CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS

LONDIS SHOP

The shop will operate normal opening hours until Fri 13 Dec 13 then revert to the timings below:

          14 & 15 Dec                  Closed.

          16 – 20 Dec                  0900 – 1400 hrs

          21 Dec 13 – 5 Jan 14   Closed.

Changes to the Housing Allocations Service Centre (HASC) Area Map

Christmas stand down

9 Regt AAC Unit Welfare Office

Will be close between 20 Dec 13 – 06 Jan 14 for the Christmas Stand down in line with Regimental Stand down Policy . Should you require Welfare assistance over this period please call the duty number (Guardroom):

01423 321590

Below is some general guidance and contact numbers should you need them:

Property / housing issues – In ALL situations Modern Housing Solutions (MHS) should be called by Occupant on 0800 707 6000. Any situation regarding public services (bins, street lighting, pet fouling etc) is a local authority matter for Harrogate Borough Council.

Noise Complaints – are a civil matter. The complainant should request directly to the offender to reduce the noise levels in the first instance.  If the situation continues or escalates the Police may be called by the complainant but likely to be told to log the instances and report to the environmental health agency NYCC.

Welfare web page http://welfare9aac.blogspot.co.uk/

North Yorkshire Police        101

Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC)     01452 519951

All other Contact numbers: http://welfare9aac.blogspot.co.uk/p/contact-numbers.html

HASC Christmas Opening

Information from DIO about Combating Condensation

Amenities disruption

Amenities disruption

Due to ongoing electrical works on camp, various substations will need to be shutdown in order to carry out remedial maintenance over specific periods within the next few weeks. These ‘Shutdowns ‘may affect some houses on the married quarter areas. To this end I have been asked by the QM to publish the following information:

The substation which supplies the WATER PUMP HOUSE will be effected on   MON 16 DEC 13  between 0800 – 1700hrs, this may reduce the water pressure, or stop the water supply to some of the Service Families Accommodation (Married Quarters) for some, or all of this time.

The Welfare Office would like to advise that in order to limit the effects to your household that simple measures like: filling the bath the night before, preparing a bucket of water next to the toilet and having some bottled water available for that day would alleviate some of the discomfort that this temporary loss of service is bound to bring.

For further info please feel free to contact the Welfare on 01423 321617. 

Christmas Carol Service - Tuesday 10th December

672 Squadron Homing Coming Event

Add caption

Helpful information from DIO - Protecting your family and your home in Winter

669 Squadron - Melting in Kenya!

669 Sqn Kenya Newsletter dated 5 Nov 13

KENYA NEWSLETTER 05 NOV 13

Something about Africa really gets my goat! 669 Squadron update (‘SitRep’ in Army speak)

Kenya is a beautiful country full of goats. 669 Squadron group has now been deployed for nearly two weeks so it is high time that all the supportive families back in the UK received an update as to our whereabouts and activities.  For the most part the deployment has gone swimmingly.  Aside from Corporal Mortimer coming down with D&V before even arriving in Kenya (a sterling effort we thought) all personnel turned up on time having remembered their passports and persuaded Kenya Airways to let them through with more than a few extra kilograms of personal kit.  After months of preparation and at least an inch lost from the Ops Officer’s hairline, Exercise Pashtun Lynx had finally begun in earnest… only to find that in fact we had no helicopters!

Age-old rivalries between the Army and the RAF were once again rejuvenated when we found ourselves on an aviation exercise with nothing to fly.  All four Lynx were still at RAF Brize Norton waiting for some aeroplane pilots to stop drinking coffee, eating cake and playing Candy Crush Saga, and much to the dismay of the Squadron Quartermaster the freight was also still in the UK, including his beloved brew kit.  In the meantime, troops were passed through a series of three camps, beginning with Kafari Barracks in Nairobi.

Kafari left rather a lot to be desired, though in comparison to Nairobi airport which had recently burnt down and was still on display to the public as a blackened, twisted and collapsed shell, the barracks were in good nick!  The troops were packed into pungent-smelling rooms full of bunk beds arranged so closely together that lines of bergans had to form ranks outside the accommodation.  On the plus side though the food was hot and tasty, the showers worked and the toilets were relatively clean.  Best of all there was a shop that sold ice cream, much to everyone’s delight.

