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One of our mums has been in hospital a long way from home, we have helped with helping her son see her during this time. Her son has special needs so it was very difficult for him to understand why mum was away and to cope with not seeing her. She wrote this note to thank us.
“Last weekend’s visit. J (Son) saw me standing and taking a few steps with aids. He got very emotional as he cannot remember me walking it has been 6 years. J being able to visit me at weekends whilst I am in a specialist hospital in London over 120 miles from home. I have been here since the 1st July. Hopefully but not confirmed yet I will be home end Sept/Oct this year. J became very withdrawn as he could only come to visit once a month due to financial constraints. Since being awarded this grant he has become happier, engaging again, joining in on thing’s at home and looking forward to coming to see me at the weekends. It’s wonderful to see my son and husband each week but more amazing to see him happy again. Thank you.”

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.