Christmas - Families of Veterans Guild

Christmas activities for Sydney veteran families

Kelly Taylor — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 01:12:35 +0000

Christmas crafting session and lunch for war widows, defence and veteran families

We’re inviting war widows, defence and veteran families to join us for some Christmas activities and lunch at our Chatswood office on Friday 5 December 2025. Together we’ll make lavender felt hearts, write Christmas cards for war widows, and share lunch in a relaxed group setting.

This free session will be facilitated by our Wellbeing Team, offering a warm and welcoming space to connect, create, and spread some Christmas cheer within the veteran community. All materials and lunch are provided.

Christmas activities and lunch

War widows, along with defence and veteran families, are warmly invited to join us for Christmas activities at our Chatswood office. Led by social workers Gabby Steel and Hayley Lam, participants will be guided in making lavender felt hearts, one to keep and others to contribute to our grief packs, which are gifted to veteran families navigating loss. We will also write Christmas cards to war widows, sending them some Christmas cheer in the mail. This is a meaningful way to create, connect, and give back. Lunch will be provided, making it a relaxed and enjoyable way to spend time with others.

Hop on the new Metro train (just a quick 14min ride from either Central to Chatswood or Ryde to Chatswood). Feel free to explore the lively streets of Chatswood, with its great shops, dining, and unique attractions.

There is no cost for this activity. Your materials and lunch will be covered by Families of Veterans Guild.

Previous attendees to Wellbeing activities said “I just wanted to express my gratitude for being able to connect with such a wonderful group. It was such a great opportunity to do a self-care activity and get to know some of the other attendees at the same time.”

Event information

Location: Families of Veterans Guild, Level 1 9 Help St Chatswood NSW.
Date and Time: Friday 5 December 2025, 10am – 12pm.
Registrations: Open NOW. Registrations close 4 December.
Cost: FREE for families of veterans.

Registration is a must, places are limited. Register below or call us on 02 9267 6577. For more information, please email wellbeing@fov.org.au.

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Batemans Bay regional visit

Kelly Taylor — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 05:33:23 +0000

A special lunch for war widows in Batemans Bay

On Thursday, 12 December 2024, members from across Batemans Bay area attended a lunch at Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, bringing together 41 guests, including members, past members, families, and carers from Kiama to Bermagui. This regional visit was funded by Families of Veterans Guild and organised by our War Widows Program.

Special guests included coordinators from the Ulladulla, Bay & Basin, Moruya, and Nowra War Widows Social Clubs, as well as Diane Gowing, former coordinator of the Batemans Bay club, which is currently closed. Our President Queen Dunbar joined online, sharing highlights from War Widows Day at Martin Place and The Fullerton Hotel, accompanied by videos of the meaningful commemoration.

Highlights of the day

Members enjoyed a two-course lunch with tea and coffee, with lucky door prizes, ranging from bottles of wine to a Christmas cake serving splayd, added a festive touch.

Congratulations to the 14 war widows who were the lucky door prize winners!

A special moment honoured member Phyl S. who will celebrate her 101st birthday in January 2025, receiving congratulations from all and was also one of the lucky door prize winners of the day.

Discussions were made of the new war widows social group, a private Facebook community designed as a secure space for war widows to connect, share experiences, and find updates on in-person events.

“Days like today make a year full of bad news a little brighter”, one of our attendees said.

Gatherings like this show the importance of connection. For more information on joining the new War Widows Social Group on Facebook, or joining a local club, contact Families of Veterans Guild at (02) 9267 6577 or email programs@fov.org.au.

[See image gallery at familiesofveterans.org.au]

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The Entrance Christmas lunch

Kelly Taylor — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 23:55:51 +0000

The Entrance Long Jetty War Widows Social Club Christmas gathering

On Monday, 9 December 2024, The Entrance Long Jetty War Widows hosted a festive Christmas lunch at Diggers The Entrance, attended by 34 members and guests from across the region as well as by Board Director Lynne Sullivan. The lunch was made possible through our volunteers and a generous grant from Diggers The Entrance and aimed to strengthen regional connections while celebrating the holiday season.

Joyce, Fran, and Janice from the Entrance Long Jetty Social Club, alongside our War Widows Program’s team were able to adorn the space with Christmas decorations and shared information for attendees. Guests began arriving from 11:00 am to enjoy a two-course meal featuring chicken supreme and Christmas pudding.

War widows travelled from The Entrance, Toukley, Ettalong, Newcastle, and some as far as Kurri Kurri, where members of the newest social club attended their first official outing.

Highlights of the day

The day featured lively discussions, Christmas crackers, party hats and delivered a great Christmas themed lunch to wrap up the last meeting for 2024. Lucky door prizes of wine bottles, generously donated by Diggers The Entrance were also provided.

Significant moments included the screening of a War Widows Day video tribute, as well as updates on one of our large events of the year, the upcoming Field of Remembrance, scheduled in April 2025.

Discussions were made of the new war widows social group, a private Facebook community designed as a secure space for war widows to connect, share experiences, and find updates on in-person events.

“What a lovely lunch; thank you so much. I have not been out for a year”, one of our attendees said.

War widow gatherings like this show the importance of connection. For more information on joining the new War Widows Social Group on Facebook, or joining a local club, contact Families of Veterans Guild at (02) 9267 6577 or email programs@fov.org.au.

[See image gallery at familiesofveterans.org.au]

The post The Entrance Christmas lunch first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

Online vision board workshop

Kelly Taylor — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 04:11:41 +0000

Veteran and defence families can register for a free online vision board workshop

Has any of your loved ones ever served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF)? Are you connected to defence service in any way? Whether you’re the partner of a current member, a veteran spouse, parent, adult child or a widow of a veteran, we warmly invite defence and veteran families to join us for our online vision board workshop on Thursday 16 January 2025, brought to you by our Wellbeing Program.

