What is “Aggie Weston’s”?

“Dame Agnes Weston’s Royal Charity for the Naval Service” (or “Aggie Weston’s”) is one of the oldest naval charities and has been serving members of the naval service and their families since 1876.

What is the Role of Aggie Weston’s?

• Provision of Pastoral Support to serving members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and their families.
• Provision of STORYBOOK WAVES to support serving families who are separated.
• Provision of practical activities.

Location of Aggie Weston’s

Aggie’s pastoral workers are based in and around Royal Navy and Royal Marine establishments across the UK.

They can be found in HMS Nelson, HMS Sultan, HMS Collingwood, HMS Drake, RNAS Culdrose, RNAS Yeovilton, RM Bickleigh, RM Stonehouse RM Poole, RM Condor (Arbroath), CTCRM Lympstone, MOD Caledonia Roysth and in the SFA communities at Rowner, Widewell and in Helensburgh.

What is the Role of a Pastoral Worker?

Pastoral Workers generally work in close collaboration with the Naval Chaplaincy Service. Their primary role is to provide ‘pastoral support’, so they are there to listen to personnel when they need to talk, and to offer encouragement, comfort and support. They will also have knowledge of where specialist advice is should personnel need it. There are many places to seek advice and it can be confusing, but a Pastoral Worker will be very happy to point personnel in the right direction.

Aggie’s Pastoral Workers provide a range of PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES for sailors, marines
and their families, both in and around UK establishments. They run coffee bar facilities in
many places, and often hold events such as bacon butty mornings or pool tournaments.
On the SFA estates they will run social gatherings such as coffee mornings, craft sessions or
toddler ‘stay and play’ events.

What is Aggie’s STORYBOOK WAVES?

Aggie’s STORYBOOK WAVES is a free service that enables serving personnel to record a bedtime story for their child to listen to whilst they are separated. The service is available through recording centres across the UK and is free to everyone serving in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines both regular and reserve.

Aggie’s Storybook Waves provides recording kits that are ‘deployable’ and can be sent to deploying ships and units.

Full information on Aggie Weston’s is available at www.aggies.org.uk.