the pain to stop. They are wrong only in one thing: in believing that there are no other tools. That is where grief, and darkness, and isolation, and the stigma that stops us asking for help, does its most lethal work. It removes options from view. It makes the unthinkable seem logical. It narrows the world down to a single terrible door. The professionals — the therapists, the doctors, the welfare officers, the Samaritans at the end of a phone line — exist to open other doors. That is all. That is the entire job. And I should have walked through one of those doors years before Lynn died. Not because I was in crisis. But because the tools on the other side of them would have made me a better husband, a more honest father, a more complete human being. I came through that afternoon in August. But I should never have reached it. What Actually Helped On the 11 August, the Royal Navy Welfare team (now Royal Navy Family & People Support – RN FPS) came to see me. I had used them professionally many times over the years — referring others, making sure my people were looked after. I had never once used them for myself. Within an hour, everything changed. Kate, Social Worker saw through every bit of my carefully constructed composure within about ten minutes. She arranged immediate contact with my PMO. She set in motion grief counselling for me, for Ella, for my boys Tom and Jack, and contacts for Lynn's father. She helped finding a venue for the wake. She identified financial support I didn't know existed. She did more in one morning than I had managed to do for myself in a week. And my doctor — when we finally spoke — said something I desperately needed to hear that my feelings were normal. Not fixed, not solved, but normal . For someone who had been fighting a daily battle between rational thought and complete irrationality, that was like being thrown a rope. I want to say that again clearly, because it matters: being told by a professional that what you are experiencing is a normal human response to catastrophic loss is not a small thing. It is enormous. It is the difference between thinking you are losing your mind and understanding that your mind is doing exactly what minds do when the thing they love most is suddenly gone. I started one-to-one counselling in December. I was nervous. I wasn't sure what I expected — I am an engineer. I understand helicopter gearboxes. I understand thermodynamics. I do not, by instinct or training, understand sitting in a room talking about my feelings. But Natalie — my grief and trauma therapist — is an extraordinarily clever woman. And she did something I did not expect she didn't just talk about Lynn. She talked about me. About the patterns I had built up over fifty-six years. About the way I had been conditioned to present strength and suppress need. About the tools — and they are tools, practical ones, ones an engineer can respect — that exist to help a person carry grief without being crushed by it. There was a session, in the spring, that changed everything. I had isolated myself for four days when I was unwell, and I had spiralled badly. I went into my next session depleted and dark, and Natalie stopped me mid-sentence and asked, quite directly: "What did you do about it?" I had no answer. "Why didn't you call someone?" I sat in silence. Because the answer — the honest answer — was that it had not occurred to me. After fifty-six years of self-sufficiency, after nearly four decades of military service, the idea of picking up a phone and saying I am struggling, I need to hear a voice had simply not registered as an available option. I came out of that session and called my sister. And it helped, the lights were now on, blazing. Immediately, simply and completely, it helped. That is not a complicated insight. That is not the product of years of therapeutic work. It is the most basic human act there is: reaching out. And I had needed a professional to point at it before I could see it. The Light Changes I want to tell you where I am now, because this story does not end in that bedroom in August. Ella graduated from the British Racing School in February 2026. I stood in the rain watching our daughter gallop down the mile in her graduation, and I could barely breathe for pride. She had been so lost after losing her mum, but she has carried herself with a bravery that humbled me. And there she was, beginning her career in the horse racing world, having found her calling, having somehow come through. Tom completed his Masters with a First. Jack moved to a better job with Toyota. Reggie sleeps on Lynn's side of the bed and snores loudly enough that it makes me laugh, which I suspect is exactly what Lynn would have arranged if she'd had the option. I went on a holiday to New York with Ella and we sailed home on the QM2. I read. I have started listening to music again — I bought a record deck, and I think my neighbours now know more about Showaddywaddy than they ever wanted to. I have even, to the astonishment of nobody more than myself, met someone — a fellow petrolhead, someone who understands this journey. I enjoy the sun. I laugh. I cry too, often and without warning and without apology. Both of those things are true simultaneously, and that is fine. I have not adjusted, got over or come to terms to losing Lynn. I have acclimatised . There is a difference that matters to me. “Adjustment” implies you have made the loss fit. “Getting over” or “coming to terms” implies putting the issue in the cupboard. Acclimatisation is something else — it is learning to live in a new climate, to find what grows there, to discover that colour still exists and warmth