Lloyd’s of London, the world’s specialist insurance market, has announced a donation of £200,000 to armed forces charity Veterans Aid.
The donation is the largest single donation ever received by Veterans Aid and brings the total given by the Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund to Britain’s Armed Forces to over £2 million in the last ten years.
Veterans Aid provides support to ex-servicemen and women in crisis, and helps them to rebuild their lives with services such as emergency accommodation and out-reach programmes. The Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund donation will be spread across four of the key areas of the charity’s work; emergency accommodation, addiction and mental health treatment, education and training as well as support to homeless ex-servicemen and women’s families.
Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund Chairman, Michael Hardingham said: “It is a privilege for Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund to work with Veterans Aid, often referred to as the A&E of the Veteran’s World, and to support the vital work they do in helping veterans who have experienced extreme difficulties get back on their feet.”
Dr Hugh Milroy, CEO of Veterans Aid, said, “VA has adopted Churchill’s mantra of ‘Action this day’ because any delay in delivering help is unacceptable for a man, woman or family in acute need. Our interventions are immediate and our support tailored specifically to the needs of individuals concerned. Where this involves longer-term investment it can be costly, but as a result those who graduate tend to be successful. We are only able to operate on this basis because of the generosity of supporters. This significant donation from Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund will give us the freedom to make the best possible investments in those we help for a considerable period of time. We are utterly delighted to be recipients of such a generous donation and proud that Lloyd’s, in making the award, acknowledges the value of the work that we do.”
Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund was founded in 1803 and has been providing support to the armed forces community on behalf of the Lloyd’s of London market for over two hundred years.
For more information go to www.lloyds.com/veteransaid
Notes to Editors:
1. Through this donation, Lloyd’s will support the programme for one year from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014. It is anticipated that over 450 individuals will be supported during this time.
2. Founded in 1803 to assist the many casualties of the Napoleonic Wars, Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund is one of the oldest military charities of its kind and has been providing support to the armed forces community on behalf of the Lloyd’s of London market for over two hundred years. The Fund provides support to a number of organisations with a particular focus on those who are disabled or face poverty, illness and hardship
3. Veterans Aid is the nation’s one-stop shop for ex-servicemen and women in crisis, taking 3,000 calls a year and providing around 20,000 nights of accommodation. There are around 4.5 million veterans in the UK and around 20,000 men and women leave the Armed Forces and become veterans every year. A third of the hostel residents are aged between 20 and 29 years of age, which an overall average of 33. The charity has been operating in London for more 80 years but takes calls from UK veterans worldwide. It operates a London drop-in centre and hostel , provides accommodation, outreach services, helpline and a diverse range of solutions to those in need. For more information about Veterans Aid contact Glyn Strong on 07806 920087 or email media@veterans-aid.net. See also http://veterans-aid.net.
