Live ChatWho we help
Our support covers both regulars and reserves in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force and their families, including anyone who has completed National Service. We know and understand the unique demands of service life, whether in the UK or overseas, and in times of need, we help to enable the Forces family to thrive.
Our recent research shows that service leavers aged 25-64 need more specialised support. The challenges they face are complex – from low income to life-changing injuries or hidden wounds, like depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Armed with this information, we are improving our services for younger, working-age veterans, and we will make sure they know we’re here when they need us.
How we help
SSAFA helps the armed forces community in a number of ways, though our focus is on providing direct support to individuals in need of physical or emotional care.
Addiction, relationship breakdown, debt, homelessness, post-traumatic stress, depression and disability are all issues that can affect our members of our Armed Forces community. Many of these problems only become apparent when an individual has to leave their life in the Forces and join ‘Civvy Street’. SSAFA is committed to helping our brave men and women overcome these problems, and rebuild their lives.
What makes us unique?
We’ve been supporting the Armed Forces for more than 130 years. We support thousands of people in the UK and on military bases around the world. But it’s not just this that makes us unique.
The needs of serving men and women and of veterans are becoming more diverse as the world and military landscape changes. So we work hard to make sure our services are flexible. We constantly adapt them to fit with people we support and what they need. This means we can offer everyone we work with a range of tailored services to help them navigate life in and beyond the military.
SSAFA works in partnership with other military charities and specialist organisations to ensure that those who turn to us for help get the support they need.
Where we are?
SSAFA provides support wherever it is needed in the UK and worldwide. Our volunteer network reaches into every county of the UK and 11 countries around the world, operating on or near to the UK’s overseas bases. We coordinate our activities from our central office in London and via our regional teams and committees.
How we fund our work
Our charitable work is financed by contributions from benevolent funds, generous donations from members of the public and the profits generated by our Health and Social Care department who are contracted by the Ministry of Defence to provide direct support to serving personnel and their families in the UK and overseas.
Find more detail about how we fund our services in our reports and publications.