On the 9^th December 2020, NAAFI reached the momentous occasion of our 100th Birthday.

We would like to wish all our customers and employees, old and new, a very happy NAAFI Birthday!

Best Wishes The NAAFI Team

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update 18^th January 2021 – As we continue to see an increase in COVID-19 cases and further lockdown measures across Europe, NAAFI would like to reassure our customers that we continue to maintain our focus on keeping everyone safe while they are visiting our outlets or are recipients of our services. As the situation progresses, we will continue to develop and implement practices to help our employees and customers around the world access as many of our services as possible.
 

Here at NAAFI we have worked within each 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 individuals using or working in our facilities are required to wear masks, sanitise their hands upon entry and adhere to social distancing policies whilst on site; we are grateful for your continued support and compliance. Additional controls are in place which may vary by geographical location:

• In Germany and Gibraltar our pubs are closed for the time being and our Coffee Forums are open for take-away service only. This is in line with current lockdown rules and the direction of Command. Our catering facilities remain open and we continue to operate a hot food home delivery service with the NAAFI Wagons visiting Married Qtr areas where possible.
• We continue to operate canteens on-board all active Royal Navy ships.
• We remain prepared to deploy our 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.
• All sites in other locations that are currently not experiencing any CV-19 cases continue to trade as usual.
   

Safety for everyone

Our support employees are working from home where possible - 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. We would ask all visitors to our sites to follow the CV-19 preventative measures as directed on site to protect them and all other site visitors. These may include the following:

• We have social distancing measures in all facilities to minimise the risk of infection for both our customers and employees.
• We have one-way systems in place in our smaller outlets to support the social distancing rules.
• We encourage card and contactless payments in all locations 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.
   

 Maintaining Supply

Our suppliers around the world are still working hard to maintain the highest level of availability possible for all our customers. As a result we continue to see strong availability in all categories.

Informing Customers

We are fully engaged with local Command groups around the world and communicate directly with them on a regular basis. We provide regular updates to our customers on all our services using our local social media.

We would ask our customers to continue to shop sensibly in our outlets and for everyone to be mindful of the difficult circumstances that we’re all operating in and to be considerate to each other.
 

Our Teams

We would like to thank all our NAAFI teams who are 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, Falklands Islands, 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).

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.