Naval Children's Charity
Naval Children's Charity is a Portsmouth-headquartered UK charity, founded in 1825, that supports children and young people (0–25) of Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary families through direct casework, the Life Chances Programme, Go Learn tutoring, and university bursaries, funded by donations and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1825
- HeadquartersPortsmouth, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Naval Children's Charity does
Naval Children's Charity (formerly the Royal Naval and Royal Marines Children's Fund) is a UK-registered charity established in 1825 and headquartered at Castaway House, Portsmouth, with outreach caseworker locations in Helensburgh and Plymouth. It serves children and young people aged 0–25 whose parent or guardian serves or has served in the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, QARNNS, WRNS, Reserves, or Royal Fleet Auxiliary, delivering crisis and hardship support, educational bursaries, wellbeing resources, and life opportunities. The organisation operates a direct casework model supplemented by three core programme pillars: the Life Chances Programme (outdoor, creative, and educational activities delivered through 50+ specialist partners), Go Learn (free one-to-one online tutoring in partnership with Greenwich Hospital and MVA Tutors, up to 16 hours per academic year), and a University Education Bursary Scheme (administered through the JS Group Aspire platform). Digital infrastructure includes the Lightning Reach application portal, Stripe-powered donation processing, and JustGiving peer-to-peer fundraising, with all services delivered free to eligible families.
Naval Children's Charity is funded entirely outside government channels through individual donations, corporate partnerships (£2,500–£10,000 tiers), trust and foundation grants (with Greenwich Hospital as the primary institutional funder), and legacy gifts. Its operating costs are structurally covered by an endowment Fund established when the original orphanages were sold in the 1990s, a positioning that enables the charity to claim that 100% of donations go directly to beneficiaries. The organisation is led by CEO Clare Scherer MBE, governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Christopher Tite, and holds Royal Patronage from HRH The Princess Royal; its 2025 bicentenary was marked by a Houses of Parliament reception and the Armed Forces Family Support Charity of the Year 2025 award from the SME Southern Enterprise Awards.
Naval Children's Charity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Naval Children's Charity
- Legal name
- The Naval Children's Charity
- Website
- https://www.navalchildrenscharity.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1825
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Naval Children's Charity is a Portsmouth-headquartered UK charity, founded in 1825, that supports children and young people (0–25) of Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary families through direct casework, the Life Chances Programme, Go Learn tutoring, and university bursaries, funded by donations and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Naval Children's Charity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Military Family Children's Charity Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (624110)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Veterans & Military-to-Civilian Transition Programs (EDAAAOAH)
Keywords
Where Naval Children's Charity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portsmouth
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Naval Children's Charity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Voluntary donations from individuals, including one-off and monthly giving options. The charity promotes various donation amounts to support children accessing educational support and opportunities.
- Corporate Partnerships: Funding from corporate partners at various levels (£2,500 virtual career insights, £5,000 creative sector residential, £10,000 tech sector residential) and in-kind support through workshops and mentoring
- Trust and Foundation Grants: Grant funding from trusts and foundations including Greenwich Hospital for specific programmes such as Go Learn tutoring and Life Chances activities
- Legacy Gifts: Bequests and legacies left in wills, allowing donors to support the charity's work beyond their lifetime through residuary gifts, pecuniary gifts, or specific items
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Donation | Pay-as-you-go | One-time donation options for supporters |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly recurring donation options |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Corporate partnership funding tiers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Naval Children's Charity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Naval Children's Charity provides free welfare, financial, educational, and wellbeing support services to children and young people (aged 0–25) of serving and veteran Royal Navy, Royal Marines, QARNNS, WRNS, Reserves, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel. Its core offerings include direct casework grants, the Life Chances Programme (outdoor, creative, and educational activities), the Go Learn online tutoring programme, a University Education Bursary Scheme, and Wellbeing Packs with psychological resources, all delivered through a UK-wide casework team and partner organisations.
