Hollywood Bowl Group - Portsmouth GWQ

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Children’s Fund has been dedicated to supporting children with a parent serving or ex-serving of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and their Reserves for over 100 years through two World Wars, the Falklands as well as recent conflicts and have been helping these children as they experience the ongoing repercussions from injury or PTSD. Providing help to around 2000 children every year we are there for those challenges that they have to deal with over and above those usually faced by their peers. With around 85% of the children we help either themselves or a parent having a disability or illness they also have the extra stress linked to being a ‘forces’ child. The main challenges that our children face revolve around the stresses and strains on them from long periods with a parent away; the impact of living in a temporary one-parent or no parent family, in addition to the difficulties they are facing if there is disability or illness to contend with. We can provide support in many different ways. In the main we give grants to provide equipment or services linked to their disability or illness but we can provide help in such basic ways as putting food on the table or a grant when a crisis hits a family that is already struggling. We have our own case-workers based at our offices in Portsmouth and we also use a large network of volunteer case-workers through SSAFA (The Armed Forces Charity). They get the information from the family as to what help is needed. Families can come to us directly either by ringing the office and speaking to our caseworkers or downloading the application form on our website. Alternatively they can go to SSAFA or RNRM Welfare who will then refer to us if required. We are just one of many charities that can provide help and we often work in partnership with other charities so that the children can receive a package of care. A large proportion of our support falls into what we call our Emergency Essentials Grant scheme. For some children and young people their need is immediate and we need to respond quickly and directly to the family. This could be for a bed, clean clothes or a hot meal. Our Emergency Essentials Grant helps those children who are living in desperate situations and where poverty is having an effect on their health and development.