We have, over the years had the peasure of working with some fantastic charites and projects including Winston’s Wish bereavement counselling, Chicks respite breaks and Turn to Starboard family sails with Fisher House, Stoll, Finchale College, Walking With the Wounded. Sporting Force, Breaking Ground Heritage, and Not Forgotten Association.

Here are some examples of the type  of grants we have issued . By working together, we are avoiding duplication, reducing administration and providing a joined-up solution for the armed forces community.

Families Charities Grants

Winston's Wish
£600,000 granted

Winston's Wish is the leading childhood bereavement charity and the largest provider of services to bereaved children, young people and their families in the UK. 

The death of a loved one who dies while serving in the military can bring additional pressures and practical changes perhaps not experienced by other families.

Since 2010, Help for Heroes has provided Winston’s Wish with £600k in grant funding to offer a bereavement support programme specifically for children and young people from military families across the UK affected by the death of a parent or sibling.

Fergus Crow, CEO of Winston’s Wish says: 

"It is a sad fact that many of our heroic servicemen and women who die whilst in service are parents, or have younger siblings. We are delighted that through funding from Help for Heroes, Winston’s Wish offers a programme specifically for bereaved military families."

Rachel’s husband David was killed whilst serving with the Army in Afghanistan, leaving three children Simon, Patrick and Jane.

The family has been through the bereavement services of Winston’s Wish. 

"I found it heart-breaking to grieve for David and all that he had lost; grieve for our children and their future; and grieve for myself. I realised that the children (and I) needed outside help so that they could talk about their feelings.

"Winston’s Wish was there for us when we needed professional, caring, emotional support and has been invaluable to us."

To make contact with Winston’s Wish you can

  • Call their freephone national Helpline on 08088 020 021, which is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm
  • Visit the Winston's Wish website and in particular their pages about supporting bereaved children and young people from military families

The Union Jack Club is a private members club for serving and ex-serving military personnel of Her Majesty's Armed Forces. We've granted £230k to enable four rooms in the club to be converted so they are now fully accessible.

Fisher House
£2m granted

We granted £2m to support recovering personnel and their families at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB). The grant was used to fund the construction and help meet the running costs of a Forces and Families Centre on site at QEHB, 'Fisher House'.

The project was delivered through a partnership between Help for Heroes, the Fisher House Foundation and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity.

We provided a grant of £1.5m to support construction costs of the house, in addition to £500k for running costs, which equates to £50k a year for 10 years.

The project was delivered through a partnership between Help for Heroes, the Fisher House Foundation and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity.

We provided a grant of £1.5m to support construction costs of the house, in addition to £500k for running costs, which equates to £50k a year for 10 years.

Indivdual charities grants


Gurka Welfare Trust
£100,000 granted

Following the Nepal earthquake in 2015, Help for Heroes provided emergency grant funding of £100k to the Gurka Welfare Trust to support Gurkha Veterans and their families who served with the British Armed Forces.

Canine Partners
£176,000 granted

Canine Partners assists people with disabilities to enjoy a greater independence and quality of life through the provision of specially trained dogs.

Grant Funding from Help for Heroes has allowed Canine Partners to successfully pair up injured Servicemen and women with dogs who have had a remarkable impact on their lives.

We were able to provide £20,000 to pair Steve with Kizzie:

“I always felt self-conscious being in a wheelchair but Kizzie has given me a new lease of life! I don’t have to take a carer when I go out and my wife doesn’t have to worry about me. If I drop my phone, or my keys, Kizzie picks them up and returns them to my lap.

"The real reward is the life she has helped me get back, especially my relationship with my children. I can now take them out to play again at the park or for a walk in the woods nearby. They love throwing the ball for her so walks are not so boring with daddy now.”

It takes between 15-18 months to train a canine partner from selection at eight weeks old through puppy training and advanced training until they are partnered with a person with disabilities. Each partnership has regular visits from the Charity’s aftercare assistants and support and advice are available 24 hours a day.

Employment charity grants

The Poppy Factory
£514,000 granted

In June 2011, The Poppy Factory announced its plans to help wounded, injured or sick ex-Service men and women into mainstream employment. The Poppy Factory has been piloting an employment services model and has successfully placed more than 100 veterans of all ages in jobs all around the UK. 

Over the next five years, it plans to help over 400 more. We have been able to commit £514,000 in grant funding to the programme, enabling The Poppy Factory to draw down funds when needed to support individuals.The Poppy Factory finds and matches employers with clients, they support clients to explore their professional aspirations, audit their skills and experiences and understand where any gaps exist. Case workers then work intensively with clients to develop practical tools such as CV writing and interview techniques.

University Leeds
£13,600 granted

The funding will be used for a research project to enhance our knowledge and develop our understanding of the mentoring requirements of our Wounded Injured or Sick in transition from the Military to Civilian Life.

Physical recovery charities grants

BLESMA, The limbless veterans

Blesma is a national charity for limbless serving and ex Servicemen and women, and their dependants and widows.

In 2009, Help for Heroes provided grant funding of £100k to support four adventurous challenges for the wounded, organised by Blesma. This included a transatlantic yacht race, a ski trip to Colorado, ski bobbing in Austria and the Fastnet Challenge.

Mission Motorsport
£1.6m granted

Mission Motorsport provides respite, rehabilitation, recreational opportunities and training through motorsport and through participation in competition. Their strong team ethos helps to inspire and rebuild confidence and individuals on the course are developing skills including mechanical competencies, logistics and management.

Team participation in Motorsport has many benefits from inspiring and rebuilding confidence to developing resilience and ability to cope with a disability in different and testing environments; instilling a greater degree of independence.

To date, Help for Heroes have provided over £1.6m in grant funding to Mission Motorsport.

Find out more about Mission Motorsport

Veterans Charities Grants

Battle Back
£2M granted

Help for Heroes is a founder patron of the Battle Back programme, a UK Military initiative. Battle Back uses Adaptive Adventure Training and Sports Rehabilitation to help seriously wounded Service personnel gain independence and confidence to focus on what they can achieve, rather than what they can’t.

To date, we have provided £2m to the programme which has supported 1,500 wounded, injured and sick individuals through activities such as sailing, swimming, cycling or water-skiing, and 80 individuals at an elite level across all summer and winter Paralympic sports.

Battle Back and Help for Heroes also have close links with the British Paralympic team and works to identify wounded personnel who show a talent for a particular sport and may benefit from inclusion in Paralympic Development programmes.

The Poppy Factory
£514,000 granted

In June 2011, The Poppy Factory announced its plans to help wounded, injured or sick ex-Service men and women into mainstream employment. The Poppy Factory has been piloting an employment services model and has successfully placed more than 100 veterans of all ages in jobs all around the UK. Over the next five years, it plans to help over 400 more.

We have been able to commit £514,000 in grant funding to the programme, enabling The Poppy Factory to draw down funds when needed to support individuals.

The Poppy Factory finds and matches employers with clients, they support clients to explore their professional aspirations, audit their skills and experiences and understand where any gaps exist. Case workers then work intensively with clients to develop practical tools such as CV writing and interview techniques.