Product overview
The Naval Children's Charity operates as a charitable organization offering a portfolio of support services for Naval children and young people (up to age 25) of serving and veteran Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary families. The core offerings centre on three interconnected areas: (1) Casework Services providing direct financial and emotional support through means-tested grants; (2) The Life Chances Programme delivering outdoor, creative, and educational activities to build skills and connections; and (3) Go Learn, a free online tutoring programme in partnership with Greenwich Hospital and MVA Tutors. Additional offerings include the University Bursary Scheme (delivered via the Aspire platform), Wellbeing Packs containing books and resources, and the Doing Distance Toolkit for psychological support around deployment. The NCC Youth Council engages young people in governance, while Corporate Partnerships enable industry-funded opportunities within the Life Chances Programme. The charity's original orphanages were sold in the 1990s, with proceeds invested to cover operating costs, ensuring all donations directly benefit beneficiaries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Naval Children's Charity
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Naval Children's Charity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Naval Children's Charity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
28 partnerships are on record, tiered primary funder, core partner, delivery partner and minor.
- Greenwich Hospitalprimary funderMajor funding partner for Life Chances Programme and Go Learn tutoring initiative. Greenwich Hospital provides primary funding that enables delivery of opportunities and academic support for Naval children. The partnership includes funding for the Go Learn tutoring pilot and residential activities.
- Tall Ships Youth Trustcore partnerPartnership offering sailing voyage opportunities for young people from Naval families, both serving and veteran. Provides outdoor adventure experiences as part of the Life Chances Programme.
- Albatross Artscore partnerDelivers creative workshops for children aged 7-16, including online creative workshops and Easter camp programmes. Activities are designed for inclusive participation including neurodiverse children.
- MVA Tutorsdelivery partnerSelected through national tendering process to deliver Go Learn tutoring programme. Provides award-winning digital provision with a strong UK-wide tutor network for personalised online tutoring.
- Forces Employment Charitycore partnerProvides free careers guidance, 1:1 mentorship, resources, and access to events for Naval children and young adults aged 16-24 as part of the Families Programme.
- The Brilliant Clubcore partnerUniversity guidance programme providing information about higher education options, financial implications, and career planning for Naval children and families.
- Children's Sailing Trustcore partnerDelivers week-long non-residential sailing camps for Naval children during summer holidays, fully funded for serving families.
- Sporty Starscore partnerAward-winning day-camps offering multi-sports, arts & crafts, and inflatable activities for children aged 5-12 at various UK locations.
- The Wave Projectcore partnerMental health support through surf therapy programme improving wellbeing for Naval children at various UK locations.
- Purple Housecore partnerScotland-based service provider for autism and ADHD assessment, occupational therapy, and talking therapies. Partnership provides neurodiversity support for Naval families.
- National Autistic Societycore partnerPartnership providing information and support resources for autistic Naval children and their families.
- Cornwall Autismcore partnerSpecialist autism, ADHD, and neurodevelopmental assessment services for children in Cornwall, Devon, and South West.
- RNSA (Royal Naval Sailing Association)core partnerJointly with Greenwich Hospital, provides free sailing opportunities for children of Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary families.
- Making Spacecore partnerCreative hub providing 2-hour craft workshops for children aged 7-11 at Leigh Park, Havant, with expertise in supporting SEND children.
- Theatre Royal Plymouthcore partnerYoung Company workshops for performing arts including drama, dance, and singing for ages 5-19, fully funded for Naval children.
- Naval Families Federationcore partnerCollaboration on Wellbeing Packs and resources for Naval children and families, including doing distance toolkit development.
- KIDScore partnerSEND family support specialists providing guidance on neurodiversity, navigating SEND in education with free initial consultations.
- Aggie'score partnerStorybook Waves programme enables serving personnel to record bedtime stories for children to listen to during deployment separation.
- Reading ForceminorFree shared reading resources and activities for Naval and Ex-forces families including scrapbooking and wellbeing journals.
- Wickedly Wonderful CampminorActivity camp offering horse riding, kayaking, paddle boarding, and beach activities for Naval children.
- Tech Campcore partnerEngineering and coding camp run by industry professionals for children aged 9-17, teaching real engineering and programming through custom projects.
- British Youth Music Theatreminor6-day residential summer camps providing intensive creative training in music theatre for ages 11-17.
- SpringpodminorVirtual work experience opportunities for Naval children to explore future career options.
