Established in 1694 by Royal Charter, Greenwich Hospital was founded as a home for wounded, sick, and elderly Royal Navy sailors and their families. Today, it continues to evolve as a unique and modern Crown body, leveraging its historic assets to provide vital funding for the Royal Navy community.
Greenwich Hospital invests in the education, welfare, and urgent needs of serving and former Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, along with their families, to help them thrive at every stage of life.
Grant funding supports proactive and preventative initiatives that improve the health and education of families and develop opportunities for children and young people while delivering impactful infrastructure projects to help strengthen the serving Royal Navy community.
Greenwich Hospital also provides ongoing grant funding for initiatives supporting former serving personnel. These include equine therapy, outdoor climbing, employability and financial wellbeing support, plus group Remembrance events across the UK. Together, these initiatives aid physical recovery, foster personal development, and reduce isolation by bringing people together in supportive environments.
Greenwich Hospital’s grant funding, combined with our understanding of Royal Navy life and its challenges, enables us to bring charities together and work alongside specialist partners to make the greatest difference.
Greenwich Hospital is the leading charitable funder for the Royal Navy community, providing £10m this financial year in funding to support serving and former serving personnel and their families during and after service. Our grant funding spans early intervention, education, life opportunities, as well as a wide range of initiatives that promote wellbeing and address acute need across the entire community.
A vital part of this support is our funding for benevolence charities, enabling them to offer timely and compassionate assistance to those facing hardship or distress. In 2025 alone, more than £3.5 million was awarded by us to help individuals and families in crisis and urgent need.
A significant area of focus for funding is the development of confidence, social connections and essential life skills. The Sail Together and Swim Free programmes support families of serving Royal Navy personnel across the UK, providing inclusive opportunities to connect, develop skills, and strengthen wellbeing.
Initiatives for 2026 include new accommodation for separated families at HMNB Devonport and launching a pilot programme offering free online tuition for children at key stages of their education. Go Learn will offer support to young people approaching major public exams and to those with special needs. Watch this space!
We are proud of our collective impact on individuals and communities across the Royal Navy community. Grant funding delivers meaningful outcomes, from supporting people into housing and enabling civilian employment transitions to promoting wellbeing through initiatives provided by our funded programmes and broader Royal Navy community support.
It is especially rewarding to see support reach not only those in immediate need, but also those benefiting from preventative and developmental opportunities that improve long-term wellbeing and quality of life.
We remain committed to improving the lives of serving personnel, veterans, and their families, and are proud of our longstanding relationship with the Royal Navy.
Being part of Cobseo gives us a great way to connect and work with others across the wider armed forces sector. Since we don’t work directly with beneficiaries, it’s vital for us to stay in touch with the organisations delivering support on the ground to ensure it reaches those who need it most.
The Cluster Groups are especially helpful. They let us see what others are doing, learn about different challenges, and understand how the sector is operating. This helps us make informed decisions and opportunities to team up on projects.
Cobseo also keeps us updated on policy changes and connects us with a supportive network of professionals. Overall, being a member helps us work better together and reminds us that together, we can achieve more collaboratively.
Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here