Coronavirus (COVID-19) update October 26th, 2020 – As we see an increase in COVID-19 cases across Europe, NAAFI would like to reassure our customers that we will maintain our focus on keeping everyone safe while they are visiting our outlets or are recipients of our services. Whilst there has been a lot of change since the first lockdown earlier this year, we continue to help our employees and customers around the world access as many of our services as possible.
 

Here at NAAFI we have worked within host country COVID-19 direction and have maintained a close action plan with local Command to ensure that our services are prioritised for those that need them the most.
 

Our facilities

• All our facilities are operating strict social distancing policies and we are grateful for your continued support and compliance with these.
• Pubs are open, with contact tracing and seated service only.
• Our catering facilities remain open.
• Our Coffee Forums are now fully open but also have contact tracing and seated service only.
• We are operating a hot food home delivery service in some locations with the NAAFI Wagons visiting Married Qtr areas where possible.
• We are maintaining canteens on-board all active Royal Navy ships.
• We have maintained and remain prepared to deploy our UK pop-up shop facilities as and when required by the MOD.
• Our NAAFI Wagons are also supporting quarantine facilities and isolated individuals and families with vital food and drink supply.

Safety for everyone

• To ensure we are doing everything to reduce the risk of infection for both our customers and staff, we have introduced distancing measures in all facilities.
• In our smaller outlets we have introduced a one-way system to support the social distancing rules.
• We are encouraging card and contactless payments in all our facilities to reduce cash handling.
• We have strict hygiene routines with regular cleaning every day.
• Hand sanitiser or hand washing stations are available at all entrances and exits.
• In Germany we continue to follow the rule regarding the use of face coverings in all our facilities for employees and customers.
• Where possible our support staff are working from home, however this is clearly not an option for the vast majority of our employees serving in retail, catering, leisure, cleaning and on-board Naval ships – they all remain in work every day and we are extremely grateful for this. 
• We would ask everyone to be mindful of the difficult circumstances that we’re all operating in and to be considerate to each other.

Maintaining Supply

• Our suppliers around the world have been excellent in maintaining the highest level of availability possible for all our customers. 
• In retail we continue to see high levels of availability in all categories. We would ask our customers to shop sensibly – there is no reason to panic buy any item; there is sufficient for everybody.
• We are continuing to ask our team to fulfil new roles at short notice so that service is maintained across all facilities.

Informing Customers

• We are engaged with local Command groups around the world and communicate directly with them.
• We are utilising local social media to update customers on news and developments.

We would like to thank all our teams for working tirelessly to maintain service to the Armed Forces wherever they need us, whether that is on board HM Ships or in far off locations such as Ascension Island, Gibraltar or Brunei. We would like to reassure our customers that we will continue to do our best so that the Armed Forces can continue to do what they do best.

Your NAAFI team

The NAAFI Welfare Fund

The NAAFI Fund makes grants to British Armed Forces bases in the UK or overseas, for projects that improve the quality of life for serving personnel and their families living.

Deadlines and dates to note

The deadline for seeking a unique code for the first round has now passed, but don’t worry, the NAAFI Fund will run for a minimum of 10 years. Dates for future funding rounds will be announced on the Trust’s website (below).

If you have received (or have applied for) a unique application code before the deadline, you will have until noon on 23 November 2020 to submit your application.

Find out more

Full programme details, guidance and resources are available via the Trust’s website, www.covenantfund.org.uk

NAAFI was established by the British Government in 1920 when the Expeditionary Force Canteens (EFC) and the Navy and Army Canteen Board (NACB) were combined to run the recreational establishments needed by the Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families.

NAAFI expanded its operation over the next 17 years, supporting military bases and deployments across the world, from Bermuda and Jamaica, to Singapore and China. At the outbreak of WWII NAAFI grew exponentially to support the troops on active service, with the number of employees rising from 8,000 to a peak of 110,000 and the number of trading outlets growing from 1,350 to nearly 10,000.

Post war, NAAFI rescaled its operations, closing canteens at a rate of 200 per week and the number of employees reducing to 65,000 by 1947. From the 1950’s onwards, NAAFI has supported the British Forces at home and abroad, including the conflicts in The Falklands, the two Gulf Wars and Afghanistan amongst many others. Today NAAFI operates in far fewer locations but is present in Germany, Gibraltar, Brunei, the South Atlantic Islands and on board HM Ships, providing convenience and a ‘taste of home’ to our Forces and their families overseas.