Annual Review 2014–2015 abf the soldiers’ charity Front cover – Les and Jeanette Fryatt Over 70 years ago, Les was serving as a Gunner in the Royal Artillery. As part of a 10-man team he played a critical part in demolishing German positions inland at Normandy during the Second World War. Les fought his way across Europe and was demobbed in 1947. Decades later, Les needed the support of The Soldiers’ Charity. Following surgery for hip and knee replacements, he struggled to get in and out of the bath safely. Without the installation of a walk-in shower, Les feared that he and his wife Jeanette would have to leave their home of 30 years. After an initial contribution by local authorities, The Soldiers’ Charity stepped in with a grant that allowed for the completion of the work and the provision of a safer living environment for this delightful couple. Martyn Compton Martyn suffered horrific injuries whilst serving in Afghanistan with the Household Cavalry in 2006. An improvised explosive device blew up his vehicle which was then hit by Rocket Propelled Grenades which engulfed Martyn in flames. Having escaped the vehicle he was then shot twice. Martyn was in a coma for three months with 75% third degree burns. The Soldiers’ Charity has given Martyn a number of grants to support his remarkable recovery; the first in 2006 assisted his father with essential living costs whilst he attended the bedside of his son. A later grant paid for protective race clothing allowing Martyn to become a key member of KartForce, a tri-Service adaptive racing team, which we also support. The aim of the team is to provide injured personnel with adrenalin packed racing activities alongside those who have been through similar experiences. annual review 2014-2015 Contents Who we are 2 What we have done in 2014-15 3 How we behave 3 How we have helped those in need 4 How we help individuals 5 How we fund other charities 6 The Evening Standard Independent Media Charity Campaign 8 Fundraising: How the money is generated 11 Thanking people for their support 12 Why we do events 13 The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014 14 Our work in the Regions 16 Why our profile matters 18 Financial Overview 20 Our Offices Head Office Northern Ireland South West ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Mountbarrow House, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Bldg 45, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Wyvern Barracks, 6-20 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9RB Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn BT28 3NP Exeter, Devon EX2 6AR T. 020 7901 8900 T. 02892 678 112 T. 01392 492 650 E. [email protected] E. [email protected] E. [email protected] East Anglia North East & Yorkshire Wales ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Building PO4, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Hipswell Lodge, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity , HQ 160 (Wales) Brigade, Room 6, Merville Barracks, Circular Road South, Smuts Road, Catterick Garrison, The Barracks, Brecon LD3 7EA Colchester, Essex CO2 7UT North Yorkshire DL9 3AX T. 01874 613 351 T. 01206 817 105 T. 01748 874 127 E. [email protected] E. [email protected] E. [email protected] West East Midlands North West ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Bldg 750, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Chetwynd Barracks, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Fulwood Barracks, Picton Barracks, Bulford Camp, Salisbury, Chilwell, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 5HA Preston PR2 8AA Wiltshire SP4 9NY T. 0115 957 2103 T. 01772 260356 T. 01980 672337 E. [email protected] E. [email protected] E. [email protected] Home Counties Scotland West Midlands ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Wellington House, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, The Castle, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, West Midlands Office, St Omer Barracks, Aldershot, Edinburgh EH1 2YT Building V5, Venning Barracks, Donnington, Hampshire GU11 2BG T. 0131 310 5132/5116 Telford, Shropshire TF2 8JT T. 01252 348 270 E. [email protected] T. 01952 674 323/322 E. [email protected] E. [email protected] South East London ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Room 55, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Block 7 (Room G39), Somerset House, Wellington Barracks, London SW1E 6HQ Sir John Moore Barracks, Shorncliffe, T. 020 7414 3321 Kent CT20 3HF E. [email protected] T. 01303 225 067 E. [email protected] 1 abf the soldiers’ charity We are the National Charity of the British Army Our Role We give a lifetime of support to soldiers and former world. We take pride in being responsive, making a soldiers from the British Army, and their immediate difference at a critical point in peoples’ lives. We have families, when they are in need. We make grants to been doing this since 1944, working with veterans of individuals through their Regiments and Corps and every