RAF Henlow HIVE

09/06/2026

Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Communications Update _09 June 2026

Interim Chair of Defence Housing Service

The Defence Housing Strategy, announced in November 2025, marks the most significant transformation of Armed Forces housing in more than 50 years. It sets out an ambitious, fully funded ten-year programme to improve the homes and communities that service personnel and their families rely on every day. At the heart of this generational renewal, is the creation of a standalone professional Defence housing organisation, the Defence Housing Service.

Leading this transition is Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE, who has been appointed Interim Chair of the Defence Housing Service. Natalie previously chaired the Defence Housing Strategy Review Team and will play a crucial role in leading the transition to the new organisation, ensuring it is ready to deliver for you and your families from day one.

Once formally established in law through the Armed Forces Bill, the Defence Housing Service will take responsibility for managing nearly 50,000 military homes across the UK. Its mission includes providing safe, high-quality, and reliable housing that reflects modern military life.

Natalie’s appointment comes as the latest polling data collected by Opinion Research Services shows a rise in satisfaction among Personnel and families living in military homes.

Read more at https://defencehomes.mod.gov.uk/2026/06/09/appointment-of-interim-chair-of-the-defence-housing-service/

08/06/2026

RAF Association’s Women’s Wellbeing Network - Upcoming webinars.

These sessions aim to inform, inspire and support women across a range of personal and professional topics.

We have an exciting programme ahead:

🗓️10 June – Owning Your Narrative: Confidence, Visibility and Professional Connection
Led by Leadership Coach Vanessa Cobb, this session will explore how perception shapes experience, how effective self-promotion begins with paying attention, and how small mindset shifts can transform confidence and career opportunities.


🗓️9 July – Redefining Strength: Service, Identity and Life Beyond Medical Discharge
Stacey Denyer shares her powerful personal journey through nearly two decades of military service, an unexpected diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, and the life-changing reality of medical discharge.

🗓️10 September – From Overload to Clarity: Navigating Health Information with Confidence
Delivered by Dr Sawsan Khuri, this session will explore how to navigate the overwhelming amount of health information available today. It will touch on the role of genetics, lifestyle and environment, helping attendees feel more confident in understanding women’s health information.

🗓️29 September – From Isolation to Inclusion: Why Investing in Individual Strengths Makes a Team Stronger
Caroline Paige will share key moments from her lived experience, highlighting how belief in self became a vital tool for survival and success, and why the understanding and support of others is so crucial.

If you would like to sign up or see further information, you can do so by visiting 👉https://rafa.org.uk/womens-wellbeing-network/

04/06/2026

Join the RAF Families Federation for an online community forum focused on practical support through separation and divorce.

We will be covering:
✔️Child arrangements
✔️Avoiding unnecessary court action
✔️Emotional wellbeing
✔️Financial mediation... and more!

🗓️ 16 June 2026
⏰1300hrs (1 hour)
💻Online via MS Teams

What to expect: Two specialist speakers will offer short, accessible presentations, followed by a Q&A with questions taken in a thematic and non‑personal way. To protect privacy and ensure a safe space, the discussion will not involve personal testimony or individual legal advice.

Register your place now contact: [email protected]
or visit https://bit.ly/4tR3dmr

02/06/2026

🏘 DIO Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Communications Update 29th May
🏠HomeHub
Following the recent downtime, there has been some updates on how you access HomeHub and an extra security step has been added. This means you may be asked by GOV.UK One Login to prove your identity when you log in. You may have already done this when using other government services, such as:
• Renewing a passport
• Updating a driving licence
• Using some HMRC services
What this means for you
• If you’ve already proved your identity, you don’t need to do anything. Your details are saved by GOV.UK One Login and will be recognised when you log in to HomeHub.
• If you haven’t proved your identity to GOV.UK One Login yet, you’ll be asked to do this the next time you log in.
How to prove your identity
You only need to do this once and can do so in one of three ways:
• Using the GOV.UK One Login app
• Answering security questions online
• Going to a Post Office
What you can use will depend on your device and the ID you have. For step-by-step help, click here.
Please note, Pinnacle does not verify your identity and does not receive or store any of your information. Your identity is checked by GOV.UK OneLogin, which securely validates and stores your details.
Summer safety guidance
Summer is just around the corner, and we want to share with you some of our best tips to keep you, your family and your home safe while enjoying the sunshine.
🪟Check your window restrictors
As it gets warmer, it may be tempting to open windows wide to let in a cool breeze. However, there is a risk of children or vulnerable adults falling from open windows and being injured if restrictors are not engaged. Please do not remove your window restrictors and ensure they are operating correctly. They should not allow the window to open further than 100mm when engaged. If they are missing, or not working, please contact Pinnacle to get this remedied.
🔥Practice BBQ safety
BBQs should be in a well-ventilated outdoors space, away from flammable objects like fences, sheds and shrubs. If you have a gas BBQ, make sure the gas bottle is turned off and removed safely. If you use a disposable BBQ (or coals), do not throw it away until it has cooled down completely.
🌿Keep your garden tidy
Create a safer space for your children to play by keeping your garden well maintained over summer. Regularly mow lawns and clear litter, food and pet waste to discourage pests and remove trip hazards. For any larger jobs that present a safety risk, such as unstable trees, contact Pinnacle.
☎If you require any further advice, please contact your local Housing Officer or Pinnacle at 0800 031 8628.
You can also find more summer safety tips on the Pinnacle website link in comments 👇
Stay connected with Defence Homes updates
Join the Defence Homes community and never miss an update. Families can now subscribe to receive the latest Defence Homes news, helpful updates and our Families First Newsletter, all delivered straight to your inbox.
Signing up is quick and easy: just visit Defence Homes and enter your email address.
Ministerial visit to Woolwich
Families living at Woolwich Barracks recently welcomed Defence Secretary John Healey MP and local MP and Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, who visited the site to see first-hand the improvements being made to SFA.
The properties visited have been refurbished recently as part of a £10 million investment to Woolwich. This includes refurbishments to 130 homes, ahead of the return of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment from deployment in Cyprus.
Read more about it on Defence Homes https://defencehomes.mod.gov.uk/
AFCAS results
Yesterday the results of the 2026 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) were released. We are pleased to see that satisfaction with the overall standard of SFA has improved slightly since last year at 52%. Satisfaction with responses to requests for repairs and maintenance works within SFA has also increased for the third year in a row to 39%, an increase of 5%.
This year’s results are encouraging, but we know there is more to do and work to reshape, redevelop and modernise the Defence housing estate is already being driven forward through the Defence Housing Strategy.

02/06/2026

The latest edition of RAF News is out now. Go to rafnews.co.uk to subscribe

01/06/2026

The 2026 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) results are published on 28 May. You can read the Tri-Service full report on the Government website https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-index If you have access to MODNET, the RAF report can be viewed on HQ Air Occupational Psychology sharepoint site.

AFCAS measures how military personnel feel about life in the Armed Forces. It offers vital insight for policy makers in Defence, including those responsible for things like the Armed Forces’ Covenant.

7618 responses were received in 2026, representing a Tri-Service response rate of 24%. The RAF response rate was 31%.

Speaking about the RAF’s results, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Paul Lloyd said:

“I would like to thank everyone who completed the survey this year. The AFCAS serves a vital role in providing your views and experiences to support identification and delivery of actions aimed at improving Service life. I am pleased to see that changes compared to last year are generally positive and that people engagement has significantly increased, I acknowledge however there remain areas of dissatisfaction. Aligning with CASs People Directive, we are combining insights from AFCAS and multiple sources of evidence to understand where improvement is needed and how we can meet these needs.”

If you would like further information about AFCAS, you can email the Occupational Psychology Team at [email protected]

29/05/2026

💻Upcoming June Webinars with Serve and Protect Credit Union

🌍 Green Living: Simple Eco-Friendly Tips to Lower Your Bills
Date: Wednesday 3rd June
Time: 12:00-12:45
What to Expect: Tips for living a greener life to save money and protect the planet!
🐖 Saving Made Simple: Practical Tips to Boost Your Savings
Date: Wednesday 17th June
Time: 12:00-12:45
What to Expect: Explore 10 practical savings methods that anyone can apply to build a healthy savings cushion.
✍ Budgeting 101: Take Control of Your Money
Date: Thursday 18th June
Time: 12:00-12:45
What to Expect: Create a budget that meets your short and long-term financial goals, plus tips to cut your spending.
💷Financial Resilience: Ready When it Matters
Date: Friday 19th June
Time: 12:00-13:00
What to Expect: Understand why financial resilience matters and hear some simple, practical tips to help you improve it.
🚀 Credit Score 101: Tips to Boost Your Score
Date: Thursday 25th June
Time: 12:00-12:45
What to Expect: Understand the importance of looking after your credit score, plus actionable tips to improve yours.
💸 Borrow Smarter: Tips to Strengthen Your Loan Application
Date: Friday 26th June
Time: 12:00-12:45
What to Expect: Understand what happens throughout the journey of a loan application, some of the key factors lenders evaluate, and what to do before you apply.
🔗 Register for free here

Join Serve and Protect's webinars for simplified financial guidance and actionable tips to help you on your financial journey.

28/05/2026

Armed Forces Week 2026
This Armed Forces Week, we're looking for messages of thanks from friends and family of our Armed Forces. Email your message to [email protected]
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27/05/2026

New Recruit for Spouses opportunities for military spouses and partners

Recruit for Spouses has released its latest upcoming events, career programmes and support available throughout May and June.

If you’re looking for employment, training, or support with your next step, there are a range of opportunities to explore.

To register your interest, sign in to the RFS Portal:
https://portal.recruitforspouses.co.uk/users/sign_in
Or email: [email protected]

26/05/2026

Pinnacle Service Families

☀️ Summer’s on the way!

As temperatures are set to rise next week, now’s a great time to take a look over our summer guidance for Service Family Accommodation. It’s packed with practical steps to help you prepare your home, stay safe in the warmer months, and know what to do if something goes wrong.

Read the full guidance: https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/.../summer-tips/

📞 Need help with a summer related issue? Call 0800 031 8628