still exists and that the future, however unrecognisable it looks, is still a place worth going. I can do that now, in large part, because I finally asked for help. What I Am Asking You To Do Here is the thing I most want you to take from this, and it is not about bereavement. I wish I had started counselling before 4 August 2025. Not because Lynn would still be here. Nothing could have changed that. Simply because the tools I have now — the ones Natalie has given me, the ones my doctor, the welfare team and the Samaritans (yes, I have their number in my phone, and I am not ashamed of it) helped me access — those tools would have made me a better husband, a more present father, a more honest version of myself. I had burnout in the spring before Lynn died. I had periods of real darkness that I had simply overridden by force of will. I had, for years, been wearing a jacket three sizes too small and calling it fine. We have a culture — in the military, in the civil service, on car forums, in the places where people like us congregate — where many of us have absorbed the idea, sometimes implicitly, that asking for help is a sign of extreme weakness. It is not. It is the opposite. It takes more courage to sit in a room with a therapist and be honest than it does to keep everything below the surface and pretend. So, this is what I am asking you to do. Sort out your Will. And while you're at it, have the conversation about funerals. It does not need to be detailed. It does not need to be morbid. It needs to be enough that the person you love most in the world is not standing in their kitchen at one in the morning trying to think of a funeral director's name. That conversation is an act of love. Do it. Do it tonight. Watch your drinking. When you are pouring a drink to get through an evening rather than to enjoy it, that is a signal. Don't override it. Talk to someone. Go and speak to a professional. Not when the storm hits. Now. Before it does. Your GP. Your unit welfare officer. A counsellor. The Samaritans at three in the morning if that's where you are. Call me if it helps. It does not have to be a crisis. In fact, the whole point is that it shouldn't be. The tools these people offer are for life — for all of it, the ordinary stretches and the catastrophic ones alike. And if you are somewhere dark right now — if you are in that room, holding that pillow, feeling that narrowing — please know this: the decision you are contemplating is being made on incomplete information. The pain is real. The exhaustion is real. But the doors you cannot see from where you are standing are also real. Please call someone and let them open one. The professionals are extraordinary. I mean this with no qualification at all. The paramedics who tried to save Lynn. The doctors who sat with me through the worst of it. The Social Worker who came to my house and quietly dismantled every reason I had given myself for not asking for help. My therapist who, in one question, gave me back the telephone. My DO, who consistently shows our own system works. These people are there, and they are waiting, and you do not have to deserve them or earn them or reach a certain level of broken before you are allowed to call. A physicist would tell you that energy cannot be created or destroyed. That every particle that ever bounced off the face of someone you love is still out there, racing through the universe, changed forever by the encounter. Lynn's energy is still out there. I feel it every day. Mine is still here too. And I intend to make the most of every bit of it — for her, and because of her, and with the help of every brilliant professional, with every member of my family and every friend who refused to let me disappear quietly into myself. Don’t wait for the storm. Go and talk to someone. Now . Lt Matt Newman RN Navy Executive SO3 RN Leadership & Culture Matt Newman is a Royal Navy officer of 37 years. He would like to thank the paramedics who attended on 4 August 2025, the RN FPS, Association of Royal Navy Officers, Natalie his therapist, his CO, LM and DO, his colleagues, and of course his family — without all of whom this article would not exist. If you are struggling, contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (free, 24/7, no judgement). Military personnel can contact Royal Navy Family & People Support on 0800 145 6088 or visit strongmen.org.uk . SSAFA and Combat Stress also offer specialist support for serving personnel and veterans. If you are concerned about your drinking, your GP/PMO is the right first call — and everything you say is confidential. Further signposting to support can be found on the Royal Navy Forum: HELPhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/the-cave---churchill-square-helensburghMon, 03 Aug 2026 10:02:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:15449206-9eed-411f-a162-8169669b116aRN Forum ModeratorThe Cave, Churchill Square, Helensburgh, opened its doors on Tues 9 Jun to showcase the new facility for local young people in S1 - S6. This was followed up with a Summer Workshop on the 28 Jul involving fun team building games and challenges. This also involved unveiling and testing out the new air/pool table donated by Naval Children’s Charity. A new youth group in Churchill Square will provide weekly activities from Tues 18 Aug 2026 with further activities being planned. The Cave was a response to a reported lack of provisions in the Churchill area for young people 12 yrs and over. With support from Sophia McArdle, RN FPS Community Development Worker, who has been involved in the project since it started, this is seen as a valuable addition to services