The Army Families Federation (AFF) is delighted to hear that a new £200,000 fund to support Service families in Wales has been announced by the Welsh Government. In 2017, the charity sent a detailed brief, on families’ behalf, to the Education Minister Kirsty Williams, highlighting the need for targeted pupil funding for Armed Forces children in Wales, and they are pleased to see that this important issue has now been recognised.
Families voices heard
In England, this funding is provided by the Service Pupil Premium, and AFF has frequently received feedback from families who felt their children were at a disadvantage in Wales.
Using their views as a platform, AFF has advocated a similar scheme to support Service children in Wales. The charity sees this newly announced provision as a positive first step to increased support in more areas of the UK.
Ensuring school support
The Education Minister said: “Service children often have to move schools at very short notice, and can also face the anxiety of having a parent away on active service. That’s why we need to ensure schools are there to support them.”
AFF’s Regional Manager for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Annabel Ingram said: “AFF works hard in our devolved nations to ensure parity across the UK for all our Service families. We’re very pleased for our families in Wales, who will now see their children receive support to deal with the unique challenges of life as a Service family.”
The fund will be administered by the Supporting Service Children in Education (SSCE) Project, and schools are encouraged to make a bid this school term to access funding ready for the new school year in September.
Find out more
To find out more about the work AFF does on behalf of Army families worldwide, visit www.aff.org.uk
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
- The Army Families Federation (AFF) is the independent voice of Army families: Regular or Reserve, wherever they are based, whatever the make-up of their family.
- Throughout the UK and overseas, AFF works hard to achieve policy change and progress in favour of Army families; they offer advice and guidance on all aspects of Army life, confidentially and in an easy-to-digest way.
- They work with other agencies such as MOD, government, charities and other key players to strengthen their cause and fight for a fair deal for families everywhere.
- Their family-focussed website (aff.org.uk) contains information about all aspects of Army family life, and their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages offer families other easy ways to contact us, interact with us, or simply follow the work we are doing.
- AFF operates by four core values, which are pivotal to our work. These are:
- AFF always puts families first
- AFF can be trusted
- AFF is bold and determined
- AFF is inclusive
Media Contact:
For more information about AFF’s work, contact Donna Bernard, AFF Comms & Marketing Director, at commsmarketingdirector@aff.org.uk
