In support of the Sailors’ Children’s Society’s work with the families of the Royal Navy community in financial difficulty, Greenwich Hospital has awarded the Charity a grant of £85,717.
The grant will fund regular charitable payments to families in need and help fund much-needed respite caravan breaks for children and their families.
The Sailors’ Children’s Society (SCS) has a rich history spanning over 200 years, and was founded to provide financial, emotional and practical support to the children of seafaring families in times of crisis. Based in Hull, SCS works UK-wide to place the child’s welfare first to ensure their basic needs are met – they’re well-nourished, have access to school uniforms and winter clothing, and their families can afford to heat their homes. The Charity has two Family Support Officers based in Portsmouth and Plymouth who work directly with families to give them the emotional and practical support they need.
The Charity works with families connected to a range of maritime roles, including those working for the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Merchant Navy. Last year the Charity supported 508 children, 272 families and 32 students from seafaring families.
SCS Chief Executive, Natasha Barley commented:
“The grant from Greenwich Hospital is critical to our work, enabling us to continue to support the children of families in crisis. The Charity doesn’t just help families survive through our emotional, practical and financial support; we help them to thrive.
We are grateful to Greenwich Hospital for their ongoing support enabling us to help some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised veteran and serving families throughout the UK.”
Greenwich Hospital’s Director of Grants, Jonathan Ball commented:
“Ensuring the needs of children from veteran and serving naval families can be met is paramount to Greenwich Hospital and was one of our original purposes when we were founded. We are therefore delighted to continue support the work of the Sailors’ Children’s Society, which provides regular payments and ongoing assistance to families in crisis in support of their children’s needs.”