conflict, and we envisage continuing doing so for support a wide range of specialist charities that sustain the ‘long haul’ - supporting all future generations of our the British Army ‘family’, both at home and around the soldiers and their dependants. Our Vision That all serving and former soldiers and their dependants should have the opportunity to avoid hardship and enjoy independence and dignity Our Values Integrity Respect Loyalty Inspiration Commitment Courage The Soldiers’ We respect every We have a sense We create We must be We act on behalf Charity is part individual and of loyalty to the opportunities approachable, of our of the Army’s their needs. Army as an and inspire effective and beneficiaries and Nation’s institution, its others, with the quick to respond. without fear or fabric; we must people and those emphasis on favour, telling it act accordingly. who support us. providing a as it is. ‘hand-up’ not a ‘hand-out’. Our Governance ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is an incorporated charity Our Trustees are selected through open competition, and a company limited by guarantee; it is governed by or after service in an expert capacity on one of our its Articles of Association and its Registered Office is Committees; they are able to serve for a maximum in London, SWW 9RB. consecutive period of nine years. The Trustees deploy a wide breadth of skills and experience and amongst The Charity is directed by a Board of Trustees, with them we count: three retired Major Generals and two 12 members, chaired by Major General (Retd) Peter key figures from the serving Army; two former chief Sheppard cb cbe, and supported by four Trustee-led executives of banks; a recently retired senior partner sub-Committees: Grants, Fundraising & Marketing, from a leading City law firm; a director of a national Finance & Investment and Governance, all of whom media company; a senior investment manager; an meet regularly throughout the year. The Board’s accountant and NHS Non-Executive Director; and a direction is implemented by the Executive, led by former Chief Executive of a major non-Service charity. the Chief Executive, Major General (Retd) Martin Rutledge cb obe. The Company Secretary and Chief of Staff is Brigadier (Retd) Robin Bacon. 2 annual review 2014-2015 What we have done in 2014-15 This has been a second year of consolidation as we emerge winning project that did much for our profile, and the very from a period of justified focus on operational casualties, generous support we received as a result of the Evening although these were only ever a fraction of our case load, Standard Independent Media’s winter campaign. to more normal times. But the Army is under continuing pressure, some of which is directly transmitted to us, and This highly successful year has allowed us to rebuild our the future remains uncertain. Being ‘Agile’ and ‘Ready to Reserves after eight years of year on year double digit Respond’ appears a sensible posture. increase in load as the Regimental and Corps charities came under increasing pressure. We remain the charitable We continue to deliver a highly effective grants ‘Strategic Reserve’ for the Army and its Regimental and programme run on behalf of, and in partnership with, Corps charities so this is very welcome. ‘For Soldiers - the Regimental and Corps charities. Routine Individual For Life’ is not just a strapline – we have to be capable of Grants were almost identical to the previous year, delivering support long into an uncertain future. although there is undoubtedly an underlying trend of more complex and expensive cases. As ever they span As part of the ‘fabric’ of the Army we are acutely conscious serving soldiers, Army veterans and their families across of our responsibilities both to those in need and those a hugely varied range of ages and needs. Expenditure on many partner charities that deliver on our collective operationally related cases has continued to fall away. behalf. We continue to bear down on costs; we constantly seek to behave appropriately and co-operation and Other charities continue to rely heavily on us for financial teamwork with our colleagues remain at the heart of our and other support – this year we funded some 72 approach. organisations. Overall expenditure was down only because of some very significant grants made last year and the Looking ahead we are in good shape to meet a wide ready availability of funding for many of our partners, as a range of challenges. We continue to focus on ever closer result of them receiving part of the bank fines in relation cooperation with the Army and its Regimental and to the LIBOR scandal. Corps charities; we remain indebted to our many partner charities and we have a real opportunity as our national We have had a second year of substantial increase in office lease expires later in the decade to further co-locate income across virtually all our sources of funding – income with more partners and underpin their many and varied in 2014/15 exceeded £20 million.