The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) has awarded the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) £300,000 to aid the charity in distributing and developing bespoke support around neurodiversity. This funding was awarded as part of the AFCFT’s Transformational Grant Award, which funds a very small number of projects that will deliver permanent and significant changes or improvements for Armed Forces communities.
In recent years, the RNRMC has become aware of an increasing number of Royal Navy families looking for practical support to help navigate the additional challenges that can arise when living with additional needs like Dyslexia, Dyscalculia (formerly Dyspraxia), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism. In response to this increasing need, the RNRMC set about developing a new project to help naval families with a child with ADHD and/or Autism.
This new project will work with Armed Forces families who have neuro-diverse children; where their needs may be hidden and the support that they receive can be experienced as inconsistent. It will transform the way Royal Navy and Royal Marine families are supported by developing a ‘community of experience’, peer-to-peer support, navigation, practical support backed by a collaborative partnership using knowledge, evidence and the lived experience to drive ongoing, enduring improvement. They will work with others to share the learning of their work; especially where this can help to improve outcomes for neuro diverse children within the wider service community.
Mandy Harding, Head of Commissioning Grants at RNRMC, said:
“We are delighted to be awarded this opportunity by the AFCFT to deliver transformational change for those in our communities who are neuro-divergent. This is a collaborative, shared project involving a range of organisations who have a passion to see families supported and make a real difference. Raising the profile of our hidden neuro-diverse population matters. What matters even more is that we address needs and take action to improve life for our families and bring positive sustainable change in the way we look after our people and enable them to thrive. We look forward to working with those who want to journey with us.”
