Care for Veterans is set to merge into fellow armed forced charity Royal Star & Garter, the organisations have announced, expanding the latter’s services to four care homes.
Royal Star & Garter, founded in 1916, operates three care homes in Solihull, High Wycombe and Surbiton while Care for Veterans, established in 1919, operates one care home in Worthing, West Sussex.
The two charities provide services for armed forces veterans and their families who are living with disability, neurological conditions or dementia and hope to expand services following the merger.
A spokesperson told Civil Society: “Our current shared intention is that Care for Veterans will become a subsidiary charity in a Royal Star & Garter group, with all existing services and buildings maintained.”
Unified management structure
The merger will “provide a more effective, efficient and wider-reaching offer to the veteran community of all ages”, according to Royal Star & Garter website.
Care for Veterans, formerly known as the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home, recorded a total income of £4.96m for the year ending 31 December 2023, with around 116 employees.
Meanwhile, Royal Star & Garter filed an income of £23.7m for the same year, with around 358 employees. It also has assets, including long-term investments, worth over £100m.
Andy Cole is the Royal Star & Garter chief executive and Pete Inkpen is the Care for Veterans interim chief executive.
The aim is for a unified management structure after the merger, which is expected to be completed by Easter 2025, a spokesperson told Civil Society.
A long-term strategy
Tim Tyler, Royal Star & Garter chair, said: “I am delighted to be working with the board of Care for Veterans with a view to bringing its home, residents and staff into the Royal Star & Garter family.
“Both charities were founded as a result of the Great War, have shared similar experiences and ambitions ever since and today share common goals.
“Royal Star & Garter’s long-term strategy is to ensure consistently high-quality care is provided for those living with disability and dementia among the military family.
“This merger is absolutely consistent with this, and the two charities will develop and learn from each other for the benefit of our current and future beneficiaries.”
David Williams, Care for Veterans chair, said: “Bringing together Care for Veterans and Royal Star & Garter into a single group unites two charities with a combined history of over 200 years of caring for the veteran community.
“A merger will leverage the expertise of both charities to the benefit of veterans and their families in need of care.
“It will also strengthen our financial and operational resilience to ensure that high-quality care is provided at the Worthing home now and into the future, while preserving the legacy of the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home/Care for Veterans.”
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