Help – Naval Childrens Charity

Are you eligible?

Use the checklist below to see if you are eligible for our support.

We support children up to and including the age of 25

At least one of the child’s parents (or guardian/primary care giver) is serving or served in one of the following:

The Royal Navy

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary RFA

The Royal Marines

The Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

The Women’s Royal Naval Service WRNS

The Reserves of those Forces

How to get help?

You can ring our office and speak to a caseworker and one of our caseworking team will discuss your needs and send you a form to complete, or click below and fill out the form and we will be in touch. You can also go to RN FPS (Naval Family Service & People Support), SSAFA, RBL or one of the other Naval Charities.

Speak to a caseworker

Available from 9.00am to 4.00pm Mon – Friday

023 9263 9534

caseworkers@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk

If you need our help please complete a short online form and we will be in touch.

What do we do?

We provide financial and holistic support to help children (up to the age of 25) of Naval families, serving and veterans.

Resources, advice and
guidance on coping with
deployments and
separation

Coping as a separated family
either through deployment,
weekending or relationship
breakdown

Impact of moving as
a result of Service

Parental disability, illness
or injury

Loss of a parent
or sibling

Relationship breakdown and
the impact on children

Children with disability,
illness or special needs

Life chances for
Naval children

All child related needs
are considered

Additional information

If you or your child are having emotional or mental health difficulties you may find some of the links below helpful. If you think you are eligible for our support and need our help, please get in touch either using the form on this website or by contacting our caseworkers.

Health

Many families are coping with disability or illness, either of the parent or one of their children. We can provide assistance with child specific needs such as wheelchairs, beds, specialist equipment, house adaptations as well as with the additional financial constraints that can arise.

If your child is ill or has a disability and you would like to ask for help for equipment or other needs, we will require an application form to be completed along with the following supporting information:

Any medical reports/letters that support or recommend your request.
Does the NHS provide the equipment or service that you are requesting? We need you to ask the NHS this question and provide their answer in writing to us.
Reports from Occupational Therapists and other professionals regarding your child/children may also be required depending on the request.
Is there a waiting list for the equipment/need and how long is it? Again, we require the NHS to supply the answer in writing.
Cost of the equipment/service/need in the form of an invoice or quotation plus confirmation of how long it may take once ordered’

We prefer to purchase such equipment directly from the suppliers to be delivered to you.

SEND Family Support Online

The Naval Children’s Charity have a new partnership with KIDS, a national charity for disabled children, young people and their families. Family Support Online is a new service from KIDS for Parents and Carers of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). There is a wealth of support on their website www.kids.org.uk and the bespoke Family Support Online website https://www.kids.org.uk/news/family-support-online/ and the Naval Children’s Charity can help support you with the costs of the ongoing support following your initial free consultation with them. Contact Cheryl Owens, our Neurodiversity Lead, to find out more Cheryl.owens@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk

National Autistic Society.

The Naval Children’s Charity have a partnership with the National Autistic Society to help our children and young people access guidance and support. If you have a child who is, or who may be, Autistic and you are struggling to find support in your area please contact us to see if you are suitable for a referral to their services through us. There is a wealth of information on their website as well, follow the link to the right.

Jump into a world of imagination and adventure with Camp 365!

Camp 365, bought to you by Over The Wall, offers a diverse range of fun online activities, live events and workshops that are available 365 days a year for children and young people living with serious illness or disability. You will find a wide range of engaging activities that you can complete at your own time, or join in on exciting live sessions from different partners. You can also earn stamps for your virtual passport by completing the different activities. Interact with your fellow campers when taking part in an online workshop and events, join in Cabin Chats, post a secure message on the message board, and even show off your skills in the gallery.

Enabling young people to self-manage their wellbeing rapidly

If you think your child needs counselling support you may be able to apply for a grant from us to help pay for that. You may already have a counselling provider however if not you can source someone through TAC Access.
TAC ACCESS is a groundbreaking directory of children and young people’s services. Currently focusing on the provision of counselling support, it provides a free service to a wide range of commissioners with access to checked and accredited therapists at the click of a button.

Useful Links

Wellbeing

To support the wellbeing of all our Naval children, not just those in crisis, we provide free resources aimed at helping them understand separation and deployment and manage their mental health. Visit our resources page to see what we have available; most are downloadable or we can send out hard copies free of charge.

We have various resources to support your children when they have been bereaved, lost a parent or a sibling. We have two booklets, one for children and young people and one for the parents/carers, which have been designed by some of our young people who themselves have lost a parent. Resources from other organisations are also available, please have a look at our resource page or contact us to find out how we can help.

Working in partnership with many other organisations and charities there is a lot of support available to serving and veteran families.

Some of the partnerships the Naval Children’s Charity have are:

Thinkably to provide books and resources

Thinkably, the digital library for children, is providing FREE online access to all RN Families so that they have fun, imaginative and important stories to read with their children. To access your free account click on the link below.