Families of veterans and war widows make unique sacrifices during and after service. They balance the many demands of supporting a family, navigating grief and loss, relocations or adjustments, deployments or other absence from home, transition out of service or caring roles due to illness or injury.

Social connection, peer support and self-care are at the core of our wellbeing events. We acknowledge that veteran families may face barriers in developing and maintaining peer connections due to the unique nature of defence life, increasing their risk of social isolation and loneliness. The purpose of this activity is to encourage the families of veterans to focus on self-care and expand their social network by connecting with like-minded peers.

Online vision board

Defence and veteran families are invited to come together in the new year for an evening of intention setting for the year ahead. Facilitated by qualified social worker, Gabby Steel, and supported by Manager for the Social Work and Wellbeing Program, Lisa Stephenson, and Wellbeing Support Officer Kerrie-Anne Teo, veteran families will be guided in a vision board making activity via the online Canva platform.

Vision boards represent the changes you’d like to see in your life. Maybe you want to eat healthier meals, meditate, focus on self-care, increase your fitness level or just spend more quality time with family and friends. A vision board is a fun and creative way to visualise your goals and keep yourself accountable throughout the year. Veteran families will custom design their own unique digital vision board which they can refer to throughout 2025 for inspiration, strength, and guidance as needed.

Previous attendees of our art sessions said “I just wanted to express my gratitude for being able to connect with such a wonderful group. It was such a great opportunity to do a self-care activity and get to know some of the other attendees at the same time.”

There is no cost for this event. Your online wellbeing activity will be covered by Families of Veterans Guild.

Event information

Location: Online via Zoom (Link will be emailed to you)
Date and Time: Thursday 16 January 2025, 6pm – 7:30pm
Registrations: Open NOW. Registrations close 15 January
Cost: FREE for families of veterans

Registration is a must, places are limited. Register below or call us on 02 9267 6577. For more information, please email wellbeing@fov.org.au.

The post Online vision board workshop first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

Coffee catch up for families

Kelly Taylor — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 03:20:25 +0000

Veteran and defence families are invited for a catch up over coffee

Has any of your loved ones ever served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF)? Are you connected to defence service in any way? Whether you’re the partner of a current member, a veteran spouse, parent, adult child or a widow of a veteran, we warmly invite you to join us for our coffee catch up at the Royal Australian Mint on Friday 17 January 2025, brought to you by our Wellbeing Program.

Coffee catch up

Defence and veteran Families are invited to come together for a coffee catch up at the Royal Australian Mint Cafe. Arrive as you are, connect with your peers and chat over a coffee before exploring the newly refurbished Royal Australian Mint where you can learn the stories behind our currency, immersing yourself in the evolution of Australia’s coins. Keep the kids entertained these school holidays by unleashing their creativity and challenging their skills with interactive games. They can even mint their own coin at the coin shop.

Previous attendees to wellbeing activities said “I just wanted to express my gratitude for being able to connect with such a wonderful group. It was such a great opportunity to do a self-care activity and get to know some of the other attendees at the same time.”

There is no cost for this event. Your coffee catch up will be covered by Families of Veterans Guild.

Event information

Location: Royal Australian Mint
Date and Time: Friday 17 January 2025, 9.30am to 11.30am
Registrations: Open NOW. Registrations close 16 January
Cost: FREE for families of veterans

Registration is a must, places are limited. Register below or call us on 02 9267 6577. For more information, please email wellbeing@fov.org.au.

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Writing cards to members for Christmas

Kelly Taylor — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:30:20 +0000

Celebrating the season with handwritten cards for our war widows

The end of the year is a special time, but for many, especially within our community of war widows, it can also bring moments of reflection and heartache. That’s why our Christmas card writing sessions have become such an essential part of our annual calendar, a way to connect, support, and remind every one of our members that they are not alone during this time of year.

On 6 and 14 November 2024, our Chatswood office was able to host a festive environment for our dedicated volunteers to spend their day writing Christmas cards to be received around the month of December. These two days were dedicated to an annual tradition we’ve had in place for three years now; handwriting and personalising Christmas cards for all our members. Over 2,000 cards were prepared by our dedicated volunteers, each carrying a short but sweet message, ensuring every member of the Families of Veterans Guild can feel the warmth of our community as they receive these cards in time for the festive season.

The idea of sending handwritten Christmas cards to all members originated from our remarkable volunteers in 2022, and it’s now a firmly established tradition. These sessions not only ensure that our members feel connected, supported, and remembered during the festive season, but they also provide a wonderful opportunity for our volunteers. It’s a chance for them to catch up with friends and peers, sharing stories and laughter. Our War Widows’ Program team made sure everyone enjoyed a lovely morning tea and lunch, fostering a sense of community and support among the volunteers themselves. This tradition is cherished by all, as it brings comfort and connection to both the recipients and the writers, especially during a time of year that can be challenging for many.

If your address has changed or if your card has gone astray, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the office at 9267 6577 or programs@fov.org.au.

Special thanks to our volunteers

We give thanks to the volunteers who dedicated their day to writing these Christmas cards, their generosity and care make a significant difference in the lives of our members. Across the state we have 83 volunteers without whom it would be impossible to deliver the War Widows Program and days like this.

Office closure notice

Please take note that our office will be closed from 23 December 2024 and will reopen on 6 January 2025. During that time, if you need support and/or assistance in managing difficult emotions, please call Open Arms on 1800 011 046, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.

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