Navy Days 2010 - Navy Days returns to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to give the public the opportunity to discover the past, present and future of the Royal Navy. You can see the ships and meet the crews of the modern fleet and foreign navies, including the two new Type 45 Destroyers - HMS DARING and HMS DAUNTLESS.

Visitors can marvel at the dynamic displays from the Black Cat helicopter team, witness the strength and teamwork of the Field Gun Crews of HMS SULTAN and HMS COLLINGWOOD and watch historical re-enactments with cast of hundreds.

There will be simulators and a climbing wall in Action Stations, and all of the attractions of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will be accessible including HMS VICTORY. This will be a fantastic day out for all the family! For more information on admission times and ticket prices go to: www.navydaysuk.co.uk.

Feature in Good Housekeeping Magazine - Good Housekeeping would like to interview the partners, mothers and daughters of people fighting in Afghanistan for their Christmas issue. They are looking for a range of heart-warming stories about how these women will be spending Christmas this year, be it caring for an injured partner, sharing Christmas by Skype, or enjoying having them at home during the festive season. Interviews would ideally take place by the 11th of August, and there will be a photo-shoot at some point between the 16th and 29th of August, with a hair and make up artist and stylist. Good Housekeeping would also like to invite interviewees for a special outing, to express their gratitude.

They would like to speak to women in their 20s and above, and are interested in hearing from those whose loved ones are in the RAF, Army and Royal Navy. If you are interested or would like to find out more, please get in touch with Moya Sarner on: 020 7439 5684, or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Changes to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme -

The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) was recently reviewed by the former Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral the Lord Boyce. The Review found that whilst the scheme is fundamentally sound, there were several areas where recommendations were made for improvement.

The majority of improvements require detailed legislative amendment to the Scheme and will be implemented by February 2011. Some legislative changes arising from the Review can be made more quickly and will be effective from 3 August 2010.

These include:
• Extending the time-limits for injury claims from 5 to 7 years.
• Extending the time limits for bereavement claims from 1 to 3 years. A surviving spouse, civil partner or surviving adult will now have 3 years to make a claim. Claims in respect of bereavements that occurred more than 3 years ago will also be considered for a period of one year from the date of the new legislation (3 Aug 10).
• An increase in the maximum level of Bereavement Grant payable in the future from £20,000 to £25,000 for Regular Service Personnel - to reflect the increase in Armed Forces pay since 2005.
• An increase in the maximum level of Bereavement Grant for Reservists who are not members of a reserve forces pension scheme, to £37,500 to help bring their benefits in line with those applicable to Regular Service Personnel.
• An uplift of the majority of awards for hearing loss by one Tariff level.

Click here for more details.

Shaping a new Defence – Engagement exercise for the Armed Forces and their families:

The Prime Minister and Secretary of State have stressed that members of the Armed Forces and their families, and the MOD’s civilian staff, have an important contribution to make to the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR).
An engagement exercise has been launched inviting all members of the Armed Forces, their families, volunteer reserves and civilians in Defence to submit their ideas on what we can do to make Defence better. All contributions will be anonymous and feed into the SDSR.
This is your opportunity to contribute as individuals who know Defence from the inside. Click here for further information or to get involved visit the Defence SDSR online engagement tool. Deadline for contributions is 31st July.

NHS Choices - The website NHS Choice has developed a new section dedicated to Service personnel and their access to healthcare, both home and abroad. The site provides a wealth of information on healthcare in the forces and provides an insight into how the NHS and military medics work together. There are details on accessing services, treatment pathways and useful contacts etc. Specific subsections focus on Rehabilitation services, mental health, and healthcare for veterans. The information on the site has been verified by the NHS and the MOD. To see what the site has to offer visit: www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Militaryhealthcare

Pay Information - A pay freeze for public sector workers has been announced in the Coalition Government’s Budget. The two year pay freeze affects any public sector employee earning more than £21,000 a year. The MOD has announced that around three-quarters of Service personnel (140,000) will be affected by the decision. Anyone on a pay level of £21,000 or less per year (before tax) will receive at least a £250 pay increase in any ‘freeze’ year.
Andrew Robathan MP, Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, has commented on the matter stating that “most Service personnel” will still receive an annual increase in pay due to routine promotions.

It should be noted that the 2% pay award for military personnel in 2010/11, which was announced by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body in March, will not be affected by the pay freeze. In additional to these developments the Coalition Government plans to review Armed Forces pay in a fair pay review. The former Defence Secretary John Hutton will also lead a review on public sector pensions, to report next year.