Thinkably is a children’s digital platform with vibrant, educational and carefully crafted multimedia books for children in their early years (ages 3 to 5) as well as primary years (ages 5 to 11). Through our stories, we help children better understand their world, reduce their fears and anxieties, inspire ideas and empower young minds on important social topics. We nurture conversations that matter by giving children, and their grown ups, the tools to have open and honest conversations. We’re building the leaders and thinkers of the future.

Real Practical Advice For Parents and Educators

Alongside our books, we also help parents and educators with advice and tips for child development; from how to deal with trauma, to reducing anxiety, to dealing with problematic behaviour and managing powerful emotions – our resources help adults better understand children and become even better role models.

If you’re looking for friendly, informative advice then join us for our Instagram Live series with a variety of authors, therapists and psychologists.

Togetherall for mental health support to children and young people

Togetherall is a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively and learn how to manage your mental health. Togetherall is available 24/7/365 and monitored by trained mental health professionals. This is available for free to all serving personnel, veterans, reservists, and their family members (aged 16+).

Please register here, for instant support Togetherall Registration – Armed Forces Community

Within Togetherall, members are anonymous, so no one will know you’re using it unless you tell them. Most members report feeling better and more able to cope as a result of using the service and because it’s available 24/7, nearly 70% use Togetherall outside of normal working hours.

· A community where members are anonymous to each other, they can share how they are feeling and support each other

· Access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

· Clinically managed with trained professionals available 24/7/365 to keep the community safe

· Self-assessments and recommended resources

· Creative tools to help express how you’re feeling

· Wide range of self-guided courses to do at your own pace

The Togetherall community is the beating heart of our service and a space where individuals experience the power of peer-to-peer emotional support, in a safe, anonymous, fully moderated online forum. We are always looking to add further value to our members and direct feedback received from our members suggested that they would be interested in joining separate ‘shared spaces’ within the community where they can interact with others around shared experiences or Interests.

There are various sub-groups within the community as below, as well as a dedicated space for our Military community should anyone wish to engage in here, as well as with the wider community on Togetherall.

Wellness-based Groups:
Gratitude Diaries
Health and Lifestyle Tips
Laugh and uplift
Meet the Community
Sharing Space

Role-based Groups:
Student Life
Work-life Balance
Parents and Caregivers
Military Community
Healthcare Workers

The Strengthening Families partnership with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity offers counselling for adults or children through Relate, support for new parents with Home Start, holiday sports and activities camps with Kings Camps, support to disabled children through Kids, as well as pastoral support through Aggie’s.

Every family needs some extra help from time to time. From discounted activity camps to specialist practical assistance, ‘Strengthening Families – By Your Side’ offers Royal Navy and Royal Marines families the right support at the right time. This programme has been developed by the RNRMC and Naval Families Federation, with additional funding support from the Armed Forces Covenant.

Useful Links

Security

If you are struggling financially and buying day to day items is difficult and worrying for you then our Emergency Essentials Grant Scheme can help. This is a key part of our support to families in crisis, our casework team can discuss your difficulties with you, and see how we can help.

Grants can be for items such as, but not limited to, those on the list below

Groceries
Children’s clothing
School uniform and equipment
Children’s beds and furniture
Buggies and prams
White goods
(fridges or washing machines)
Car seats
Extra-curricular activities
We can process these grants quickly especially in an emergency.

If you are a serving family you can get help through Royal Navy Family and People Support (RNFPS) and find a wealth of knowledge and support on the RN Forum. You can contact them by phone on 023 9272 8777 or Freephone 0800 145 6088 and sign up to the RN Forum through https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/community-and-support/advice-and-support

Veterans around the UK can get support through SSAFA or any of the other charities on this page.

Useful Links

Education

We can provide support for educational needs through the young person’s life, whether that is financial to support learning, through schools and partnerships with organisations such as the SCiP Alliance or for children with learning disabilities.

LEARNING DISABILITIES

We have a partnership with the National Autistic Society to provide access for families to their expert guidance and support. Please contact us to see if we can help you through that partnership.

If you are seeking support with assessments, one of our caseworkers can discuss this with you to ascertain what we may be able to assist with.

Documentation will be required to accompany any application for funding for assessments. This list below gives you an idea of the type of detailed information we need to make an informed decision on your application.

For an educational need such as an assessment for dyslexia or other learning disabilities, the Local Education Authority (LEA) or school would be required to explain if they support the request and, if they do, provide supporting information. They are also required to confirm in writing that they cannot provide the assessment and why.
If they can provide it however there is a long waiting list, they need to state this and give approximate times.
For private assessments the LEA must confirm that they will accept the result of any assessment and recommendations detailed in the report.

BURSARIES AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT

If you are seeking assistance with funding towards your child’s education outside of the state system, we require supporting information which includes.

Confirmation of the school the child is/will be attending
Details of the fees plus the bursary being offered by the school
The reasons for the child attending that school.

