AFF Cyprus - Latest News
On this page:
09 May - Dhekelia Garrison Welfare meeting
24 Apr - Education opportunitites in Cyprus for 16+
20 Apr - Summer courses at 55AEC - take your pick!
19 Apr - Unwanted books?
16 Apr - Do you live in Episkopi? Have your say!
21 Mar - Akrotiri School Governance Committee
15 Mar - Life in the UK test - update
13 Mar - Royal Air Force or Royal Navy family in Cyprus?
13 Mar - Serving spouse away for more than 28 days?
09 Mar - Follow AFF Cyprus on Twitter!
27 Jan - The Episkopi Residents Association
04 Jan - Vacancy for Cyprus branch Trustee
19 Oct - Leaving Cyprus? Don’t forget to claim your National Insurance credits!
Dhekelia Garrison Welfare meeting
The Dhekelia Garrison Welfare meeting, chaired by Lt Col Pat Burns (Dhekelia Garrison Commander), meets approximately every two months to discuss all welfare matters related to the garrison. The AFF, represented by our ESBA Co-ordinator Rosie Bradley-Bunn, attends these meetings to raise matters on behalf of families but also so that Rosie can report back to families on items of interest to them. The minutes from the last meeting can be found by clicking here. The next meeting will be held on Monday 11 June so please let Rosie know if there is anything that she can raise on your behalf.
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Education opportunitites in Cyprus for 16+
Click here for a prospectus outlining the options for 16+ in Cyprus.
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Summer courses at 55AEC - take your pick!
55 AEC in Episkopi has just released the list of courses it will be offering during summer term starting week commencing 14 May 2012. There really is something for everyone on offer and we strongly encourage you to take a look at the courses here. Perhaps you’re posted to Germany this summer and want to learn a bit of the language before you get there. If so, German Beginners will be perfect for you. If you’ve been meaning to get fit for ages but you haven’t wanted to go for a run or go to the gym on your own now you can choose from all these classes: pilates, power yoga, circuits, body sculpt, tennis, running, zumba or swimming. Alternatively, if you fancy learning how to make your own website, use Photoshop, perform first aid, cook like a Cypriot or a bit about Cyprus’ history, now’s your chance to do that. Enrolment is from Monday 30 April to Friday 11 May at 55 AEC (in the block where AFF, the library and SSAFA are).
Click here to download the course list.
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Unwanted books?
Whether you’re leaving Cyprus soon and have realised that you have loads of books that you can’t move home with you or you fancy having a bit of a clearout, remember that you can donate them to Bookends in Episkopi. Managed by ABF Cyprus The Soldiers’ Charity, Bookends will be pleased to take your unwanted books off your hands and sell them on with the proceeds benefiting local charities. So, if you have some books you’d like to pass on please either drop them off at Bookends or call 9945 6714 to arrange for someone to collect them from you.
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Do you live in Episkopi? Have your say!
The next meeting of the Episkopi Residents Association takes place on Thursday 10 May and AFF will be there to represent you. Please let us know if there is anything at all about life in Episkopi that you would like us to raise on your behalf. Whether you have something to say about housing, education, childcare, the community in general or any related matter, we will happily speak for you. Click here to see the minutes from the last meeting of the Episkopi Residents Association.
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Akrotiri School Governance Committee
Since it is vitally important that families’ views are represented on School Governance Committees (SGCs) throughout Cyprus, AFF sits on the SGCs of Akrotiri, Dhekelia, Ay Nik and Episkopi Primary Schools as well as those of St John’s and King Richard’s Schools. We are there to raise matters on behalf of families but also to report back to families about what the SGC has discussed.
Going forward, Mandy Staples (WSBA Co-ordinator) will be representing AFF on Akrotiri School’s SGC. Please therefore contact Mandy if you have anything that you would like to raise about Akrotiri School. You can mention absolutely anything you like and the school always welcomes the views of both pupils and parents alike.
