The below information was sent, via email to all volunteers and staff across SSAFA, on 9 October 2025.
To: all volunteers, employees, trustees
Dear colleagues,
Focus: highlights from this week’s NDP Town Halls
Thank you to those who attended one of our recent Network Delivery Project (NDP) Virtual Town Halls this week. We appreciate the time many of you took to join the discussion and share your thoughts. For those who couldn’t attend, we really encourage you to catch up on the presentation and recordings by following this link or clicking on the blue button below:
We heard from a variety of colleagues, who shared their knowledge, experience and passion, and in the presentation which you can view above, we have provided links to numerous resources to ensure you have all the information you need.
What we covered
We provided an update on the progress of the NDP, including the 2026 rollout, and recent developments in the Community Engagement Strategy shaped by earlier feedback.
We were fortunate to hear from Mark Tyrrell-Smith, Branch Chair for Devon and Regional Chair for the South West, who shared how ahead of the transition to the NDP model, his team has embraced community engagement in practice - an inspiring example of what’s possible when we work closely within our communities. Our Community Engagement Manager (CEM) for the South West, Kate Marshall explained her role and gave examples of the support she provides. We also introduced our six new Regional Marcomms Managers (RMMs) and outlined how they’ll be supporting the regions.
NDP model rollout update:
- 2025: By the end of the year, a total of 25 branches will have completed the transition bringing in East of England, West Midlands, London, and the South East to join our 2024 trial regions of Wales and the East Midlands.
- Looking ahead to 2026: Branch migrations will continue in the South West, North East, North West, and Scotland during the first half of the year. For Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland, and Overseas branches, we will shortly begin reviewing which elements of the NDP will be effective, taking into account geographical and legislative requirements.
Community engagement updates
Julie McCarthy, Director of Welfare Operations (DWO), gave an update on the developments that have taken place, further to the feedback many colleagues provided on the draft Community Engagement Strategy. The final version will be published by early November and as you will hear in the video below, your input is helping to shape the updated document:
Resources from Town Halls
We also wanted to share some helpful links following discussions in the Town Halls:
- Transition Preparation Guidance for Branch and Divisional Executives
- Information on Microsoft O365 account closure when moving into NDP
- Full GoAssemble user guides – available on the Volunteer Knowledgebase, covering how to change notification settings, send emails to external addresses, and more.
- Support for volunteers - regional contacts in your region
Where can I get more information?
The NDP Frequently Asked Questions document covers a range of topics addressing questions raised during and since the trials.
The Volunteer Knowledgebase is accessible to all volunteers and employees and contains detailed information on processes and procedures for all volunteer activities.
NDP Information Hub on SSAFAnet and the NDP Information Hub on the Volunteer Knowledgebase both provide a variety of information on NDP – including caseworker feedback videos, Town Hall presentations, transition guidance and copies of past updates.
If you have further questions, please contact the NDP Project team: [email protected]*.
*For GoAssemble (GA) users, please copy and paste any email addresses supplied into a GA message to send a query.
Many thanks,
Kett McAfee, Welfare Operations Project Manager