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Important Update – Overseas HIVE Blog:

We’re bringing our local Overseas HIVE blogs all together into this single Overseas HIVE blog.
This means you’ll now see more frequent local updates, community information, and event posts from across the regions — all in one easy-to-find place.
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Thursday, September 18, 2025

SHAPE: Volunteers Needed

 


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.

We lost a few of our core volunteers with the Summer Churn so we are looking for new recruits to take up the mantle.

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 pop in to the Community Office or email the Community Team on GSO-EJSU-Belgium-CommunityHub@mod.gov.uk; we would love to hear from you!

Information provided by SHAPE HIVE.






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 11.30-12.30 on Friday 27th 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.








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

Extra school funding for Service children: Service Pupil Premium 2025.


Help your child’s school to qualify for Service Pupil Premium funding by sharing your Service status by 2 October 2025.

The Department for Education (DfE) provides additional funding through the Service Pupil Premium in England. The SPP grant goes directly to academies and non-maintained state schools, as well as local authorities for each school they maintain.

The SPP grant for 2025 is £350 per Service pupil – children from Reception to Year 11 may be eligible.

To help your child’s school to qualify for SPP, Service parents are encouraged to inform schools of their Service status ahead of the autumn census deadline of Thursday 2 October 2025. You can do this by talking to the headteacher or school administration staff.

BRUSSELS: Welcombeek Volunteers Needed

 

Welcombeek is the community house in Sterrebeek where the Community Liaison Officer (CLO) is based. It is there as a meeting place for British Military families to get together and there are often events and clubs held here for the service community, their spouses and dependants to come together. These activities, such as Mah Jong, Weekly Coffee, Book Club and Monthly Potluck Lunch, are hosted by volunteers who give up their time to keep a sense of togetherness in the otherwise disseminated Brussels community. Volunteers are the life blood of the community, an essential part of regular and reliable social events and vital in making a posting as supportive and connected as possible.

Volunteering comes with multiple benefits for health, career and personal growth, so whilst continuing a career here in Belgium may be a challenge, there are still plenty of opportunities to keep busy, get involved and grow your social and professional networks.

If you are interested in getting involved in volunteering or want to set up a group of your own for the community to benefit from, firstly, Thank you! And Secondly, please do get in touch with the CLO on GSO-EJSU-Belgium-CommunityHub@mod.gov.uk or Penny, the HIVE Officer on RC-Pers-HIVE-SHAPE-0Mailbox@mod.go.uk and we can help get the process started.

Information provided by SHAPE HIVE.

Brunssum: Opening a Bank Account in the Netherlands for Internationals

 

There will be many factors that influence your decision when looking to open a Dutch bank account, from the bank’s accessibility in English to special features.

For information on what to consider when choosing a bank account; online accounts, traditional banks and pros and cons for each, visit:

https://dutchreview.com/expat/best-banks-expats-netherlands/

If you're looking for some banking options the below are available in the Netherlands:

  • ABN AMRO
  • Bunq
  • ING
  • N26
  • Revolut
For those with an ABN AMRO bank account please note: if you do not open your bank account as instructed below you maybe liable to pay Dutch tax.

List of Overseas Location Guides.

Overseas Location Guides

Please note that these are kept up-to-date by HIVE staff - the month of the latest version is shown within each guide. The date of the post is simply the date when this service was set up.





Welcome to International HIVE.

Welcome to International HIVE, our mission is to provide you with the most up to date information, the Overseas Locations Guides are an in-depth collection of that information.




If further information is required, please contact your nearest HIVE or the iHIVE, details below:


iHIVE Email: RC-Pers-HIVE-iHIVE-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk

Call: +44 (0)797 669 8527

Welcome to International HIVE

Welcome to International HIVE, our mission is to provide you with the most up to date information, the Overseas Locations Guides are an in-depth collection of that information.














If further information is required, please contact your nearest HIVE or the iHIVE, details below:

Napels HIVE Email: napleshive@armymail.mod.uk

Call: +39 (0)081 975 8356


iHIVE Email: RC-Pers-HIVE-iHIVE-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk

Call: +44 (0)797 669 8527

Welcome to International HIVE

Welcome to International HIVE, our mission is to provide you with the most up to date information, the Overseas Locations Guides are an in-depth collection of that information.




If further information is required, please contact your nearest HIVE or the iHIVE, details below:


iHIVE Email: RC-Pers-HIVE-iHIVE-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk

Call: 
+44 (0)797 669 8527

BRUNEI: Introductory Nepali Culture & Language Package (INCLP) 27th - 29th October 2025



What : INCLP for BFB Community

When :
27, 28, 29 Oct 25

Where : Education Centre Classroom, Tuker Lines

Who :
All non-Gurkha Serving Personnel, LECs & Spouse

Dress : Casual attire for Civ, PCS for SPs

PoC : SSgt Shankar Gurung (BST) – Mob: 8310848 Email: shankar.gurung231@mod.gov.uk

Please scan the QR code or follow the link to register. 

Information provided by BRUNEI HIVE.

BRUNEI: Mumong September Coffee Morning Tuesday 23 September 2025 9-11am @ Mumong Community Hall


Information provided by BRUNEI HIVE.