BELGIUM: 9th Edition Good Beer Guide Belgium available now

If ToBE has whet your appetite for Belgian Beer, you are seeking a Fathers Day Present for the dad that has everything or you just fancy embracing the Belgian Culture, the 9th edition of the Good Beer Guide Belgium has now been published.

More here

Information provided by SHAPE HIVE

BRUSSELS: Best Rooftops Bars in Brussels

For a sky high sun-downer in Brussels, check out the Rooftop Bars across the city.

• Rooftop 58
• The Beerlab
• Casa Alta
• Albert
• Soko Rooftop
• Bazar Rooftop
• Beursschouwburg
• The Eight Rooftop
• Secret Rooftop
• Akai
• The Hoxton Brussels
• Perché Rooftop
• The Roof

Information provided by SHAPE HIVE

BELGIUM: Recruit for Spouses June events, including Wellbeing Programme

Recruit for Spouses latest upcoming events, career programmes and support available in June.

The RFS Wellbeing Programme is due to start in early-June:

Are you feeling a bit lost between postings? Struggling with the ups and downs of military life?
You don’t have to navigate it alone. The RFS Wellbeing Programme brings military spouses together in a safe, supportive space where you can:

• Share experiences with others who understand
• Learn practical tools to manage stress and uncertainty
• Feel more grounded and in control again

STARTS: 8th June
WHEN: Mondays, 09:30–11:30 (UK time)
WHERE: Online
SIGN UP: RFS Portal

To register your interest in any of the RFS Opportunities, sign in to the RFS Portal on https://portal.recruitforspouses.co.uk/users/sign_in  

Or email: info@recruitforspouses.co.uk  

Information provided by SHAPE HIVE

BRUNEI: BFB Families Survival Day - Wednesday 03rd June 2026, 0900 - 1900 hrs

Please click the image to enlarge.

Information provided by BRUNEI HIVE.

Armed Forces Week 2026: Share your messages of support!

Share your messages of support for our Armed Forces! This Armed Forces Week, we're looking for messages of thanks from friends and family of our Armed Forces. Email your message to MODComms-DDC@mod.gov.uk

Service Cotswold Centre

The Services Cotswold Centre (SCC) is a tri-Service facility, managed by Headquarters Army Welfare Service (AWS) and funded by Headquarters Regional Command on behalf of the MOD.

It provides short-term transit accommodation for Service Personnel (SP), family members and MOD civil servants. The key role of SCC is to accommodate varying numbers of vulnerable Service families, often with diverse and complex welfare needs.

The SCC accommodation consists of 60 self-contained chalet style homes and a 37 bed residential unit and is located in Neston, near Corsham Wiltshire.

The SCC is used for:Emergency accommodation for military families, spouses and civil partners who have been evacuated from assignments
Meeting a welfare need such as supporting injured personnel, their carers and/or immediate family members
Responding to family disruption such as marital breakdown
Provision of accommodation between assignments – both before taking up a post or repatriation back to the UK
Accommodation for discharging married personnel
Short Breaks
Contact Housing
Transit accommodation – both duty and welfare

The centre has recently changed its telephone number to TEL: 0331 1432730

FIND OUT MORE: Services Cotswold Centre - GOV.UK

EMAIL: RC-AWS-SCC-Bookings@mod.gov.uk

Army HQ: Family Welfare Matters Edition 03 now available

To read online with accessible links, please go to Welfare Matters May 2026

For those with access to MODnet, both this edition and the full internal Welfare Matters newsletter is uploaded onto our SharePoint site under the Welfare Latest News section. The link to access is: Welfare

Little Troopers Family Reconnection Weekend July 2026

 Family Reconnection Weekend – July 2026
Applications are now open!
We’re heading to Cuffley Activity Centre in Hertfordshire for a woodland weekend full of activities, connection and time together as a military family. Families will also have the chance to connect with others from the military community who truly understand military life.
Register your interest now, open to families with children in Year 4 and above.
We can’t wait to welcome lots of you to our second Family Reconnection Weekend of 2026!
Applications https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XH8RVPF...

BELGIUM: CHAT HV Programme at SHAPE House, Coming Soon

SSAFA's CHAT HV program is coming soon to SHAPE House. 

This program gives military families access to informal parental support whilst also giving them the opportunity to build friendships and support networks. SSAFA recognise that parenting can be a lonely experience and for some in remote military locations this can be exacerbated by local practices. This program aims to break this barriers down.

Although Florence the Health Visitor will be in attendance, any discussions will be parent-led with the opportunity to have some Health Visitor support if needed.

These sessions are open to anyone across the UK military network. 

More information to follow!

Information provided by SHAPE HIVE

NAPLES: Sassi "Stones" of Matera

 

Matera is one of the most unusual cities in southern Italy, built into cliffs with thousands of cave dwellings known as sassi. What makes Matera stand out is how people lived in these Matera cave homes for centuries, often in poor conditions until they were abandoned in mid 20th century. In recent decades, restoration has turned Matera into a UNESCO World Heritage site and a destination for travellers who want something very different from the coastal towns of Puglia.

The city is divided into two main sassi districts: Sassi Barisano and Sasso Caveosa. Both are worth visiting, and you can cover them in one long day of walking. Sasso Barisano has more hotels, restaurants, and shops, so it feels more developed. Sasso Caveoso is rougher with many caves still looking untouched, which gives you a stronger impression of how people once lived here. Walking between the two districts involves steep climbs and uneven stone paths, so wearing sturdy shoes is essential.

Information provided by NAPLES HIVE