Educational grants are only awarded in exceptional circumstances, where there is an identified reason showing the child is disadvantaged academically. For example: learning disability; special needs; emotional bereavement; disability; illness. We also require supporting information showing that the child’s special educational needs cannot be provided by the Local Authority/State.

All applications for educational grants are presented to our Trustees for consideration at our monthly Welfare Committee. Unfortunately we are not in the position to award grants where the application is not based on the child being disadvantaged for the reasons stated above.

We have partnerships with schools and bursary giving organisations that can offer support to disadvantaged children and young people. Some have specific bursaries for children from a Naval background, click on their links or contact us to find out more

HIGHER EDUCATION

If you are a young person looking towards an apprenticeship, college or higher education we can offer financial support with an annual grant to assist with the costs of books/equipment and a monthly grant towards your everyday living costs. Contact us to find out more.

Useful Links

Life Chances

Our life chances programme offers opportunities to all our children and young people, not just those where families are in crisis or in need of immediate financial support. These opportunities range from voyages with the Tall Ships Youth Trust, where our Naval young people can go on sponsored voyages experiencing a fantastic adventure as well as enabling them to achieve their RYA Competent Crew Certificate and, if appropriate, contribute towards the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, or the offer from ACE London Irish for budding Rugby players. Keep your eyes posted for other opportunities available and click on the links to find out more.

Water based, residential activity camps – FREE spaces for Naval children

Sailing Adventures for young people
In partnership with the Tall Ships Youth Trust

The Naval Children’s Charity have partnered with PETA to promote their apprenticeship programme, so our young people can enjoy the benefits of a rewarding career whilst gaining the qualifications they will need to progress in the future.

A week’s adventure holiday in the Lake District

Ages: 10 – 22 year olds.

Year 12 and Year 13 students who have the aspirations and potential to play at the elite end of the game.

A week’s adventure holiday in the Lake District

Ages: 10 – 22 year olds.

Giving Naval Children their Voice

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you help me?
Yes we can help you. Any request must be child related and you must be eligible, either serving or having served in the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, QARNNS, WRNS, Reserves or Royal Fleet Auxiliary

2. Will you help me?
All requests are based on need and we means test applications. This means reviewing your request and finances are an example of what we take into account when making a decision.

3. Will I have to provide details about my finances?
Yes. As a means tested charity we will normally require pay/bank statements and details about any benefits you may be in receipt of. We use this information in confidence to help us make an informed decision about your application.

4. Why do you need private medical/educational/benefits information?
We use this type of information to help us make an informed decision. For example, if a specialist piece of equipment is required for a child, but the NHS do not provide that equipment but they have written a letter or report that supports the need for the equipment.

5. What if I have savings?
We balance each request for assistance on a lot of different criteria and having savings does not necessarily mean we will not consider your request. Each application is considered on a case by case basis.

6. What if I was medically discharged from the Naval Service, can you still help me?
Yes you can still apply for assistance so long as you are eligible.

7. Do I have to complete an application form?
Yes, we do have a form for you to complete and we can offer you advice and assistance if you need any help completing it.

8. Do you conduct home visits?
Yes we may be able to arrange to have one of our caseworkers vist you.

9. What sort of things could you offer support with?
We can consider any specific need, no matter how large or small. If you are struggling with day to day living or need help with things such as children’s medical equipment/educational assessments/hospital travel/school uniform/children’s beds……..this is not an exhaustive list. We will discuss your needs with you and try to work out how to support you.

10. Do you hold events/meetings in my area?
With much of the lifting of Covid restrictions our Caseworkers will recommence visiting areas around the UK and these will be posted on our website when we do. We also attend family days and Armed Forces Days at Naval bases around the UK as and when we can.

11. Will you contact my Chain of Command/Employer/Ex-partner?
We are independent of the Naval Service and would only contact someone with your permission.

12. Will you pay for my child’s private education?
Possibly, but only in exceptional circumstances and once we have all the information we need to consider such a request.

13. Do you have a nominated list of child counsellors/therapists?
We do not recommend any particular counsellors or therapists but we can consider help towards their costs.

14. I am divorced/separated and my children live with me/or live away. Can you still help me?Yes – we consider any help on a case by case basis, assessing all the information presented to us, and this is not dependent on whether your children live with you or your marital status or whether you or your partner was the serving person.

We're Hiring!

We're Hiring!

Are you eligible?

The Royal Navy

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary RFA

The Royal Marines

The Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

The Women’s Royal Naval Service WRNS

The Reserves of those Forces

How to get help?

Speak to a caseworker

What do we do?

Additional information

Health

SEND Family Support Online

National Autistic Society.

Jump into a world of imagination and adventure with Camp 365!

Enabling young people to self-manage their wellbeing rapidly

Useful Links

How we can help you

Apply for Financial Assistance using the Lightning Reach portal.

A simple 3 step process

How we can help you