The Legion has welcomed a grant of £250,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to help support care home residents.
The award from the Covid-19 Impact Programme will be used to help staff to continue providing critical support for elderly residents at four of our care homes.
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust is administering the Covid-19 Impact Programme on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office following their allocation of emergency funding from DCMS and HM Treasury in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The money will be used to help pay for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other additional costs due to Covid-19 at Dunkirk Memorial House in Somerset, Mais House in East Sussex, Maurice House in Kent and Galanos House in Warwickshire.
Our response to the Covid-19 outbreak
More than 300 of the most vulnerable members of the Armed Forces community, including veteran and their dependants, will benefit from the funding.
As elderly people are at greater risk of contracting Covid-19, we are taking every possible measure to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents and staff.
"We have taken an extensive range of measures to protect everyone living and working in our care homes, but this comes at a financial cost,” says Stephen Barnett, the Royal British Legion’s Assistant Director of Operations.
"This grant will help us to pay for vital PPE equipment and cover staffing costs.
"Since the pandemic began, we have seen increased demands on our services and have had to come up with many alternative ways of providing support.
"We will continue to be flexible and responsive whilst at the same time providing the highest standards of care."
"This award from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust is particularly welcome,” added Charles Byrne, the Legion’s Director General.
"It will help our hugely dedicated staff to continue to ensure the safety for some the most vulnerable members of the Armed Forces community.
"The Armed Forces Covenant is something we at the Legion hold very close to our hearts and we are very grateful to the Trust for their support during this most difficult of times."
