The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity

What The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity does

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) is the principal charity of the Royal Navy, established in 2007 and headquartered at HMS Excellent on Whale Island, Portsmouth. It operates as a company limited by guarantee (No. 6047294) and a dually registered charity in England and Wales (1117794) and Scotland (SC041898), with a Board of Trustees chaired by Dr Brian Gilvary and Admiral Sir Jonathon Band as President. The organisation's stated mission is to support sailors, marines, and their families "for life," covering serving personnel, naval families, veterans, Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, and bereaved dependants through every life stage.

RNRMC operates a hybrid model combining direct service delivery with grant-making to specialist partner charities. Its own products and services include the Waves Weekly Lotto (a weekly lottery operated via a Shopify storefront), the Heart of Oak Memory Tree (a 2025-launched permanent memorial at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard), the Race Across the UK flagship fundraising endurance event, and individual and corporate fundraising event registrations priced from £13 to £300 per entry. It administers dedicated funds including The Submarine Family (TSF) and the HMS Oardacious Submarine Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, and channels large block grants to specialist organisations such as Walking With The Wounded, Veterans Outreach Support, Tom Harrison House, Scotty's, Woody's Lodge, and Climb 2 Recovery. In 2024 alone, grants disclosed include over £264,000 across nine named veteran and family organisations, plus over £52,000 across 24 grants to HMS Collingwood.

Revenue is generated from six identifiable streams: voluntary income through the Royal Navy Payroll Giving scheme and Royal Marines Corps Subscriptions (recurring), individual one-off and monthly donations, investment portfolio returns, grants from partner organisations (notably Greenwich Hospital for Remembrance & Comradeship grants), Waves Weekly Lotto ticket sales, and legacy gifts. Legacy giving is supported through three legal service partnerships — Forces Law (since 2018), the National Free Wills Network (2024), and Octopus Legacy (online). The underlying technology stack comprises Blackbaud for donor management, Shopify for the storefront and lottery, JustGiving for online fundraising, Run For Charity for event registration, and PayPal for payments; no proprietary AI or machine-learning capability is disclosed.

Name

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity

Legal name

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity

Website

https://www.rnrmc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity specializes in supporting sailors, marines, and their families for life.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Military Charity and Veterans Welfare Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Veterans & Military Family Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAI)

Keywords

• Military charity services
• Veteran welfare support
• Grant funding programs
• Naval family support
• Charity fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Portsmouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Income - Payroll Giving: Donations received through the Royal Navy's Payroll Giving scheme and Royal Marines' Corps Subscriptions, providing regular recurring income from serving personnel.
2. Individual Donations: One-off and regular donations from individuals including monthly donors, one-off gifts, in-memory donations, and general fundraising contributions.
3. Investment Portfolio Returns: Income generated from the charity's investment portfolio, providing a diversified revenue stream.
4. Grants from Partners: Grants received from partner organizations such as Greenwich Hospital and other charitable foundations.
5. Waves Weekly Lottery: Weekly lottery program supporting the naval community, generating funds from ticket sales while offering prizes to participants.
6. Legacy Gifts: Legacies and bequests left to the charity in supporters' Wills, providing significant long-term revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity is the principal charity of the Royal Navy, providing lifelong welfare, financial, mental health, and family support to serving sailors, marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, veterans, and their families. It operates as a grant-making and commissioning organisation, awarding block grants to specialist partner charities that deliver frontline services, while also running direct fundraising programmes (Waves Weekly Lotto, Supporting the Serving monthly donations, Race Across the UK challenge), legacy giving services, and the Heart of Oak Memory Tree memorial at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Product overview

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) operates as a grant-making and commissioning charity rather than a single product platform. Its core offerings include: grants programmes funding specialist partner organisations across welfare, mental health, family support, and veteran services; the Waves Weekly Lottery providing regular fundraising from supporters; and event-based fundraising including the flagship Race Across the UK challenge. The charity also administers dedicated funds including The Submarine Family (TSF) and HMS Oardacious Mental Health Fund. Additional services include the Heart of Oak Memory Tree memorial programme and partnerships with legal service providers (Forces Law, National Free Wills Network, Octopus Legacy) offering free Will writing to supporters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Waves Weekly Lotto: Weekly lottery supporting the naval community - both serving and veterans - whether they served at sea, in the air, or on land, as well as their families.