After a few nights in Kafari everyone was loaded onto coaches and driven for approximately four hours up to a camp near the town of Nanyuki.  This long journey north east had given us our first glimpse of Kenyan life.  The landscape transformed from a strong smelling slum to lush, green, rolling countryside full of fruit and coffee and the roads were lined with tin shacks, vegetable stalls, people and animals all going about their business.  The vicious, often unmarked speed bumps ensured all traffic slowed to a crawl, encouraging newspaper sellers and children to run up to the cars and trucks begging for sweets, chocolate and the occasional cheeseburger/goat kebab.

As you would expect, outside of the major cities there is very little wealth in Kenya and driving through the Country is remarkably humbling – such wonderful smiles from people who have relatively little compared to those in England.  Despite the abject poverty in some areas, the shops are optimistically named – The Ritz, The Nanyuki Grand Plaza and Tesco’s are no more than single storey, wooden shacks with hand-painted signs above the door advertising the latest sales.  A few of the guys have taken a wander outside of the camp to a row of shops selling wooden carvings, paintings and home-made jewellery.  As soon as you emerge from the camp you are ambushed by a dozen or so shop owners, all promising free presents in return for your visiting their shop first.  The locals are gentle and friendly with a good sense of humour and the shop owners have all given themselves English names, although we weren’t sure ‘Jack Sparrow’ saw the irony of naming himself after a crooked pirate!

Nanyuki sits in the foothills of Mount Kenya at 6500 feet above sea level and hosts a much larger camp than Kafari on the outskirts of the town.  Though still on bunk beds, the accommodation blocks seemed positively spacious in comparison to Kafari and the food was even more delicious.  The showers, however, could only be used after one had participated in some physical exercise; not because they were out of bounds or switched off, but because they were so icily cold that you needed to warm yourself up sufficiently in order to prevent to onset of hypothermia.  By the weekend the engineering equipment was beginning to arrive in Nanyuki, naturally in the opposite order to that which the SQMS and the Ops Officer had planned (more hair loss), but everybody mucked in to unload lorry-load after rusty lorry-load of heavy equipment, sorting and prioritising it for its next move up North.

After another three nights our bags and boxes were once again loaded onto troop carrying vehicles and we began another three hour journey, this time into the desert.  As we drove further North the lush vegetation slowly dried up leaving prickly bushes with thorns the size of fingers, and the dress turned from Western logos to traditional tribal attire – colourful bracelets and headdresses, large earrings and spears.  We arrived in MOB Simba, our home for the duration of the exercise, in bright sunshine and extreme heat (with very sore backsides after the cross country ride with no suspension).  The camp is a large, square area surrounded by Hesco-Bastion walls and razor wire.  There are rows of tents and toilet blocks in the centre and around the edge there is a gravel track which serves as an 800 metre running lap – so far only 3 people have passed out through sheer boredom whilst running round it.  The showers are wonderfully tepid and the water flows like a monsoon.  The toilets flush (most of the time) so all in all the living conditions are much better than expected.

Everyone is accommodated in tents that leak like sieves and are home to a variety of snakes and camel spiders the size of fists.  Barry the bat lives in the doorway to the female toilets but is good enough to fly off for a while and give the girls some privacy, and the showers attract a wealth of dragonflies, giant crickets and beetles.  The Ops Room’s lizard, Eddie, enjoys chasing dog tags and has now become a permanent member of the Ops team, and Lance Corporal Jackson learnt that no matter how fast you run away from the various beasties, if you leave your head torch on, they will catch you.

We were surprised to see the Squadron 2IC arrive into camp after a period of absence sporting a slight suntan (his ginger locks take rather a lot of persuasion to show anything other than ‘pale’). The Squadron gave him substantial banter about carrying out several extended recces of the luxury, safari lodges but his extensive travels and huge amounts of charming sweet talk have meant that the local lodges have agreed to offer short periods of R&R to the troops with approximately a 90% discount.  This, along with the multi-activity Adventure Training packages that he and the Sergeant Major have lined up mean that each member of the Squadron should be able to break up this long exercise with a few days away with a swimming pool, a TV and some internet.  Those that have not been able to speak with their loved ones for days on end should be able to squeeze in the occasional phone call – definitely something to look forward to.

