DIO Families Families First Newsletter - Issue 37 Published

The latest issue of the Families First newsletter, featuring the latest Defence housing news and updates, is now available to view and download on the Defence Homes website.

Military vs Cancer: Supporting those in the Armed Forces Community affected by cancer

Military Vs Cancer’s support includes:

Additional family / nursing care funding.
Travel costs for treatment, including hotel stays for family members.
Home adaptations.
Respite breaks.
Memory making trips.
Special experiences, especially for those with a terminal diagnosis.
Peer group / community support for serving forces members and their families. There are also several large-scale events this year including :
Rugby Day Armed Forces Rugby Team vs North Select XV Teams - Doncaster - Free Tickets for Serving Personnel and Veterans
Annual Summer Ball - Lincoln
Heroes Golf Day
Great North Run

To find out more about any of these events please visit: https://www.militaryvscancer.com/events/

BRUNEI: Flood Preparation Information from DIO(B)

Please click the image to enlarge.

Please click the link for Flood Preparation Information from DIO(B).

Missing / damaged flood boards. If any of the flood board is missing / damaged, then please report it to DIO(B) using the following QR Code:

If anyone experiences serious isolated flooding, or need urgent assistance, you are to call the 

Garrison Duty Officer on 8746656 

or 

RIB Duty Officer on 8736236.

Information provided by BRUNEI HIVE.

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Supporting service children to thrive - a new round of the Service Pupil Support Programme now open.

Supporting service children to thrive: a new round of the Service Pupil Support Programme now open

Service life can bring unique challenges for children and young people. Frequent moves, disrupted learning and periods of separation can all add up - and they can affect how children feel, learn and achieve.

Delivered on behalf of the MOD’s Armed Forces Families Fund, the Service Pupil Support programme (SPSP) funds practical, evidence-led projects that respond to these challenges and strengthen educational outcomes for service pupils. With a new round of funding now open, the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) are inviting schools and local authorities across the UK to apply, so more service pupils can get the right support to feel settled and succeed at school.

BELGIUM: SAVE THE DATE the Brussels Flower Carpet returns this summer

SAVE THE DATE! This summer the Flower Carpet returns for its 24th Edition!

Don't miss this beautiful display, of over 1650 square metres of begonias, dahlias, grass and bark in the capital.

WHEN: Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th August 2026

WHERE: Grand Place, Brussels
MORE INFORMATION: Here

Information provided by SHAPE HIVE

BRUNEI: Monkey Encounter - Dos and Don'ts

Dos & Don'ts when you encounter a monkey

Long-tailed macaques are globally endangered, so we try to do our part to protect them whilst they are still a healthy population in Brunei. Having attended a briefing from Jane Goodall Institute of Singapore, their recommendation to a safe co-existence with monkeys are as follows:

• Bin cages or temporarily have a makeshift bungee rope around the lid to deter monkeys from having access to the bins. They will eventually exclude the patio bar/pool etc as part of their route due to the lack of food source.
• Where there are females and baby monkeys around, stay 1-2M away from them and make light clapping noises to make sure they are constantly aware of your presence. Loud noises usually startles them which will alter their behaviour towards you.
• Avoid eye contact or interacting with monkeys such as taking selfies, imitating their facial expressions and/or smiling at them. It causes them to alter their behaviour towards humans and resulting in ‘horror’ stories.
• Keep all your belongings in closed bags and close to you. Avoid using plastic bags if you can. If they do take any of your personal items, don’t bother chasing because they will drop the items (unless it is food).
• Never ever feed monkeys (refer to Point 1).
• Use your height to your advantage. Due to their social hierarchy status, the monkeys will usually move away from you if you follow the above steps correctly. If a monkey is on the roof or high up above your head, there is a very low percentage (almost zero) that they will jump on you because their ‘status’ is higher than you. Refer to point 2 and 3.

Information provided by BRUNEI HIVE.

Northern Ireland: Defence Medical Welfare Service Northern Ireland. Supporting the Service Person, Veterans and Family Members.

For more details please click here

SHAPE: Waterloo Ball, Saturday 13 June 2026, 19:00 until late

The British Army at SHAPE is proud to present the first ever Waterloo Ball on Saturday 13 June. This event is for the whole UK community, their partners and guests, including international colleagues to celebrate the Alliance success at Waterloo.

The evening will begin outside with reception drinks and a re-enactment display from 2nd  Battalion 95th Rifles, followed by dinner accompanied by the SHAPE International Band. The evening will finish with a disco indoors and a reenactors display outside.

Please use the QR code for sign-up; tickets are going fast and the event is limited to 200 spaces!

The evening is set as a slightly less formal occasion than the traditional military dinner nights, with the emphasis being on the celebration of the history and ensuring the enjoyment of those attending.

Table plan: Available from the 13th May onwards in the Brit Bar.
Payment: Required by 13th May (account details available on the sign-up form).

Information provided by SHAPE HIVE

Help for Heroes: Seeking Help and Recovery College Courses.

Help for Heroes have a new leaflet to explain how they can support, and how to access this. To view the leaflet please click HERE

There is also a range of courses available through the Help for Heroes Recovery College. Information and the prospectus can be found on the Help for Heroes website: https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/get-help/recovery-college/self-help-guides/

For further details on Help for Heroes services and how to get in touch, please go to: https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Op ASCEND – Careers After Service

Op ASCEND is a free, government-backed service to support veterans in growing their careers.

Whether you’re a veteran seeking employment or an employer looking to attract skilled veterans to your workforce, find out what signing up to the Op ASCEND service can do for you.

For more information visit: https://careersafterservice.campaign.gov.uk