Introducting the newly formed Military Wives and Girlfriends Group, part of the Royal British Legion Women’s Section. The RBLWS is a registered charity with a membership of 40,000 women worldwide, and they provide fantastic support (both financially and otherwise) for the families of serving and ex-serving personnel. Until now, there has been no easy way for Military Wives and Girlfriends to join the RBLWS, as with each move you would have to join a new branch. By joining the Military Wives and Girlfriends Group, you do not have to transfer your membership each time you move.

Being a member entitles you to a nice shiny RBLWS badge, an info pack, you can apply for tickets to the Festival of Remembrance, and can attend social and fundraising events, courses and will be able to easily access help from the RBLWS should you need it.

The RBLWS is a charity in it’s own right, but each November takes part in the Poppy Appeal, with all funds going to the RBL. Our members will have the opportunity to help out with this fantastic cause if they wish. We also hope to organise our own social and fundraising events throughout each year, which will of course be totally optional.

Within the group, if there are ten or more members in the same area, then you are free to form your own small branch, which will be run by whoever chooses to run it (fantastic experience to put on your CV!). Alternatively, you can just stay as part of the main Group – you can be as active as you choose. If you just want to join the Military Wives and Girlfriends Group and receive newsletters, support and opportunities to attend events etc, then that’s fine. It’s as much or as little as you choose to do.

Membership years with RBLWS run from October-October and the cost of membership is £6 per year. Payable in full at the time of joining and then again each October.

You can apply online here http://www.womensbritishlegion.org.uk/register (putting the branch as Military Wives and Girlfriends Group) and they will send you a form.

All money goes directly to the RBLWS so you are supporting a fantastic charity as well as getting all the information and support should you need it.

Thank you for all your support!

Day One

Husband came home today with a print out of an email from Glasgow, telling him he is earmarked for a job. It’s not a place that he put on his Posting Preference form, but it’s in the same area as we wanted to be, and we are very pleased that we could end up there. The only reason it wasn’t on his Posting Preferences was because we forgot it existed.

We’ve been told he won’t get a posting order until after the Redundancy results are out on 12th June as he’s in the bracket but hasn’t applied. It’s going to be a long wait!

Day Sixty Five

Husband received a text message from his Boss (Husband was at the top of Pen Y Fan at the time) telling him his Posting Order was on his desk. He forwarded me the text. It was totally unexpected as we were really thinking we wouldn’t hear anything until after 12th June. Very pleased to know now. Almost 3 months to the day until he starts his new job. I rang my sister and spoke to her for an hour, both very excited that we will be living near each other again. Spent the whole evening researching schools (our eldest starts in September) and the area in general. Really looking forward to moving.

Day Sixty Seven

We went to view a gorgeous new build house today, making plans for if my husband gets made redundant. We are both totally in love with it and wish we could have bought it there and then. Spent the rest of the day getting excited about the prospect of owning our own home. Then came home to our quarter. Tried to get myself excited again about his posting, but spent the rest of the evening making plans for owning our own home. Woops!

Day Sixty Eight

The entire system for applying for a house has changed since we last moved in October 2010. Back then you sent a paper form to the HIC and they were to offer you an address within 15 working days (if they had availability). Of course, it didn’t actually work like that. We applied in the May, hoping to move the last week in August, ready for him to start his new job the first week of September. We got our address in the August, he started work as expected in the first week of September. I had a baby in the October and we moved when she was 4 days old – not ideal!! They hadn’t been able to give us a house before then due to a shortage of housing. They did give us a choice of delaying the move but I just wanted to get it over and done with while he was on paternity leave and able to help. Due to that rule on them taking their relocation leave from the losing unit, he had had a random week off at the end of August to help us move – of course we weren’t moving house and I was heavily pregnant and fed up so we spent the week doing nothing.

As I said, the system has changed now. The HIC is now the HASC, and we have to apply online. I’m leaving this bit to him, but with strict instructions on what dates etc to put on the form. He’s away all week so will have to apply next week instead. I’ve already asked the girls on Squaddie Wives about the forms, and a few other inane questions that considering this will be our fourth move since 2008, I really shouldn’t need to ask anymore. It’s funny how quickly you forget things. The main one being when can we apply for Disturbance Allowance (the money you get for moving house) and does it go in with wages or separately. None of us ever seem to be able to remember this one for some reason. Got it all figured out now just need to get all the paperwork for everything done.

I’ve looked for places for my daughter to go to swimming lessons. Everywhere is twice the price and twice the class size as it is up here. I’d forgotten how expensive stuff is down there.

Now off to read Ofsted reports for the schools in the area we are moving to, and try and work out how I go about applying for a place for our 3 (nearly 4) year old down there…

Day Seventy Two

My husband sent the housing forms off today. Now we start the wait for an address, hopefully it won’t take too long.