Hospital funds support for naval children

Naval children are set to benefit from a charity grant of more than £640,000.

Greenwich Hospital, a charity established to support naval personnel and their families, has confirmed it is awarding the money as part of a three-year grant to help The Naval Children's Charity.

The charity, based in Portsmouth, offers help to children if they are in crisis, as well as supporting their education and wellbeing.

The grant will now be used for the charity's Life Chances programme and is expected to help up to 531 children.

Clare Scherer, chief executive for the charity, said the money would secure their programme's future.

She said: "Our Life Chances programme helps children build core skills, confidence, and resilience while enabling naval families to support their children's development.

"Ongoing evaluations help us to drive continuous improvement, and with Greenwich Hospital funding half the programme's costs, its future is secure, allowing us to expand our reach UK wide."

The programme is structured around outdoor, creative and educational activities and the UK initiative will involve offering more bespoke services.

It also plans to work alongside the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Greenwich Hospital, which was established by a royal charter, provides support to serving and former serving Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel and their families.

Director of the hospital, Deirdre Mills, said: "Supporting children and young people from naval family backgrounds goes far beyond fulfilling basic needs.

"It is about providing opportunities for growth, fostering social mobility, and addressing the unique challenges naval children face."

You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.