What Royal Star & Garter does

Royal Star & Garter is a registered charity (number 210119) founded in 1916 to provide specialist residential and community care for veterans and their families living with disability or dementia. Operating across four purpose-built homes in Solihull, Surbiton, High Wycombe, and Worthing, the charity delivers nursing care, dementia care, short-break/respite care, day care, end-of-life care, and a younger veterans' service. Its dementia provision is anchored in the Butterfly Household Model of Care from Dementia Care Matters, holding Level 1 accreditation (a distinction held by only 1% of UK care homes) and supplemented by sensory, music, and pet therapy programmes, with each home running more than 50 weekly activities. A community outreach layer extends beyond residential walls via Lunch Clubs, a Telephone Friendship Service, dementia workshops, and a digital Family Connections portal and Memorial Wall.

The business model blends charitable revenue streams with service fees. Funding is drawn from public donations, fundraising events, a weekly lottery with prizes up to £25,000, legacy gifts, and trusts and foundations; alongside this, the charity collects care fees across its residential, nursing, dementia, day-care, and short-break services. Operating expenses are service-delivery heavy, with a workforce of 251-500 staff and significant physical-asset investment, evidenced by the £17m High Wycombe facility and the recent acquisition of Care for Veterans in Worthing. The charity is governed by a Board of Governors under Royal Charter RC000713, presided over by HRH Princess Alexandra.

Beyond its own homes, Royal Star & Garter is the originator and steward of the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF), an accreditation programme that scaled to 300+ residential care homes across England by 2026; it is also a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant and a member of COBSEO and the National Care Forum. NHS data integration (GP Connect, National Record Locator, London Care Record) supports joined-up clinical care. Distribution remains regional across southern and central England, with no disclosed international footprint and no public pricing for care services — admission is handled via phone enquiry and individual eligibility assessment.

Name

Royal Star & Garter

Legal name

Royal Star & Garter

Website

https://starandgarter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Royal Star & Garter is a UK registered charity (founded 1916) operating four specialist care homes in England for veterans and their families living with disability or dementia, delivering nursing, dementia, respite and day care under the accredited Butterfly Household Model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Residential Care

NAICS

Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Residential Care Homes (RCFE/Board & Care) (HLADABAF)

Keywords

• Dementia care services
• Veterans nursing care
• Residential care homes
• Disability support charity
• Elderly veteran care

Headquarters

HQ city

Hampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charity relies on public donations, fundraising events, and charitable contributions to fund operations and care services.
2. Lottery: Weekly lottery with prizes up to £25,000 supporting veterans and their families.
3. Legacy Gifts: Gifts in wills ensuring veterans always have a home, a significant source of planned giving.
4. Care Fees: Fees for residential care, nursing care, dementia care, day care, and short-break care services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Royal Star & Garter is a registered charity operating four purpose-built residential care homes in England (Solihull, Surbiton, High Wycombe, and Worthing) that provide specialist nursing, dementia, short-break, day, and end-of-life care for veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia. It complements residential services with community outreach programmes including Lunch Clubs, a Telephone Friendship Service, and a Family Connections digital portal, while promoting the Veteran Friendly Framework across the wider care sector.

Product overview

Royal Star & Garter is a veteran care charity operating as a single, integrated service provider rather than a platform product. The organisation offers residential care homes in four locations (Solihull, Surbiton, High Wycombe, and Worthing) providing core services including nursing care, dementia care, short-break care, day care, and end-of-life care. These residential services are complemented by community outreach programmes including Lunch Clubs, the Telephone Friendship Service, and the Veteran Friendly Framework. The charity also provides digital services through its Family Connections portal and Memorial Wall. All services are focused on providing person-centred, compassionate care for veterans and their families living with disability or dementia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nursing Care
• Dementia Care
• Short-Break Care
• Day Care
• Younger Veterans' Care
• End-of-Life Care
• Lunch Clubs
• Telephone Friendship Service
• Solihull Home
• Surbiton Home
• High Wycombe Home
• Worthing Home (Care for Veterans)
• Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF)
• Family Connections
• Memorial Wall

