Poetry passion for the service community

Got a passion for poetry? Even if you haven’t (yet), Front Line Poets might be for you. It’s an online writing workshop open to anybody with a forces connection where you can write, read and discuss poetry wi...

Military meeting place – Woody’s Lodge

In 2012, Royal Marine and member of the elite Special Boat Service, Paul ‘Woody’ Woodland lost his life in a training exercise. Paul ‘Woody’ Woodland He was born, bred and schooled in Penarth, South Wales,...
Ellie O'Gorman

Youth group champion is forces families awards winner

The Celebrating Forces Families awards took place earlier in the year to give thanks for the huge contribution that UK military families provide to the armed forces community. Ellie O’Gorman won the Young Pe...

Sowing seeds of friendship

The importance of social connection has been brought home by the pandemic – lockdowns have simultaneously separated people from family and friends and brought neighbours together. The demands of army life, with...

The tall and short of it

To bring communities together and connect people when COVID restrictions were in force, the SHAPE team of Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) came up with a fun initiative to see who could grow the tallest sunflo...

A legend in the baking

When lockdown hit earlier this year in Germany, army spouse and mum Michelle Cole was craving human contact, as well as cake, so she decided the best way to combine the two was to set up a Bake-off group. We fi...

Inspirational pacesetter

Despite only catching the running bug shortly before moving to Wimbish, on arrival Katy Robinson was moved to set up a group when she found herself a jogging buddy in fellow military spouse Sam Sanders. Two yea...

Bravo to free festival

Tickets are now available for the online Festival of Discovery from 12-24 July for members of the armed forces community. Join in from the comfort of your own home with no wellies or tents required! The festiv...

Tackling loneliness and isolation through singing

Earlier this year the Military Wives Choirs were the recipient of a grant awarded to SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to help alleviate loneliness ...

Helping to remove barriers

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) and the Directory of Social Change have published an evaluation report exploring the impact of just under £11.5m of grant funds that the Trust has awarded throug...