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Naval Children’s Charity awarded Royal Navy Team Commendation

Award recognises the charity’s efforts in bettering the life of Naval children during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Naval Children’s Charity (NCC) is pleased to announce that we have been awarded with the Royal Navy Team Commendation. 

The honour recognises the charity’s “dedication and commitment in making a real difference to so many Naval children and their families in the face of the significant challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Clare Scherer, chief executive of the NCC, commented: “The staff of the Naval Children’s Charity are utterly delighted to receive this award from the Royal Navy.  

“It came as a complete surprise to us and is the most welcome and heartening recognition of the work that we do supporting the children of those serving and veteran personnel from the Naval Service.”

Since 1st March 2020, the NCC has directly supported 3,776 children through grants and bursaries.  

Over 1,000 payments in household support have been delivered, including direct support to supplement grocery spend, Christmas presents and housing costs. 

The charity has also provided payments for educational costs, including bursaries for essentials in home schooling. This includes funding 44 laptops and 120 grants for schooling children with exceptional family circumstances. 

Children with special educational needs and physical disabilities have also been supported, with funding made available for house adaptations, transport for medical needs and hospital stays, therapies and respite breaks. 

Scherer added: “We are all passionate about ensuring that our children and their families receive timely and appropriate responses to their requests for help.  

“It takes a lot to reach out to a charity when you are in need and we are mindful of treating them with respect and kindness in a non-judgmental way as quickly as possible to minimise their stress and anxiety.” 

The Royal Navy Commendation is a prestigious award, with recipients selected by the Fleet Commander and Second Sea Lord. 

The scope of the award ranges from professional achievements, to those that make outstanding contributions to charitable work that betters the lives of active and veteran Naval service people. 

Some 40 recipients are chosen each year, with the NCC the only external organisation recognised in the Spring 2021 cohort.

How we can help you

Apply for Financial Assistance using the Lightning Reach portal.

For applications for financial assistance you can apply by clicking on Register for Help below which will take you to the Lightning Reach portal. This platform is provided by our trusted partner, Lightning Reach, a social impact startup which uses secure technology to make the application process as quick and safe as possible for you.

A simple 3 step process
  1. Register and complete your profile here
    When asked to specify which of the Armed Forces you have served in, make sure to select ‘Royal Navy’, ‘Royal Marines’, ‘Merchant Navy in support of the Armed Forces’ or from the roles / industries list to ensure you are matched to Naval Children’s Charity.

  2. Once you’ve completed your profile, you should receive a support match to The Naval Children’s Charity. Click ‘continue’ to complete and submit your application.

  3. Provide your supporting evidence and submit your application to The Naval Children’s Charity.

Once your application has been made a caseworker will be in touch as soon as possible, this is usually within 3 days.

The profile you create on the Lightning Reach portal can also help you to find and apply for support from other support organisations easily and securely. We recommend that you submit your application to The Naval Children’s Charity first before submitting applications to other organisations.

For help with completing your application, visit Lightning Support and search for ‘The Naval Children’s Charity’.

If you have a question or not sure what help you need and require information or advice please use this online form.

Alternatively, If you would prefer to call our casework team, we can be contacted on 023 9263 9534, our office hours are 0830-1600 Monday to Friday.

How we can help you

The Naval Children’s Charity supports children up to and including the age of 25 whose parent(s) serve or have served in the Naval Service: Royal Navy, Royal Marines, QARNNS, WRNS, their Reserves and the RFA. If you need information or advice regarding support for your child(ren) please fill in the form to the best of your knowledge. One of our caseworkers will then contact you.

If you would prefer to call us we can be contacted on 023 9263 9534, our office hours are 0830-1600 Monday to Thursday and 0830-1300 on Friday.