Products and services

• Waves Weekly Lotto
• Heart of Oak Memory Tree
• Grants for Organisations
• Remembrance & Comradeship Grants
• HMS Oardacious Submarine Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund
• The Submarine Family (TSF)
• Individual Support Grants
• Race Across the UK
• Make a Will - Forces Law Partnership
• Make a Will - National Free Wills Network
• Make a Will - Octopus Legacy Online

Quantifiable outcome

• Millions of pounds distributed annually to military charities caring for children, families, and veterans of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Forces LawminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership established in 2018 offering a free Will writing service where solicitors waive fees for basic Wills in return for a donation to the charity. Suggested minimum donation is £100 for single Will and £150 for mirror Wills.
• Greenwich HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenwich Hospital partners with RNRMC on the Remembrance & Comradeship Grants programme, providing generous funding to deliver meaningful opportunities for remembrance and comradeship across the Royal Navy community. Their support enables events honoring service traditions and strengthening connections between serving personnel, veterans, and families.
• National Free Wills NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNRMC is a member of the National Free Wills Network, offering supporters the opportunity to have a simple Will prepared for free by a local solicitor, with RNRMC paying a discounted rate for each Will written.
• Octopus LegacyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with leading online Will writers Octopus Legacy to offer free online Will writing, completed in 15 minutes and legally binding when signed with a witness. Service available for England and Wales; telephone and face-to-face options for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• The Submarine Family (TSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSF is a fund administered by RNRMC bringing together all parts of the submarine community (serving, veteran, family, and supporter) to provide a framework for fundraising and coordinated support for benevolence, commemoration, and heritage projects.
• HMS Oardacious - Submarine Mental Health and Wellbeing FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNRMC partners with the HMS Oardacious fund to support projects for submariners and their families within the deployment cycle. Grants fund activities supporting mental health, resilience, and well-being of submariners and families during deployment.
• MBDAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMBDA has played a pivotal role through the Bridge Partnership, championing family initiatives and the neurodiversity project. Their events team contributed exceptionally to The Sky's the Limit Ball, and they participate in volunteering activities including life raft upcycling.
• Powder MonkeycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Bridge Partner supporting the charity through brewing bespoke beers (The Sky's the Limit beer on HMS Prince of Wales), providing bars at events, and supporting HMS Oardacious. Demonstrates ongoing commitment to the naval community.
• Walking With The WoundedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient providing employment, mental health, and wraparound care coordination programmes for veterans. The employment programme helps veterans secure meaningful sustainable jobs through Individual Placement and Support (IPS), with care coordination covering housing, benefits, debt relief, and food assistance.
• Veterans Outreach Support (VOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient providing wellbeing and welfare services across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight through integrated mental health, welfare, and wellbeing services with a 'no wrong door' person-centred approach.
• Tom Harrison HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient providing specialist residential addiction recovery service for veterans and emergency service personnel in Liverpool (CQC Outstanding rated). The 12-week therapeutic programme combines group therapy, one-to-one support, family involvement, and practical help with housing and onward recovery.
• Scotty'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient providing specialist bereavement support for Royal Navy and Royal Marines children, young people, and families through flexible one-to-one online sessions with qualified childhood bereavement practitioners, including counselling and workshops.
• Woody's LodgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient delivering Anchored for Life project supporting working-age Royal Navy and Royal Marines veterans in Wales through peer-led transition support with one-to-one guidance, outreach, and informal group activities.
• Climb 2 RecoverycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient providing peer-led transition support programme for wounded, injured and sick personnel leaving service, delivered in partnership with Royal Navy Recovery Delivery.