Exactly one week behind schedule the RAF kindly delivered two of the four helicopters to Nairobi.  The solid team of REME techs set to work refitting rotor blades and before long the faint sound of inbound aviation was heard up at MOB Simba, finally marking the start of Exercise Pashtun Lynx.  The ground support team were ready and waiting to refuel using the OshKosh tanker and by the end of the evening the remainder of the freight, including the SQMS’s fridge and kettle, had arrived by road.

Since then the Squadron has already achieved a long list of training objectives.  Pilots have been piloting and crewmen have been keeping them in check.  All the aircrew have been learning how to land at night, on Night Vision Goggles, in thick dust and with limited engine performance due to the high altitude.  The flying standards officers have delivered the training along with the Regimental Instructor, ‘Woody’, and so far they seem happy that there are no flying risks among the aircrew.  A variety of wildlife has been seen from the air including herds of elephant, giraffe and ostrich and Lance Corporal Mason was convinced that he spotted a lion, but later downgraded it to an antelope, or perhaps a goat.  The REME have been working their socks off to keep both aircraft serviceable and so far their only mishap has been to destroy a perfectly serviceable fire extinguisher by running over it with a Landrover.  The engineers have proved worth their weight in gold and have been a significant contributing factor to the success of the exercise so far.

Sergeant Wykes is making best efforts to complete all of the 7 weeks’ ground crew training objectives in the space of just a week and has been testing his team with Equipment Care, convoy driving, night vision device driving, cross country driving and navigation as well as the setting up of night landing aids and refuelling by day in the sweltering heat.  Spirits are high though and so far nobody has become navigationally embarrassed (lost) in the endless desert or crashed into an elephant (or a goat).  The Signals have been tearing their hair out trying to fix temperamental equipment and establish communications with both the aircraft and other ground callsigns, but after much cursing and threats of boots being put through computer screens, most of the kit appears to be up and running.  In fact, several feats of scientific wonder have already been achieved including satellite communications and, coming soon, a radio link direct to the Commanding Officer’s desk in Dishforth.

The whole team is looking forward to being able to support 3 PARA with some of their training and it will be good to hear the sound of the 50 calibre machine gun later on in the week when we begin training on the ranges.  Sun tans are progressing nicely and so far the SQMS has set the bar for the most blistered and angry-looking sunburn ever seen.  When his face falls off in a few days we will be sure to take plenty of photographs, preferably next to Captain Kent – the whitest man in NATO.

Overall, everyone is performing outstandingly and the Squadron boss is remarkably proud of progress to date.  All of you patient and long-suffering supporters at home are truly appreciated whilst you and your loved ones endure this separation – so often the price of achieving success.  We all look forward to coming home very soon and enjoying a well-deserved Christmas break. 

Ripley Castle Christmas Fair

National campaign to raise awareness of burglary 18-24 November 2013

North Yorkshire Police is backing a week-long, national campaign to raise awareness of burglary, the handling of stolen goods and the need for residents to be vigilant and take adequate crime prevention measures.   

Across the country police see an increase in burglaries during November and the run up to Christmas. Criminals know that homes will be full of desirable Christmas gifts and will take any opportunity to steal them.

Although huge progress has been made by the police and partner agencies over the past ten years with burglary down by 48% across England and Wales, it still presents daily challenges for the police service and causes great distress to victims.

In support of the campaign, throughout the week of 18 to 24 November 2013, North Yorkshire Police and local Community Safety Partnerships are holding a raft of initiatives across York and North Yorkshire including crime prevention road-shows, property marking sessions, advice surgeries, as well as distributing free security devices such as timer switches to vulnerable residents.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy of North Yorkshire Police, said: “The targeting of your home, followed closely by the theft or damage of personal possessions often has devastating and lasting effect on homeowners, their family and the nearby community.  North Yorkshire and the City of York may have the lowest crime rate in the country but are not complacent and are committed to doing everything we can to prevent burglary and the movement of stolen goods.  Householders should not be complacent about their home security either. Even the most simplest  crime prevention measures go a long way in helping to deter crooks and reduce incidents. Locking your doors, investing in a light timer switch and hiding valuables out of sight will help deter an opportunist burglar." 