- Never Such InnocenceminorCreative workshops in poetry, art, speech, and songwriting for children from 9 years upwards, delivered in schools.
- RNRMCcore partnerRoyal Naval and Royal Marines Charity providing additional support and partnership working for Naval families.
- SSAFAcore partnerArmed Forces charity providing referral pathway for families seeking Naval Children Charity support.
- Royal British Legioncore partnerArmed Forces charity providing referral pathway for families seeking Naval Children Charity support.
- Royal Navy Family and People Support (RN FPS)core partnerOfficial RN family support service providing referral pathway for families to access NCC services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Naval Children's Charity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SSAFA: UK's oldest Armed Forces charity providing welfare, financial, and family support to serving and veteran personnel and their families. Directly comparable as a referral partner and competing donor in the same military family support space.
- Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC): Core partner that provides additional support and partnership working for Naval families. Highly comparable mission (Royal Navy/Marines welfare) and shares the same donor pool, making it both a collaborator and competitor.
- Scotty's Little Soldiers: UK charity specifically supporting bereaved British Armed Forces children and young people. Highly comparable as a military-children-focused charity competing for similar donor and corporate partnership funding.
- Little Troopers: UK military children's charity supporting all service branches through resources, school liaison, and wellbeing programmes. Closely comparable in mission (military children support) and resource/toolkit delivery model.
- Naval Families Federation: Official independent voice for Royal Navy and Royal Marines families. Comparable beneficiary base (Naval families) and works in partnership with NCC on Wellbeing Packs and the Doing Distance toolkit.
Broad incumbents
- Royal British Legion: The UK's largest Armed Forces charity, supporting the entire military community including families. Comparable as a referral pathway for Naval families and a direct competitor for corporate CSR and individual donor funding.
- ABF The Soldiers' Charity: The national charity for the British Army, providing financial support to soldiers, veterans, and their families. Comparable as a service-branch-specific military family charity with a similar casework and grants model.
- RAF Benevolent Fund: The Royal Air Force's leading welfare charity, supporting serving personnel, veterans, and their families. Directly comparable service-branch-specific welfare charity with casework and grants delivery.
- Help for Heroes: Major UK military charity supporting wounded veterans and their families. Comparable as a competing fundraising brand targeting military families and corporate CSR donors across the UK.
Regional players
- Army Families Federation: Independent voice for Army families, providing feedback to chain of command on family issues. Comparable as a service-branch family support organisation, though it serves Army rather than Naval families and focuses on policy advocacy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Naval Children's Charity social profiles
Digital presenceNaval Children's Charity compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Naval Children's Charity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Naval Children's Charity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Naval Children's Charity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Naval Children's Charity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Naval Children's Charity
What does Naval Children's Charity do?
The Naval Children's Charity provides free welfare, financial, educational, and wellbeing support services to children and young people (aged 0–25) of serving and veteran Royal Navy, Royal Marines, QARNNS, WRNS, Reserves, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel. Its core offerings include direct casework grants, the Life Chances Programme (outdoor, creative, and educational activities), the Go Learn online tutoring programme, a University Education Bursary Scheme, and Wellbeing Packs with psychological resources, all delivered through a UK-wide casework team and partner organisations.
Is Naval Children's Charity a public or private company?
Naval Children's Charity is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Naval Children's Charity founded?
Naval Children's Charity was founded in 1825. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Naval Children's Charity based?
Naval Children's Charity is headquartered in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Naval Children's Charity make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, trust and Foundation Grants and legacy Gifts.
Who are Naval Children's Charity's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SSAFA, Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC), Scotty's Little Soldiers, Little Troopers and Naval Families Federation. Broad incumbents are Royal British Legion, ABF The Soldiers' Charity, RAF Benevolent Fund and Help for Heroes. Army Families Federation is listed as a regional player.
Does Naval Children's Charity have an API?
No public API is recorded for Naval Children's Charity.
What industry is Naval Children's Charity in?
Naval Children's Charity's product category is Military Family Children's Charity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAHAL, Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services, with a secondary code of EDAAAOAH, Veterans & Military-to-Civilian Transition Programs. Its NAICS code is 624110 and its SIC code is 8300.