Quantifiable outcome

• Only 1% of care homes in UK achieve Level 1 distinction from Dementia Care Matters
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Veteran Friendly FrameworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFF is a programme improving the lives of the Armed Forces community living in residential care across England. Royal Star & Garter developed and supports this framework, with 300th home gaining VFF status in 2026.
• Armed Forces CovenantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal Star & Garter is a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, demonstrating commitment to the Armed Forces community.
• Local businesses and community groupsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with local businesses and community groups for fundraising, volunteering, and community engagement.
• Schools and youth organisationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSchools and youth groups partner for intergenerational activities, pen pal programmes, and community events.
• Military organisationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAF High Wycombe, Headley Court, RAF Halton, and other military units that visit, volunteer, and fundraise for the charity.
• Dementia Care MatterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation providing the Butterfly Household Model of Care accreditation. Royal Star & Garter homes hold Level 1 accreditation.
• National Care ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry body for charitable care providers in the UK.
• The Confederation of Service Charities (COBSEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella organization for charities supporting the Armed Forces community.
• Birmingham International TattoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual event that supports Royal Star & Garter, with money raised going to the charity.
• NHS and Healthcare ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined-up care integration including GP Connect, National Record Locator, and London Care Record for shared care information.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI): Provides employment, housing and welfare support for the Armed Forces community in the UK. Comparable as a veteran-focused charity with supported housing and care-related services, sharing the Armed Forces Covenant signatory status and donation-driven model.
• Broughton House Veteran Care Village: A charity-run veteran care home in Salford providing nursing, dementia and residential care for ex-Service personnel. Directly comparable in mission, scale (single-site specialist home) and beneficiary focus, making it one of the closest like-for-like UK peers.
• The Royal Hospital Chelsea: A UK charity providing residential and nursing care specifically for British Army veterans. Directly comparable to Royal Star & Garter as a long-established veteran-focused residential care institution, although it serves pensioners in a single almshouse-style community in London.
• Blind Veterans UK: UK charity providing lifelong support, including residential rehabilitation and care, to vision-impaired ex-Service personnel. Comparable as a specialist veteran-support charity with residential services and a similarly donation-funded operating model.
• Erskine Veterans Charity: Scotland's largest veteran charity, operating specialist care homes for ex-Service men and women including dementia care. Closely comparable in mission (veteran residential and nursing care), funding model (charity with donations and care fees) and service mix, but primarily Scotland-focused.

Emerging players

• Help for Heroes: Major UK Armed Forces charity supporting wounded, injured and sick veterans with recovery and rehabilitation services. Comparable in veteran beneficiary focus and fundraising scale, but its core offering is non-residential recovery programmes rather than dementia/elderly care homes.
• Vida Healthcare: Award-winning UK specialist dementia care provider focused on high-quality, person-centred dementia care. Comparable in dementia-care specialism and quality positioning, though private-sector and not veteran-restricted.
• Combat Stress: UK charity providing specialist mental health treatment for veterans. Comparable as a high-profile Armed Forces charity serving a defined veteran sub-population, though its clinical model (mental health) differs from RSG's residential dementia and disability care.

Broad incumbents

• Barchester Healthcare: Large UK private operator of residential and nursing care homes including dementia specialists. Comparable on service line (care homes with dementia care) but very different ownership structure (private equity-backed) and without the veteran-only beneficiary focus.
• MHA (Methodist Homes): One of the largest charitable care providers in the UK, operating dozens of residential, nursing and dementia care homes. Comparable as a charity-sector elder care operator with similar quality awards, but operates at far larger scale and without RSG's veteran-specific beneficiary restriction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/starandgarter
• Xx.com/starandgarter

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Royal Star & Garter