Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund (LPF) has made donations of more than £300,000 to nine charities to support the Armed Forces and their families.
LPF is the oldest military charity of its kind and has supported the military and ex-military community on behalf of the Lloyd’s market for over two hundred years. With a focus on innovation, LPF’s trustees are delighted to announce the funding of three projects with Walking with the Wounded, RFEA and Combat Stress.
Walking with the Wounded
Scaling up the pioneering Project Nova to a national level, £112,500 from LPF will give dedicated support for veterans who have been arrested (or at risk of arrest) to prevent reoffending.
Project Nova supports those veterans who have been arrested or are at risk of arrest on a pathway back into mainstream society.
Since launching in 2014 with funding from LPF, Project Nova’s aim is to support any veteran in police custody with a pathway back into mainstream society. This is done through needs assessments, specialised support to address key issues of homelessness, mental health and employment and training opportunities.
1,800 veterans and their families are supported every year and their success is staggering. Through their early intervention, only 4% of veterans helped through Project Nova re-offend, in comparison to the national average of 17%. This grant will enable national roll out of the project through the creation of a central team. They will improve the level of care and support to those “at risk” veterans, support the police through the referral process and expand the project geographically.
Andrew Cook, Director of Fundraising at Walking with the Wounded said “Our relationship with Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund has been pivotal in the development of Project Nova to support more vulnerable veterans on their journey from social isolation to social integration and a sustainable independent future.”
RFEA
RFEA will receive a £48,000 grant to pilot a new Families Employment Project supporting spouses and families of serving Armed Forces and ex service personnel into employment. The project will pilot in the UK and will focus on families in need where the veteran is struggling to find or sustain work. In the first year, the pilot aims to support 50 partners and spouses through career diagnostics, case-work, and access to vocational training and to suitable jobs. This aims to increase stability, wellbeing, employability and ultimately lead to employment, education or training.
Combat Stress
Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund will also contribute £31,300 to fund training and equipment for Combat Stress’ new national pilot, sensory modulation. This will be delivered by occupational therapists to more than 1,500 veterans who suffer from mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression. This provision of care will enable veterans to better understand their mental health, build coping strategies and aid them to recover and reconnect with their lives.
£31,300 donation to Combat Stress for sensory modulation
Veterans take part in a yoga session as part of new national sensory modulation pilot addressing mental health problems.
“As a trustee of Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund, I am delighted we are able to support so many worthwhile charities with vital funds to launch and develop new projects that meet the changing needs of today’s veterans.” Bruce Carnegie-Brown, Chairman of Lloyd’s.
In addition, donations totalling more than £100,000 have been awarded across the UK to fund Stoll’s counselling for drug and alcohol abuse service, a therapy art project at Tom Harrison’s House, outreach support at Lothian’s Veterans Centre, a domestic abuse project with Army Families Federation and concerts for veterans with Music in Hospitals and Care.
In the last ten years, LPF has made grants of over £3m through its annual grant giving as well as through long standing partnerships with SSAFA, Gurkha Welfare Trust, Royal Navy Officers’ Charity, Royal Navy and Royal Marine Children’s Fund.
You can find out more about last year’s achievements here.
We look forward to supporting our new partners and seeing the impact our funds make over the next year.
For more information, contact ResponsibleBusiness@lloyds.com.