within the local area. Sophia said, “It has been a lengthy process to finalise and get The Cave open, and we are delighted RN FPS are now able to offer this facility to young people in the area. The two recent events have been well attended, and we are excited to watch The Cave grow into an integral part of the local community.” To stay up to date of what is happening locally, join the RN Forum .https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/rn-forum-lowdown---july-2026Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:73049c45-8170-433b-ad8c-0152088ffee7RN Forum ModeratorTake a look at the latest RN Forum Lowdown which consists of links to the majority of posts that have been published over the previoust month, plus highlights of what Member groups have been updated too. It includes forum facts and updates to assist you in navigating and using the RN Forum. To read the latest Lowdown and access previous issues follow the link: RN Forum Lowdownhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/latest-dio-information-updates---july-2026Sat, 01 Aug 2026 08:00:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:6d54c192-04db-40c5-8969-476c8a43add6RN Forum ModeratorHundreds of New SFA Homes purchased at Imjin Barracks  Hundreds of brand-new homes have been completed at Imjin Barracks in Gloucestershire, marking an important milestone in the MOD’s plans to improve housing for Service personnel and their families.  DIO have purchased a total of 281 homes near Imjin Barracks, home to NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. These homes were purchased by the DIO from existing developments built by Taylor Wimpey, Bloor Homes and Bovis Homes.  Construction began in 2023 and was delivered in phases, allowing Service families to move in as soon as their homes were ready. Some families have now been enjoying their new homes for almost two years.  These homes have been designed with sustainability in mind. Features include energy-saving solar panels, low-carbon heating systems, smart heating controls and electric vehicle charging points. These modern features are helping Service families reduce their energy use and, in some cases, lower their household bills.  For further information, see the full article on Defence Homes here . Pre-move out and move-out appointment reminder We know that moving can be a busy and sometimes stressful time, and that plans can change unexpectedly. If you are unable to attend your pre-move out or move out appointment, you can change your appointment on the e-1132 system. Attending these appointments, or providing advance notice if you can't make them, helps ensure your move out process runs as smoothly as possible. Tune in to Housing Matters Podcast Episode two of the brand-new podcast, Housing Matters is out now. The podcast lifts the lid on military housing and the issues that matter most to Service Personnel and their families. Co-presenters Defence Families Champion, Trish Jakeman, and DIO Operations Manager South, Sebastian O’Hara, will be joined by special guests each week sharing their unique perspectives, experiences and expertise on all things military housing. The first two episodes are now available. In the latest episode, we hear from John Reynolds, Army Military Housing Liaison Officer, and Stephanie Jervis from DIO Accommodation, who is also a military spouse and has lived in Service Family Accommodation for more than 18 years. Together, they share helpful guidance for families at every stage of military life, from moving home to simple ways to make a house feel like home. You can watch episode one and two now. So grab a cup of tea, press play and join us each week for Housing Matters. Summer safety – travelling over the summer With the school holidays upon us, many of our families will be thinking about going away, whether that's a staycation or holiday abroad. If you’ll be away from your home for a period of time, we recommend the following steps to keep your home safe: Hot weather can cause burst pipes, so it’s recommended to turn your water off using your stopcock while you are away. The stopcock is the little tap or lever on pipes that are often found under your sink. Turn off and unplug electricals like your TV and small kitchen appliances like kettles and microwaves to reduce bills and to reduce the risk of an electrical fire. Ask a trusted friend or neighbour to look after your house keys so they can make checks on your home while you are away. For more summer safety advice, visit Defence Homes .https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/china-fleet-club---august-2026-newsletterFri, 31 Jul 2026 12:45:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:be80f6dd-3362-407b-9360-5e0059cebc56RN Forum ModeratorThis month's China Fleet Club Newsletter contains all the latest news, upcoming events and discounts for Royal Navy beneficiaries. Read the Newsletter via the link: China Fleet Club - August 2026 Newsletterhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/service-prosecuting-authority-independent-and-informedFri, 31 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:95ca9c49-28d9-4cbe-b3a7-fe86f870c08dRN Forum ModeratorNine months into the job, Director of Service Prosecutions, Mary Cowe reflects on her role and the work of the Service Prosecuting Authority within the Service Justice System. I became the Director of Service Prosecutions in October 2025, attracted to a role where I feel I can make a real difference. The Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) is small – with 48 members of staff, including 18 prosecutors – but its work has significant stature. If