• Accrington Stanley Community TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient delivering Veterans & Families Wellbeing Network programme providing personalized one-to-one support, family resilience sessions, and community-based activities to improve wellbeing and reduce isolation.
• Improving Lives PlymouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient delivering Veterans Together project building on the Plymouth Veterans and Family Hub to provide tailored workshops, one-to-one financial coaching, veteran-led peer support circles, and mentoring.
• Defence Gardens SchemecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient delivering Growing Futures project with monthly Cultivate and Connect workshops at the June Best Sanctuary Garden, providing nature-based group activities and targeted one-to-one guidance for veterans seeking employment assistance.
• Plymouth Argyle Football in the Community TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient delivering one-year pilot supporting working-age veterans within five years of discharge, combining employability training, health and wellbeing support, financial guidance, and peer networks.
• COBSEOcoreOthersFull member of COBSEO, the Confederation of Service Charities which coordinates Service charities in the UK.
• Veterans ScotlandminorOthersMember of Veterans Scotland, the coordination body for veterans' charities in Scotland.
• Royal NavycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNRMC is the principal charity of the Royal Navy, with formal relationship supporting sailors, marines, and their families for life through Royal Navy Payroll Giving and direct engagement with naval units.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SSAFA — the Armed Forces Charity: SSAFA is the UK's oldest national military charity, providing welfare, mental health, and family support to serving personnel, veterans, and families across all services. It is directly comparable to RNRMC in mission, beneficiary base, and grant-making-plus-direct-service model, with the key difference being its pan-armed-forces scope versus RNRMC's naval focus.
• Royal British Legion: The Royal British Legion is the UK's largest armed forces charity, supporting the entire military community through welfare services, remembrance activities, and the Poppy Appeal. It is comparable as a broad-based military welfare charity with similar fundraising channels (lottery, legacies, donations) and a comparable through-life beneficiary model.
• Help for Heroes: Help for Heroes provides direct support to wounded, injured, and sick UK service personnel and veterans, focusing on recovery, mental health, and transition. It competes with RNRMC for the same pool of UK military donors and operates a similar grants-and-partnership delivery model.
• Royal Air Forces Benevolent Fund: The RAF Benevolent Fund is the principal charity of the Royal Air Force, providing welfare, mental health, and family support to RAF personnel and veterans. It is structurally analogous to RNRMC as a single-service principal charity with a Royal-mandate positioning and similar service offerings.
• ABF The Soldiers' Charity: ABF The Soldiers' Charity is the principal charity of the British Army, providing welfare support to soldiers, veterans, and their families. It mirrors RNRMC's role within the Army community and operates a comparable grants-focused model, making it a direct cross-service peer.
• Combat Stress: Combat Stress is the UK's leading charity for veterans' mental health, providing specialist treatment for PTSD and other conditions. It is comparable to RNRMC's mental health strand (e.g., Tom Harrison House and HMS Oardacious funding) and competes for the same mental-health-focused donor segment.
• Royal Marines Association: The Royal Marines Association supports serving and former Royal Marines and their families, focusing on welfare, comradeship, and remembrance. It overlaps directly with RNRMC's Royal Marines beneficiary cohort and shares event-based fundraising and remembrance programming.

Regional players

• Poppyscotland: Poppyscotland is the Scottish-registered equivalent of the Royal British Legion, providing welfare support to Scottish armed forces veterans and families. It is comparable as a military welfare charity but operates primarily within Scotland and does not directly compete with RNRMC's all-naval-services mandate.

Emerging players

• Walking With The Wounded: Walking With The Wounded supports veterans into employment and provides mental health and wraparound care. It is an RNRMC grant recipient, making it simultaneously a downstream partner and a partial competitor for veteran-focused donor attention and programme funding.

Others

• Greenwich Hospital: Greenwich Hospital is a Royal Charter charity providing welfare support to Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel and their families. It is a strategic funding partner to RNRMC (Remembrance & Comradeship Grants) and a comparable naval-focused welfare funder, but does not directly compete for public donations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RNRMC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/RoyalNavyandRoyalMarinesCharity
• Facebookfacebook.com/RNRMC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-royal-navy-and-royal-marines-charity
• Instagraminstagram.com/rnrmcharity

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity