2024 IMPACT REPORT
Royal British Legion Industries
A review of our year
Front Cover: The Princess Royal, giving an impromptu speech when opening RBLI’s Centenary Village.
Left: Hari Budha Magar, record-breaking Gurkha mountaineer, launching RBLI’s 2023 cycle ride to Ypres.
Foreword from our Chairman
Steven Rowbotham
As Chairman of our charity, it fills me with immense pride and gratitude to reflect on the remarkable achievements of the past year.
I am delighted to share details of the visit by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to RBLI’s Centenary Village. Her Royal Highness’ presence was an extraordinary honour, highlighting the critical work we are doing to support veterans and their families.
During her visit, The Princess Royal engaged warmly with residents, listened to their stories and expressed genuine admiration for their resilience and courage. Her Royal Highness made an unplanned speech when she said how RBLI’s model should be replicated across the UK. Her visit brought significant attention to our work. We are profoundly grateful for her support and the awareness her visit has raised about our mission to provide safe, stable, and supportive housing, welfare support, training and employment for our nation’s veterans.
The Great Tommy Sleep Out represented a beacon of hope and community spirit in 2024. This annual event, where thousands of compassionate
souls come together to experience a night in the open, continues to grow in its impact, shining a much-needed spotlight on the harsh realities faced by homeless veterans.
The success of this year’s Sleep Out is not just a testament to the dedication of our supporters across the UK but also to the generous sponsorship by BAE Systems. Their commitment to our cause has amplified our reach and resources, enabling us to provide even more substantial support to those who have bravely served our country.
One particular highlight of the year is the prestigious recognition bestowed upon Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company with The King’s Award. This accolade is more than just a mark of excellence; it is a powerful acknowledgment of the resilience, skill, and determination of our veterans who work there. The King’s Award celebrates their hard work and the meaningful contributions they make to
our society. It also recognised RBLI’s work promoting disability employment across Scotland in partnership with our customers.
Our initiatives at the Centenary Village, formally opening 40 new homes including purpose built move-on accommodation, have been instrumental in transforming the lives of many veterans. This facility is more than just a place to stay; it represents a new beginning, a safe haven where veterans can rebuild their lives. Many of these individuals have completed the STEP-IN programme, which provides comprehensive support and guidance to help them reintegrate into civilian life.
Our charity’s commitment to doing more for homeless veterans is unwavering. This year, we have expanded our services, reaching out to more veterans and providing a wider range of support. A significant boost to our efforts has come from a generous grant from The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. This funding has enabled the collaboration
I would like to take this opportunity to thank every individual, organisation, and partner who has contributed to our mission.
Steven Rowbotham
between RBLI and PTSD Resolution. This partnership has been crucial in addressing the mental health challenges that many veterans face. By providing targeted support for PTSD and undiagnosed mental health issues, and by addressing addictions, we are helping veterans heal and reclaim their lives.
The success stories we witness at RBLI every day are a powerful reminder of the importance of our work. Veterans who once faced insurmountable challenges are now thriving. These transformations are not just changes in circumstances; they are profound shifts in identity, self-worth, and hope for the future.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all RBLI’s Trustees, and every individual, organisation, and partner who has contributed to our mission. Your support and generosity have made all the difference. Together, we are building a community that understands and responds to the unique needs of our veterans.
Looking ahead, I am filled with optimism and determination. RBLI wants to create a lot more paid work opportunities for veterans overcoming injury or homelessness, and also support people with learning difficulties to live independently. With the continued support of our partners, donors, and volunteers, we are confident in our ability to change the perception of disability employment in the UK.
Let us continue to stand together, united in this mission to create opportunity.
With sincere thanks,
STEVEN ROWBOTHAM RBLI Chairman
Introduction from our Chief Executive
Lisa Farmer
I look back on the incredible accomplishments of the past year with absolute appreciation for everyone’s dedication to our cause. Our progress is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our staff, volunteers, and supporters, as well as the important partnerships with key stakeholders. Together, we have made significant strides in enhancing the lives of veterans and those living with disabilities.
The highlight of RBLI’s year was the visit by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to officially open the Centenary Village. HRH The Princess Royal, who last visited us in 2005 to open Queen Elizabeth Court, was warmly welcomed by everyone on a joyful day for the whole charity.
The opening of 40 new homes is a monumental step forward, transforming the Centenary Village into a thriving community that offers a sanctuary. It stands as a testament to what can be achieved through vision, dedication, and community spirit. The Centenary Village has grown into a vibrant and supportive environment where residents from all backgrounds thrive. The Princess Royal took the time to understand our model and our ambitious plans, and praised our dedication.
The opening of the new Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) Community Centre and the female-only House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) marks a pivotal moment. Set to be completed in autumn 2024,
this phase represents the heart of our £28 million development. The ABF Community Centre will serve as a vibrant hub for community engagement, fostering connections, fitness, mobility and employability coaching.
Meanwhile, the women-only HMO will offer a new start and safe haven for female veterans. These facilities will not only address immediate needs but also empower our female veterans to rebuild their lives through work, while in a supportive and secure environment.
