Veterans’ charity Launchpad has received a grant for £11,250 from the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC), working in partnership with Greenwich Hospital.
The grant will help rehabilitate five homeless Royal Navy veterans who have struggled with their transition to civilian life. The RNRMC Through Life Committee awarded the grant to improve mental health, combat loneliness and social isolation and to continue to support residents who need ongoing support.
Launchpad provides accommodation and targeted support to UK Armed Forces veterans experiencing homelessness and unemployment. The charity manages three houses in the North of England in Liverpool, Newcastle, and Durham and accept veterans from all over the UK. It provides accommodation for 100 homeless veterans.
The funding will help Royal Navy veterans such as Olivia Gollick, who served four years as a medic. She left the Royal Navy to further increase her chances of job progression and applied to study for a degree at the University of Sunderland.
In her second year of studies, she left her course, separated from her partner and found herself homeless and was sofa-surfing at a friend’s house. She applied for accommodation at Launchpad’s Hollyacre House in Durham and said: “Launchpad gave me my independence. It’s allowed me to be me again and to have the responsibility of having my own flat and a safe place to live.”
Olivia has since successfully moved on from Hollyacre House and hopes to carry on with her degree and qualify as a paramedic. She is also considering undertaking a podiatry and chiropodist course at college.
David Shaw, CEO and Co-Founder of Launchpad, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity and Greenwich Hospital for this grant. Launchpad provides vital accommodation and support to Armed Forces veterans, including those who have served in the Royal Navy or Royal Marines, and who have struggled with the transition from military to civilian life.
“It costs on average £11,667 to support and rehabilitate one homeless veteran during a typical 12-month stay. Two-thirds of that cost is covered through rental income, almost all of which is received as Housing Benefit but, as a charity, we need to raise the remainder through voluntary income, via grants and other donations, to meet these costs.
“This is why additional funding and support from armed forces charities such as the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and Greenwich Hospital, a Crown body, is crucial in ensuring that our work can continue. We are eternally grateful for their support.”
Mandy Lindley, Director of Funding and Relationships, said: “In September last year, we were honoured to fund Launchpad, whose tireless efforts are making a profound impact in enhancing mental well-being, alleviating loneliness, and fostering a sense of community among our veterans. Alongside Greenwich Hospital and organisations like Launchpad, we strive to ensure that no veteran feels alone, and every journey towards healing is met with compassion and support.”
Jonathan Ball, Director of Grants, Greenwich Hospital, said: “A safe and secure home where veterans are supported while they adapt to civilian life is fundamental to a successful transition. We’re therefore delighted to continue working with the RNRMC to fund charities like Launchpad, which can deliver critical work on the ground to achieve positive outcomes for our Royal Navy veterans.”
Since it was formed in 2013, Launchpad has supported over 700 veterans across all three houses. On average, over the last five years, 61% of veterans supported by Launchpad have successfully moved on and 50% gained employment whilst at Launchpad.