Accommodation

There is no Mess Accommodation available and all personnel, whether single, married accompanied or unaccompanied are housed in all-ranks Service Families Accommodation (SFA) in Goch, comprising 37 Quarters and a Community Club.

SFA can be equipped to the full overseas scale or left unfurnished as required. All SFA is fitted with a cooker and single accommodation also has a fridge and freezer. All SFA is equipped with digital British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) television receiving equipment.

Those posted in should contact the Estate Manager via the Estate Clerk for advice on what furniture and utensils are available. The Estate Clerk’s office is upstairs in the UK Community Club(UKCC), which is within the SFA Estate. The Clerk works on weekdays and processes works services for the Goch Estate.

Single or unaccompanied personnel are accommodated in the SFA quarters as Single Living Accommodation (SLA). Occupation of SLA is on a self-catering basis and the Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) Living Out Supplement is issued.

Refuse Collection

Refuse is segregated according to type (e.g. glass, paper and garden waste) into the colour-coded wheelie-bins provided. The Estate Clerk should provide a rubbish collection calendar, which details which days each bin is collected. For larger bulk rubbish items the Estate Clerk can be contacted to arrange collection by the refuse collectors.

Telephones & Broadband

There are several alternatives in choosing a Landline Telephone/Broadband/Mobile Phone Service Provider.

These include:

• Deutsche Telekom, install telephone lines. You can pay your phone bill by direct debit and by arranging it through the local NATO tax office will not pay VAT.

There is no ‘best option’ as all three choices offer different deals and special offers at different times. Speak to your sponsor for advice and do some research beforehand. Be aware that phone connection in Germany takes time - 3 weeks is not unusual.

Multi-Channel BFBS TV Direct to Home (DTH) has been installed throughout the Goch Estate. Viewers receive BFBS One to Four, Sky Sports One and Two, Sky News and non-stop music channel, Q. More information can be found by visiting the BFBS Website.

The DTH Set Top Boxes (STB) are held with the Estates Clerk in the UKCC. You will be required to sign for the STB and a connection lead. The STB is serial numbered and will be placed on the SFA/SLA inventory. A guide to installation is included in the STB packaging.

To view the TV channels you require a viewing card which can be collected from the estates clerk at the same time as the STB.

The viewing card must be returned to the Estates Clerk on vacating your SFA/SLA..