the SPA is a new acronym for you, it is essentially the Armed Forces' equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – dealing only with suspects subject to service law and service discipline. What makes it distinct is that the SPA is part of a single deployable Service Justice System (SJS), operating at home and abroad, in peacetime and in wartime. Whether reporting an offence or being accused, Service personnel know their case will be treated in line with UK law – helping the government fulfil its obligations under international law. In some cases, we are the only means through which allegations can be tested and resolved overseas. Independent without exception There is a view held by some that the SPA represents the Armed Forces 'marking its own homework'. We will always face scrutiny because the SPA is funded by the MOD and many of our prosecutors are in uniform. But we sit within the department for financial and operational reasons only. We prosecute for the Crown, just like the CPS, and our independence is well understood and respected within Defence. I take that independence very seriously. As a civilian entirely independent from the chain of command, nobody – however senior, whether military or a Defence civil servant – can direct who or what I prosecute. I operate under the oversight of the Attorney General (the government's most senior law officer), not Defence Ministers – and my role is to ensure the SPA delivers impartial, high-quality decisions that withstand public scrutiny. An informed approach The work of the SPA supports operational effectiveness. Swiftly deciding whether to prosecute and bringing cases to Court Martial enables all involved – where appropriate – to return to supporting Defence, with as little time as possible spent in uncertainty. Our prosecutors in uniform approach evidence from those who were at sea, deployed on operations, or serving in training establishments, with real-world experience of those environments. Service context for offending often makes it more serious too, given the impact on operational effectiveness, unit cohesion, and public trust. There is a clear understanding within the SPA that protecting the reputation of our Armed Forces means identifying and prosecuting criminal behaviour – and never ignoring or downplaying it. Speed to justice and low attrition Specialist expertise, operational understanding and lower case volumes mean the SJS can progress cases more quickly than the civilian Criminal Justice System (CJS). Victims of serious sexual offences in the SJS can typically expect their cases to be heard within around six months of charge. The Crown Court currently has around 80,000 outstanding cases, with some trials not listed until 2030 at the worst affected courts. The Court Martial has no backlog. Victim withdrawals from the SJS are also very low. I believe this reflects well on the quality of support the Defence Serious Crime Command's Victim Witness Care Unit provides, with the same dedicated Victim Liaison Officer staying with each victim from start to finish. That is a level of support that independent inspectors said they would like to see available to all victims in the civilian system. Recognised robust decision making Assurance processes underpin our work and the decisions we make: Every prosecution decision is checked by a second lawyer. In rape cases where we are considering not prosecuting, a specialist senior lawyer – currently on secondment from the CPS – provides a third review. In all rape and sexual assault cases in England and Wales, I consult the CPS on jurisdiction – and in every case so far, they have agreed with our decisions. Although prosecutors make the decisions on whether a case can progress and how it will be handled, v His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate reviewed our work in 2024 and found that the right people were being prosecuted for the right offences, in the right places – concluding overall that the SPA was delivering a good service. Continuously listening and learning There is more to do to ensure we continue to offer a high-quality service. Concerns raised on behalf of victims, survivors and defendants are taken seriously – and I welcome feedback and invite anybody representing victims or defendants to contact me. My aim is not just to keep aligned with progress in the civilian system but – given our unique combination of expertise and independence – to be a genuine centre of excellence for the Defence community. Further information Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) - GOV.UK Court Martial results from the Military Court Service - GOV.UK Contact SPA-External@mod.gov.ukhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/for-every-stage-of-life---serve-protectWed, 29 Jul 2026 14:41:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:544bd8e4-78d8-42ba-a833-4c7b61372429RN Forum ModeratorThis campaign is designed to support employees and members through the everyday moments, transitions and milestones that shape life. The campaign focuses on: Summer savings and budgeting Back-to-school and family support Life milestones and changes Financial confidence and planning The campaign encourages small, practical actions. Back to School Budget Planner Break down the cost of sending the kids back to school, plus bonus tips to reduce the total bill. View Budget Planner Summer Reset Guide A short guide to resetting your finances after increasing your spending over the summer. Regain control and prepare for what's ahead. View Guide Serve and Protect Websitehttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/families-first-newsletter---issue-40Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:18:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:9f4b28cd-f50d-44f8-bd83-a76918f9ee1eRN Forum ModeratorThe latest issue of the Families First newsletter, featuring the latest Defence housing news and updates, is now available on the Defence Homes website . This issue includes: Foreward from Warrant Officer Defence Homes (DIO) The Defence Investment Plan Summer Safety - When Travelling Away From Home Patch Hacks Housing Matters Podcasts HomeHub - 6 Months Onhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/have-your-say-on-pay-and-allowancesTue, 28 Jul 2026 11:40:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:1fc6ab0a-f241-4d83-87de-3156ae75c4b7RN Forum ModeratorEvery year, the Naval Families Federation (NFF) is invited to present evidence to the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB), which makes recommendations to the Government on annual pay awards and the review of allowances. Our role is to represent the experiences of Royal Navy and Royal Marines families, but we can only do that effectively if we understand the financial challenges you are facing. The evidence you provide will not only help shape our submission to the AFPRB, it will also be shared with the Ministry of Defence, the Royal Navy and other key decision-makers responsible for policies that affect Naval Service personnel and their families. As the only charities invited to present family evidence directly to the AFPRB, the Families Federations have a unique and important role in ensuring your voices are heard at the highest levels. This is your opportunity to influence the conversation and help us advocate on your behalf. If you are serving in the Royal Navy or Royal Marines or are the spouse or partner of someone who is, we would be grateful if you could take 5 minutes to complete our anonymous questionnaire. As a thank you for sharing your views, we would also like to offer you the opportunity to be part of a draw to win a £25 Amazon voucher. More information about this can be found in the questionnaire linked below. Pay and Awards Questionnaire Questionnaire closes 14th Septemberhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/do-you-want-to-run-the-london-marathon-here-is-your-opportunityFri, 24 Jul 2026 13:36:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:c21410c1-78fe-4676-b5c1-50156b3c5399RN Forum ModeratorOn Sunday, 25th April 2027, Haig will proudly be cheering on a team of 20 runners from across the UK, including Haig Housing residents, serving and veteran personnel, families and friends of our veteran community, and generous corporate supporters. Haig still have some places left and would love to have some runners from the Naval community! Unlucky in the ballot? Sign up for your chance at a #TeamHaig charity place! Haig support all runners with: A Haig-branded running vest to proudly wear during training and on the day Dedicated WhatsApp group with #teamHaig running squad for moral support Fundraising support to help you smash your target Invitation to the #teamHaig training session The noisiest cheer squad on the day Your name added to the online #TeamHaig ‘Hall of Fame’ And the friendly fundraising team will support you every step of the way. The link to sign up for your chance to race is here: https://www.haighousing.org.uk/support-us/londonmarathon2027/https://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/little-troopers-monthly-newsletter---july-2026Wed, 22 Jul 2026 16:17:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:fc3cbf25-a54c-44da-8a93-d6421496ac73RN Forum ModeratorRead the latest from Little Troopers. Topics include: School's out for the Summer! Dates for your Dairy Summer Survival Therapy Programme Nominate a Little Trooper Little Trooper of the Month View the newsletter HEREhttps://forum.royalnavy.mod.uk/topics/news/b/announcements/posts/serve-and-protect---upcoming-webinars---august-2026Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:40:00 GMTb28a645c-0ea2-4600-866f-e043a0fddeae:619dcfcd-33a8-4508-9db9-9f2c5980e08fRN Forum ModeratorGreen Living: Simple Eco-Friendly Tips to Lower Your Bills Date: Thursday 6th August Time: 12:00-12:45 What to Expect: Tips for living a greener life to save money and protect the planet! Saving Made Simple: Practical Tips to Boost Your Savings Date: Wednesday 12th August Time: 12:00-12:45 What to Expect: Explore 10 practical savings methods that anyone can apply to build a healthy savings cushion. Budgeting 101: Take Control of Your Money Date: Thursday 13th August Time: 12:00-12:45 What to Expect: Create a budget that meets your short and long-term financial goals, plus tips to cut your spending. Responsible Lending: How We Can Stop Loan Sharks Together Date: Monday 17th August Time: 12:00-13:00 What to Expect: Discover the warning signs and impact of loan sharks with representatives from Stop Loan Sharks. Financial Resilience: Ready When it Matters Date: Wednesday 19th August Time: 12:00-13:00 What to Expect: Understand why financial resilience matters and hear some simple, practical tips to help you improve it. Credit Score 101: Tips to Boost Your Score Date: Thursday 20th August Time: 12:00-12:45 What to Expect: Understand the importance of looking after your credit score, plus actionable tips to improve yours. Borrow Smarter: Tips to Strengthen Your Loan Application Date: Tuesday 25th August Time: 12:00-12:45 What to Expect: Understand what happens throughout the journey of a loan application, some of the key factors lenders evaluate, and what to do before you apply. Register for free here: https://sandpcu.co.uk/hs-webinars