Welcome to the Second edition of the SSAFA Community Engagement Bulletin - October 2026
This monthly bulletin has been created to bring together updates and information about Community Engagement. It is a space to help us stay connected as One community and One SSAFA.
Each month you might expect to find:
- Network news and updates from across Community Engagement.
- Examples of great practice from branches, volunteers and staff.
- Upcoming events and opportunities to get involved.
- Resources, guidance and tools to support your role.
- Success stories and impact highlights demonstrating the difference our community engagement activities make.
- Spotlights on innovative projects and partnerships from around the network.
Whether you're a volunteer or member of staff, we hope this bulletin helps you stay informed, inspired and connected, while showcasing the fantastic work being delivered in support of our four Community Engagement pillars: Support, Belonging, Connection and Fundraising.
Thank you for everything you do to strengthen SSAFA's presence in communities across the UK and overseas. We hope you enjoy this month's bulletin.
Introducing Our New Community Engagement Volunteer Course
We are pleased to introduce our new Community Engagement Volunteer (CEV) Course, created to help volunteers build their knowledge, confidence and skills in this important role across SSAFA.
The course consists of five short modules and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. At the end of the course, there is a short knowledge check to reinforce key learning points.
We recognise and value the knowledge, skills and experience that many existing community engagement volunteers already bring to the role.
For this reason:
- Existing CEVs are encouraged, but not required, to complete the course.
- New CEVs joining SSAFA will be required to complete the course as part of their volunteer onboarding journey.
If you are already a CEV:
- The course is now available on Learning Base and should appear on your home page. If you cannot see it, search for “Community Engagement” in the content library. You can follow this link and refer to the guide for accessing the training content library.
If you are not a CEV but are interested in the training:
- You can follow this link and refer to the guide for searching for the course in the content library.
If you are in the process of becoming a CEV:
- You will find Community Engagement as one of the required courses in your induction pathway, which you will need to complete as part of your induction. You can follow this link for guidance on accessing the training.
Whether you are new to the role or have been supporting SSAFA for many years, we hope this learning resource will help you feel informed, confident and supported in your community engagement activities.
Volunteer Safety: Reporting Accidents and Incidents
The safety and wellbeing of our volunteers remain a priority across SSAFA. All volunteers are responsible for taking reasonable care of their own safety and the safety of those around them while carrying out activities on behalf of the charity.
It is important that all accidents, incidents, injuries, dangerous occurrences and near misses, no matter how minor, are reported as soon as possible. This includes any instances of damage to property or equipment that occur during volunteering activities undertaken in the name of SSAFA.
Reporting incidents helps us identify risks, improve safety practices, and ensure appropriate support is available when needed.
Full details of the reporting process, including the Volunteer Safety Handbook, incident reporting form and other supporting guidance, can be found in the Branch Handbook article: Incident & Accident Reporting. We encourage all volunteers to familiarise themselves with the procedure and keep this resource handy should it ever be required.
By reporting incidents promptly and accurately, we can continue to create a safe environment for everyone volunteering and engaging with SSAFA activities.
Here is a reminder of some of the recently published policies and guidance that can now be found in the Branch Handbook
GA Feedback Loop - Survey now Live! Please find the link to the survey below - The survey takes around 7-10 minutes and closes on 15 October
Update to automatic Touchpoint recording
As a reminder, the automatic recording of touchpoints in GA has been removed. This means that activities which previously generated a touchpoint automatically will no longer do so, helping ensure that touchpoints recorded against volunteer profiles are relevant and purposeful.
GoAssemble allows volunteers to place themselves on hold for up to six months. This can be useful when volunteers know they will be away due to sickness, family commitments or other circumstances. Where possible, volunteers should discuss this with their manager before updating their status.
GoAssemble User Guides on Volunteer Knowledgebase
The Volunteer Experience (VE) team is continuing to work through the GoAssemble User Guides on the Volunteer Knowledgebase, with the aim of making the guidance more relevant to how GA is used at SSAFA. This is an ongoing piece of work, and updated guidance will be published as individual guides are reviewed.
Summer in Hampshire with SSAFA!
Thruxton Motor Circuit once again demonstrated the power of volunteering in action. 🏁 Working alongside Friends of SSAFA and local cadets, volunteers supported both the British Touring Cars and Superbikes events, raising more than £4,000 during the Superbikes weekend alone and helping manage 504 bags across the event.
SSAFA Civic Reception held to celebrate The Perth & Kinross Branch
On Monday 21st September, the Perth & Kinross Lord Provost, Xander McDade, hosted a civic reception to celebrate the amazing work carried out by the Mighty Perth & Kinross Branch.
More than £8,000 raised at the Belfast International Tattoo
SSAFA Northern Ireland was proud to be the featured charity at this year’s Belfast International Tattoo, raising more than £8,000 while volunteers engaged with thousands of attendees and highlighted the support available to the Armed Forces community.
If you have any feedback, questions or comments about anything in this months Bulletin please dont hesitate to get in touch - you can either reach out to your Regional Community Engagmenet Manager directly or reach the Community Engagement Team via our mail box [email protected]
Thank you for everything you do to strengthen communities, support beneficiaries and champion SSAFA across the UK and overseas.