A Commendable Effort - Congratulations to the NFF’s Office Manager Jackie Jackson, who recently received the Second Sea Lord’s Commendation. The award was given in recognition of Jackie’s hard work for the NFF and her dedication towards the needs and concerns of Service families throughout her six years in post. Only a handful of these commendations are handed out each year, at a ceremony held on HMS Victory. Well done Jackie!

Tweet Us – We are pleased to announce that the NFF is now on Twitter! We are always keen to find new ways to communicate with Naval Service families and we hope that you will follow us on the site. We will update Twitter regularly to inform you of new articles on the NFF website and to ask for your feedback on key topics. If you have any issues or comments you would like to tell us about please get in touch via Twitter or any of our other forms of communication.

Free and Independent Legal Advice for Bereaved Service Families - The Royal British Legion and Ministry of Defence have announced a new joint initiative to help families who have lost loved ones in the Armed Forces by providing free and independent legal advice. Advisers can provide information and guidance, in particular about the inquest process, to ensure that families are fully prepared.  This initiative reflects the Government’s commitment to support service personnel and their families as laid out in the Service Personnel Command Paper, published in July 2008. Click here for further information on the scheme.

At this time of year the operational mail system can be swamped by the public’s generosity, and whilst such ‘unsolicited’ parcels are popular with recipients, the delays they inevitably cause to the delivery of personal mail are not.

However, should you wish to show support in an alternative way you can visit a special page on the MOD website.

Service Personnel Command Paper: First Annual Report - An Independent report published on 19 November shows significant progress by government departments and devolved administrations in delivering against the Nation’s Commitment to the Armed Forces.  Further measures are also being announced by the Defence Secretary and the Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP, which focus on helping Service family members who are seeking employment. To read the full report please click here, or for a brief summery click here.

Second Sea Lord discusses the Maritime Change Programme – Vice Admiral Sir Alan Massey explains the rationale behind the Maritime Change Programme and the benefits it will bring about. Click here to view the full article.

Military Honours for UK Services - Over 100 personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the Army have been honoured in the Armed Forces' latest Operational Awards List. Please click here to read the full story on the BBC website.

Say No to 0870 - This is a fantastic website which lists alternative standard rate numbers to many of the premium rate numbers used by businesses. The site lists many well known companies and if there is one available it will provide you with their equivalent geographical number. Click here to visit the website.

Under Secretary of State visits the NFF - On Thursday the 3rd of September the NFF was pleased to play host to the Under Secretary of State and Minister for Veterans, Kevan Jones MP. He came to see where we work and meet the team, and following his time here at Castaway House Mr Jones made the following statement:

“I am always impressed with the work that the Families’ Federations undertake and I greatly value the close working relationship we have.  So I was particularly pleased to have the opportunity to visit the Naval Families’ Federation....  I already know Kim well, and it was good to meet the rest of the team”.

The Minister went on to say that Naval Service families “should know what a dedicated and talented team they have working on their behalf... I am very grateful to them all for their important contribution to the effectiveness of the Naval Service.”

SABS – Click here to read the first newsletter from the Sports, Amenities and Benevolence Scheme. It contains information on the scheme and its involvement with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

New First Sea Lord’s Open Letter – As Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope takes over as the new First Sea Lord, he has written an address to all Naval personnel in which he shares his thoughts on his responsibilities and aims for the future. Click here to read the address.

Service Personnel Command Paper Update - On the 17th July 2009 the MOD released a Defence Internal Brief on 'The 1st Anniversary of the Service Personnel Command Paper – Main Achievements and Next Steps'. Please click here for the key points and to read a comment from the Chair of the NFF, Kim Richardson.

The Maritime Change Programme - Details concerning the Maritime Change Programme have been announced by the Minister for Armed Forces. For further information please click here.  More recently, a Maritime Change Programme road show visited Faslane, Devonport and Portsmouth. This provided serving personnel and family members with an opportunity to ask questions about the programme and how it will affect them. Click here to read a helpful document that highlights the popular questions asked and the responses which were given. If you have any further questions about how it may affect you, please contact the NFF.

BFPO in Naples - UPDATE - The mooted plan to close the FPO in Naples has been rescinded.  The proposed closure for BFPO8 in 2010 is not going ahead. Thank you to everyone for your contributions and comments.