ACC Kennedy added: “This week is about highlighting the need for people to protect their belongings and asking residents to help us to help them. I urge as many people as possible to take full advantage of the free crime reduction initiatives going on around the county this week and to take heed of our crime prevention advice.”

Residents are also urged to be vigilant and report any suspicious people, vehicles or activity in their neighbourhood. You know your own neighbourhood and what looks right and what is out of place.

Many suspects have been arrested and crimes prevented by people acting on their instinct and calling in with information. Do not hesitate to call us and report anything suspicious on 101, if you see a crime in progress always call 999. 

Act of Remembrance

Bonfire Night Poster now with Timings!

9 Regiment Bonfire Night

Charity Dress Sale

Panto Time ! 23rd November Contact Welfare to book

Alton Towers Trip Saturday 2nd November

Doncaster Dome Trip 12th October

Fashion Show in aid of Help for Heroes

Update from DIO

UPDATE 

The DIO is currently procuring a range of new contracts to replace existing arrangements for the management and maintenance of the Defence estate.  This programme includes the National Housing Prime (NHP) contract, which will replace existing maintenance contracts for Service Family Accommodation in the UK, and may potentially move some services currently provided in-house to the new contractor.

Three tendering organisations are now entering the final stages of the procurement process:

-          Carillion Holdings Ltd and Enterprise Managed Services Ltd, which currently maintain Service housing across England and Wales as MODern Housing Solutions (MHS) under the Housing Prime Contract

-          Babcock Support Services Ltd, which currently provide a range of Defence services to the MOD

-          Kier Ltd and Turner Facilities Management Ltd, of which Turner maintains housing in Scotland under the Regional Prime Contract for Scotland

Based on the current programme, the MOD expects to reach contract award by March 2014, with the successful contractor expected to enter service between July and November 2014, rolling out regionally, starting in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and followed progressively each month by the Central region, South East, and finally South West.

Although the MOD will aim to limit the impact of these changes to SFA customers, this will depend on the final transition plan agreed and the scale of the changes brought about by the final contract award.  We understand that effective communication will be vital during this period and further messages will follow to inform you about the final contract award and once the transition plan has been agreed

Brew & Bun Briefing

Knowsley Safari Park

DIO - Keeping Families Safe

Keeping families safe

DIO is responsible for ensuring that statutory safety inspections are undertaken, such as the annual Gas Safety inspection. Some customers consistently fail to permit access for these free safety inspections, so DIO is introducing new processes to tackle this important issue in England and Wales. On 19 August, revised versions of the Yellow and Red cards were launched which clearly set out the responsibility of the Licensee to permit access for these statutory inspections. The Yellow card will be issued on the first occasion an appointment is missed, whilst the Red card will be issued for the second missed appointment. The revised Red card will advise the customer that their details have been passed to DIO and that their Chain of Command may be contacted in an effort to gain access. Should the customer ignore these safety warnings and continue to fail to permit access, a further follow on process will then commence. In some circumstances this could include enforcing entry to the property to undertake the inspection. This will only be used in extreme circumstances, and in consultation with the Chain of Command, where DIO feels that it must enforce its statutory responsibility to ensure the safety of customers.

·         Making it easier to find information about SFA

If you want to know more about Service Family Accommodation you can find it all on the SFA website using the handy short address www.gov.uk/dio/sfa

·         Your safety is paramount – please help DIO when your gas appliances need inspecting

Some customers continue to consistently fail to permit access for free gas safety inspections, which DIO has a statutory requirement to undertake and are in the interests of your family’s safety.

Failure to allow access for these safety inspections is a serious breach of your licence to occupy so if you fail to permit access when an appointment has been arranged, a revised Yellow safety warning will now be issued. If you fail to permit access at the next appointment a revised Red safety warning will be issued, at which point DIO will get involved and may contact your Chain of Command in an effort to gain access.

