HIVE Directory: Support For Veterans

Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity is at the heart of supporting our Naval Community past, present and future. Since 2007, the RNRMC has funded projects and facilities that boost morale for those who serve today. The RNRMC distributes funding to organisations and charities which care for serving personnel, children, families and veterans of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary

We provide lifelong support to those who are serving or have served in the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines or the Royal Air Force, and to their families. Founded in 1885, we’re extremely proud of our long-standing heritage and of all the work we do with inspiring people from Hampshire, across the UK and around the world.

Our support covers both regulars and reserves in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force and their families, including anyone who has completed National Service. They are all entitled to lifelong support from SSAFA, no matter how long they have served.

Through social activities and challenge holidays, The Not Forgotten combats isolation and loneliness amongst the Armed Forces community.

We support any serving man or woman who is wounded, injured or sick and any veteran with a disability, illness or infirmity; whatever the cause and whenever it arose. Any serving or former member of The Royal Navy, The Royal Marines, The British Army, The Royal Air Force and The Merchant Navy, both Regular and Reserve Forces, may be eligible for our help.

If you are supporting someone who has experienced physical injury or trauma as a result of their service in the British Armed Forces, The Ripple Pond is here for you.

Whether you are a partner, parent, sibling, adult child or chosen family, we understand that when someone is injured, the impact is felt across the whole family. We exist to make sure you are recognised and supported in your own right, as well as being part of a community where you feel seen, heard and understood.

We offer a welcoming community of people who understand the challenges of supporting someone living with service-related injury or trauma. Through our online regional and interest-based peer support forums, you can connect with others who just get it. We also run a range of online events, including wellbeing and expert-led workshops, alongside craft, gardening and book clubs.

Our support extends to the whole family, with practical resources to help families understand injury, navigate its impact and support one another.

Our team is also here to listen, offer one-to-one guidance and help you find the right support for whatever you might be facing, whether that's accessing services, understanding injury, employment or other practical and emotional challenges.

You don't need to provide proof of injury to access our support, and there's no time limit on being part of our community.

You can refer yourself or be referred by a professional via www.theripplepond.org.

RNBT gives help, in cases of need, to serving and former Royal Naval Ratings and Royal Marines other ranks, which include Reservists; they are known as Primary Beneficiaries. We also help their partners, children and some others connected with them, they are known as our Beneficiaries.

The RNBT makes grants to meet a wide range of needs including food, clothing, rent, home repairs, medical needs, respite breaks, mobility aids and much more. We also support independent living with regular charitable payments. We can give grants towards the cost of domiciliary care and care home top up fees.

We also own and manage two nursing homes, Pembroke House in Gillingham, Kent and Admiral Jellicoe House, Southsea and offer support for Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel and their families in times of need. Our veteran nursing homes offer residential care, nursing care and specialist in-house dementia care combined with a resident-focused approach that puts veteran care, respect and camaraderie at the heart of everything we do.

Our vision is: Sailors and Marines helping Sailors and Marines - now and always.

If you need our assistance, please contact the Royal Naval Family and People Support (RN FPS) or your local branch of SSAFA or The Royal British Legion and a caseworker will be able to talk with you.

The Veterans’ Mental Health Transition Intervention and Liaison
Service (TILS) is a specialist service supporting Armed Forces veterans,
experiencing a variety of challenges post-discharge.
Our goal is to quickly and accurately assess the support that you or a family
member might need and liaise with the services that can help.

Some of the issues we can support you with:

• Mental health difficulties
• Housing, finances and employment
• Referral to other services and charities
• Referral into our complex treatment service if appropriate
• Information to help families and carers

Being able to talk to others, share experiences and forge new relationships, is vital for our mental wellbeing. Togetherall (formerly Big White Wall) is your anonymous online support network, available 24/7, whenever you need it. Togetherall is free to all military serving personnel, reservists, veterans and family members, aged 16+.

The service offers a combination of resources, including online support through its moderated community of members, self-assessments, self-guided support courses covering a range of topics and a library of useful resources.

Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) offers Welfare, Wellbeing and Clinical provision to UK Armed Forces & Merchant Navy Veterans, as well as to Carers/spouses & partners.

In addition to running monthly Drop-In facilities, we organise wellbeing activities throughout the month and enable access to bespoke welfare and mental health support.

VOS is an Armed Forces Covenant Employer. We support and encourage service spouses, veterans and reservists in the workplace.

We run a Breakfast Club for veterans which takes place twice a month on the second Friday and the last Friday of every month from 10:00am to 12:00pm at the Bradbury Centre.

All ex-service personnel are welcome to come along, together with their partners, to socialise with other veterans, take part in the banter and enjoy a great breakfast.

Spaces are limited for the Breakfast Club so you will need to give us a ring in advance to book your place and pre-pay for your breakfast.

For further information or to book your place call us on 023 9288 3506 or email kandy.lucas@ageukportsmouth.org.uk.