British Forces Post Office (BFPO): Reduction in service at NATO HQ -
Below is a summary of the key points announced in the Defence Internal Brief (DIB) which has just been released:

• BFPO postal provision supporting 11 NATO HQs in Europe and one in the USA will be rationalised over the next year. Specifically this means that Forces Post Offices will close at SHAPE, Brussels, Brunssum, Ramstein, Stavanger, Karup, Rome, Milan, Lisbon, Valencia and Norfolk VA while retaining a receipt and despatch facility and a BFPO number.
• In order to minimise the impact on personnel and their dependants stationed at these locations, the BFPO numbers, which are useful for administrative purposes such as proving status, banking and internet shopping, will be retained.
• A limited postal receipt and despatch facility will be maintained. There will no longer be a facility to send parcels back to the UK, but it will still be possible to receive parcels.
• ‘Over the counter’ post office services will cease. For services outside basic mail provision, personnel and their dependants will use the relevant international mail system.
• These changes are scheduled to be completed by September 2010. Full details will be publicised locally, as the alternative arrangements come into effect.
• The Enduring Free Mail Service out to operational theatres will not be affected.

UPDATE:  LOA will be adjusted in due course.  We will let you know the finer detail as soon as we have it.

BFPO Closures - 12 Forces Post Offices (FPOs) providing support to the UK elements of NATO HQs are to be closed as part of the savings measures within the Planning Round 09. The affected FPOs are expected to close by 30 September 2010 after which postal support will use normal international civilian channels (as is the case to other overseas locations where there is no FPO cover).

BFPO addresses are far more than a convenient way to receive post, they are peace of mind and a legitimate recognised connection with UK, vital when returning from overseas you try to establish yourselves as a family 'normally resident in the UK'. They are also a reliable and timely method for postal voting. How is this to be achieved in the future? We are told that the Living Overseas Allowance (LOA) will be uplifted to offset the closures. I guess one question we have to ask is ‘at what cost?’

The NFF is concerned about this decision and has already started to ask questions on behalf of service families. If you have any issues that you would like raised please contact us.

The BFPOs affected are:

6 -Lisbon     8 -Naples         26 – SHAPE       28 – Brunssum    49 – Brussels       50 – Stavanger
61 – Milan   62 – Valencia  63 - Norfolk VA  65 – Rome           109 – Ramstein   150 – Karup

Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey  - Click here to visit the MoD website and view the results of the 2008 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (CAS).

Gas and electricity safety certificates – Did you know that without a valid gas and electricity safety certificate for your married quarter you will not be able to book any repairs or maintenance jobs with the MHS Helpdesk (apart from in emergencies).  When you receive a letter to arrange your mandatory gas or electricity inspection please do not ignore it, rearrange the appointment if it is inconvenient.

Dependants ID Cards - Click here for an up-to-date document explaining the changes to Dependants ID Cards.

Service Complaints Commissioner Report - The first annual report by the independent Service Complaints Commissioner (SCC) on the fairness, effectiveness and efficiency of the Service complaints process was published on 4 March 2009.  Click here to read the report in full.

Revised Annual Leave Policy - In response to adverse comments from those deployed over Christmas, New Year and Easter, the MOD have reviewed and revised Annual Leave Policy. From 1 April 09 Annual Leave Entitlement is being increased to 38 days to include Public Holidays, thereby ensuring that no one loses a Public Holiday if they happen to be away.

The Service Personnel Command Paper (SPCP) - The Service Personnel Command Paper is a cross-Government initiative, designed to end any disadvantage that armed service imposes on our people, their families and veterans. It specifically seeks to counter the difficulties that follow from being required to move around the country or the world, and identifies those areas where special treatment is needed to achieve this. The Paper also sets out how we can better support those who have been wounded in the service of their country.

The SPCP is a hugely important document which deals with all aspects of Service family life. For information on the measures within the Command Paper and how to access your entitlements, please visit the SPCP page on the MOD website.

To read a comment from the Chair of the NFF regarding the Command Paper click here.

Tri-Service Armed Forces Continuous Attitude survey (AFCAS) - Click here to view the results of the first ever tri-Service Armed Forces Continuous Attitude survey (2007)