To ensure the safety of your family and neighbours, please do not ignore these safety warnings.

·         Taking action on Damp and Mould

Thankfully the majority of Service homes don’t suffer problems from problems with mould or damp, and are warm and comfortable. However, DIO Ops Accn recognises that some of the housing stock in the UK was built before the latest standards and energy efficiency expectations, and invests millions every year to improve Service Family Accommodation (SFA). As well as the usual thousands of ongoing improvements in this financial year, DIO is specifically targeting investment to solve damp/mould related issues for Service families.

This work has been made possible by a combination of a very welcome injection of money in the 2012 budget for improving SFA, and a great deal of work undertaken by the DIO Ops Accn Estates Services team to get Green Deal funding to improve the energy efficiency of SFA. This means that measures such as external wall insulation, new roofs and new doors and windows will be installed by March 2014 at sites that have been targeted for the programme.

In addition, DIO and MODern Housing Solutions (MHS) has agreed a revised process for responding to reports of mould and damp. The new process means that a report of serious damp or mould will be inspected by both an MHS and DIO representative, who will have access to damp meters and other technology for establishing the cause of the issue.

Based on the results of this, a workable solution will be developed to address the cause.

Further guidance

Whilst this work aims to tackle problems caused by the fabric of the building, guidance has also been updated to help families who may have issues, such as condensation, that can often be resolved by taking simple steps such as improving ventilation. The revised guidance is on the SFA website.

More… www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-guides

·         Asbestos management survey

All buildings built in the UK in the last century may contain asbestos containing materials (ACMs) within their building fabric. Whilst these do not present a danger to you or your family if they are kept in good order and not disturbed, DIO Operations Accommodation has been carrying out ACM surveys in UK Service Family Accommodation. DIO is continuing this programme and intends to complete around 22,000 surveys in 2013/14.

You shouldn’t be unduly worried if you receive a visit from a surveyor, as the purpose of the survey is to determine and record where ACMs actually are. This will help DIO to manage them more effectively, especially during periods of major refurbishment where our ultimate goal is to remove them completely. Not all properties will receive a visit, as a large number of SFA properties have been surveyed before, already had ACMs removed during refurbishment, or built without these materials.

·         Thinking of making a change to your Service Family Accommodation?

Most people want to make the best of their home but families living in a Service home should be aware that they must seek permission in advance if they want to make changes that add to their Service Family Accommodation or change its fabric.

What you can do

As long as permission is sought from DIO first, through your housing officer, customers will generally be permitted to carry out minor encroachments either on the outside or to the outside of their homes. This includes erecting a greenhouse, garden shed, TV aerial, satellite dish, house alarms and security lights.

At the Pre Move Out appointment these changes will be inspected where it is considered that the encroachment does not provide added value to the property, the Licensee will be required to remove and make good. All costs incurred in the removal will be the responsibility of the Licensee - this also applies if you redecorate your property.

What you can’t do

Major changes will not usually be permitted, such as replacing a kitchen. Even if you know you will be based in a property for some time, these changes would introduce nonstandard fixtures and fittings that will not be covered by the maintenance contracts. In addition, customers should not interfere with fittings, such as gas ovens or gas fires, as this is potentially dangerous and illegal if you are not qualified.

Customers living in Substitute SFA (SSFA) are not permitted to alter the decoration of the interior or the exterior of the property without the written permission of either the MOD Contractor or the Letting Agent/Landlord.

·         Check your heating

It’s always a good idea to undertake a quick check of your heating system in September to make sure it is working correctly before the colder weather sets in.  If you discover any problems with your heating, please report them immediately to your maintenance helpdesk, as this will give them time to resolve the issue before you need your heating.

A customer guide is available about looking after your home over the winter period, including checking your heating. The guide can be found on the customer guide page of the SFA website at www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-guides

Current Offers from the Union Jack Club - London

Barnard Castle School Fundraiser for ABF The Soldiers' Charity and the Royal Caledonian Education Trust

Unit Welfare Office Summer Stand Down

Families Trips for Scarborough and Preston Park