Princess Anne joined veterans and charity leaders on Wednesday as she celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Veterans’ Foundation, recognising a decade of support for serving personnel, veterans and their families across the UK.
The Princess Royal attended the milestone celebration at the Honourable Artillery Company in London, where she met veterans, ambassadors and representatives from charities that have benefited from the Foundation’s work.
Among those she spoke with were Veterans’ Foundation ambassadors Simon Weston CBE and Mark Ormrod MBE, who shared how funded organisations are improving the lives of former service personnel and their families.
Since its launch in 2016, the Veterans’ Foundation has awarded almost £40 million in grants to more than 500 charities, supporting over 1,100 projects across the United Kingdom. The funding has helped organisations provide assistance with mental health, housing, employment, education, family wellbeing and community support.
The anniversary event celebrated the charity’s achievements over the past decade while looking ahead to its future through the Armed Forces Pledge, a campaign encouraging people across the UK to show their support for veterans and serving personnel.
Chair of Trustees Andrew Anderson described it as “a tremendous honour” to welcome The Princess Royal to the celebrations.
He said: “Her longstanding commitment to the Armed Forces community reflects the values that have guided the Foundation over the past decade. What we have achieved in ten years is remarkable, but our ambition for the future is even greater.”
Chief Executive Jane Gurney praised the thousands of supporters who have helped the charity grow since its launch.
She said more than 288,000 people have backed the Foundation over the past decade, enabling it to fund hundreds of charities delivering life-changing support across the country.
Veterans’ Foundation ambassador Simon Weston CBE also paid tribute to the charity’s impact.
“It was a privilege to be part of this celebration and to see so many people united by a shared commitment to those who have served our country,” he said.
“The Veterans’ Foundation has spent ten years backing extraordinary organisations that stand beside veterans and their families every single day. That support changes lives, strengthens communities and reminds people that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
During the evening, Andrew Anderson announced an ambitious new target for the charity’s second decade: to raise and distribute a further £160 million, taking the Foundation’s lifetime funding to £200 million.
The event also reflected on the charity’s journey with footage of a commemorative projection on the White Cliffs of Dover, echoing a similar display that marked the Foundation’s launch in 2016 and honouring the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community.