For other SGCs in Cyprus, please contact the following members of staff:
Ay Nik Primary School - Rosie (ESBA Co-ordinator)
Dhekelia Primary School - Rosie (ESBA Co-ordinator)
Episkopi Primary School - Phil (Director)
King Richard’s School - Rosie (ESBA Co-ordinator)
St John’s School - Phil (Director)
Life in the UK test - update
The Life in the UK Test is the test that you need to take if you are applying for naturalisation as a British citizen. There are certain other requirements that you also need to meet such as having a certain knowledge of English. A number of families have approached us in recent months to ask when the Life in the UK Test will be available in Cyprus. In short, we are not sure exactly when the test will be available here. It was meant to be piloted in Germany about now but that pilot has been put back to May this year. We hope that the test will be available in Cyprus (in Episkopi) not too long after it has been trialled in Germany. Everyone is working hard to ensure that families in Cyprus will be able to sit the test here as soon as possible so please keep an eye on our website and facebook pages for more information.
If you have any questions about the Life in the UK Test please take a look at Katherine Houlston’s Foreign & Commonwealth pages or follow this link to the UKBA website: http://lifeintheuktest.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ . Your AFF team in Cyprus is of course also on hand to answer any queries you might have.
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Royal Air Force or Royal Navy family in Cyprus?
Remember that the Army Families Federation in Cyprus acts on behalf of all Service families, not just Army families. So if you are an RAF or Royal Navy family and there is something that you think AFF could help you with please get in contact with us. If your question or concern is specific to your Service, we might put you in contact with the RAF or Naval Families Federation.
We have copies of the most recent RAF and Naval Families Federations magazines (Envoy and Homeport respectively) so please pop in to see us in Episkopi if you would like a copy of either magazine. Alternatively, if you are unable to get to Episkopi please give us a call and we will send a magazine to your unit address in Cyprus.
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Serving spouse away for more than 28 days?
At the Welfare Focus Group in Episkopi last week, Maj (Ret’d) Pat Chapman (Episkopi HCSO) reminded us that families are entitled to have their grass cut if the serving spouse is away from home for more than 28 days. So, if your husband, wife or civil partner is away from home on exercise or is deployed for the prescribed period, contact your HCSO to see if you can arrange an appointment to have your grass cut. This applies regardless of which garrison or station you live in.
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Follow AFF Cyprus on Twitter!
AFF Cyprus is keen to communicate with you in every way possible, so in addition to our website, facebook pages (WSBA and ESBA) and more traditional methods of communication, we have started to use Twitter. Please search for AFFCyprus, follow us and look out for lots of useful tweets. If you don’t currently use Twitter this is a perfect opportunity to start! We look forward to tweeting with you soon…
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The Episkopi Residents Association
The Episkopi Residents Association meets every three months to discuss issues that Episkopi residents would like to raise with the HCSO. A wide variety of subjects are discussed and AFF is always in attendance to represent families and raise relevant issues that have been brought to us. The minutes from the most recent meeting held on 19 January 2012 are available here with the kind permission of Episkopi HCSO. Click here to download the minutes.
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Vacancy for Cyprus branch Trustee
We currently have a vacancy for a Cyprus branch Trustee. Please see the Trustee section on the Volunteering for AFF page for full details.
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Leaving Cyprus? Don’t forget to claim your National Insurance credits!
Whether you have been working in Cyprus or not, as a Service spouse or civil partner you will be able to claim National Insurance credits to maintain your National Insurance record for time spent accompanying your spouse or civil partner in Cyprus post 6 April 2010. These National Insurance credits will protect your entitlement to the basic state pension and certain contribution-based Social Security benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance.
So, if you are leaving Cyprus soon (or at any time in the future) we encourage you to apply for your credits by completing the form which can be found at www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/modca1.pdf and having it verified by your welfare office.
Some spouses have been led to believe that they do not have to apply for the credits if they have been claiming state benefits whilst in Cyprus, for example Child Benefit, but that is not the case. Irrespective of whether you have been claiming any state benefits or not you will still have to make a separate application for your National Insurance credits. Remember that the credits only count for time spent outside the UK since 6 April 2010. If you have any questions please contact AFF on 2596 2110.
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