Another highlight has been our collaboration with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs when we joined with them as part of Op Fortitude, a new and dedicated national referral pathway into housing for homeless veterans. As part of Op Fortitude, we can leverage our extensive experience and resources to help veterans overcome homelessness.
While there has been so much to celebrate, it is equally important to acknowledge the operational efficiencies we have had to implement to ensure the sustainability of our mission. These adjustments, though challenging, were essential to optimise our resources and streamline our processes, allowing us to continue delivering exceptional service.
Our commitment to serving the nation’s most vulnerable veterans and their families has not wavered, and these efficiencies have ensured the continuation of our work.
We have recently unveiled an ambitious new five-year strategy, setting the course for our future endeavours. This strategy will propel us towards greater innovation and impact, building on our legacy while delivering our sustainability long term.
Our new strategy sets out our plans to grow our UK-wide signs business to £9m in six years. A crucial part of this plan will include building a new manufacturing facility with environmental sustainability firmly in mind. This will align
Together, we will continue to forge ahead, driven by our shared mission to support veterans, people with disabilities and their families.
Lisa Farmer
with our ambitious growth plans and ensure we can support hundreds more people with job and training opportunities.
Our Social Enterprise factories in Aylesford, Leatherhead and Renfrewshire remain a cornerstone of our success, exemplifying RBLI’s leadership in veteran and disability employment. By providing meaningful work opportunities, we empower individuals to realise their potential and live independently.
Our model not only transforms lives but also demonstrates the invaluable contributions of veterans and people with disabilities in the modern workforce.
In our high-quality Assisted Living homes, our NHS referral pilot was a huge success with people recovering from stroke in Queen Elizabeth Court and Greenwich House on the Centenary Village rather than in an acute ward.
Our achievements are underpinned by the core values that define RBLI.
In 2023, we launched a new set of Values, developed through extensive consultations with our employees. We listened to their insights, ensuring that our values resonate deeply within our organisation and can be a guide for our actions.
As we celebrate these accomplishments, I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been part of our journey to make them possible. Your support and dedication have been the bedrock of our success.
Together, we will continue to forge ahead, driven by our shared mission to support veterans, people with disabilities and their families.
Thank you for being a part of RBLI’s mission.
LISA FARMER RBLI Chief Executive
Our Mission
The charity was originally established for wounded, injured or sick Armed Forces veterans so they could receive care, and gain family homes, and work opportunity that would enable them to build a whole new life and provide for a family. Today, our mission is the same. We prioritise support to Armed Forces veterans who are overcoming illness, mental illness, or disability, especially those who need extra help to find or secure paid work.
Just as our founders did, we look at the whole person, and work to help them build a new life after service, fully participating in civilian society. We do this by providing homes, jobs, care and training. However, our charitable objects are wider, meaning that RBLI can support anyone with disabilities, health conditions or other social disadvantages and barriers to employment, or any older people who need extra support to live a more active and independent life.
Our village is a national exemplar of holisitc veteran care.
Lisa Farmer
Our Divisions
HOMES & CARE
RBLI provides 340 family homes and Move On apartments in a thriving community with a sense of belonging for veterans of all ages.
Our Centenary Village is home to our Community Centre, IT learning centre and our dedicated home of multiple occupancy for female veterans.
RBLI also successfully delivers domiciliary care across the village with assisted living facilities and care homes providing on-site care in a thriving community for veterans who need it, whilst keeping their independence.
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (BBMC) refers to RBLI’s Social Enterprise factory in Aylesford, providing signs for road and rail, wooden products and fulfilment services, as well as our print, mail and fulfilment centre in Leatherhead. This includes our retail operations selling Tommy figures and developing our Tommy range
Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (SBMC) is RBLI’s award-winning factory in Renfrewshire, Scotland predominantly focusing on signage manufacturing and precision engineering.
As well as being market leaders in their industries, more than 70% of those employed across the charity’s Social Enterprise are military veterans, those with disabilities, or both.
WELFARE
STEP-IN is RBLI’s unique welfare model providing veterans and their families with structured, holistic support tailored to their individual needs.
Emergency support is also on-hand at Mountbatten Pavilion, RBLI’s house of multiple occupancy, providing a stepping stone for Armed Forces veterans in crisis.
LIFEWORKS
Lifeworks is a UK-wide, award-winning employment support programme which equips veterans with the tools needed to find meaningful employment outside the Armed Forces. It is also a delivery partner of the MoD on transition advice to those leaving the military on medical grounds.
FUNDRAISING
RBLI’s fundraising and marketing division drives awareness and partnerships as well as generating vital funds to support our full service offering and the charity’s ambitious growth strategy.
Our Impact
RBLI provides 340 homes for disadvantaged veterans in a thriving village community
1/3 of working age veterans on RBLI’s Village move on within 18 months
RBLI’s holistic welfare model, STEP-IN, ensures residents lead full, independent lives
RBLI’s Social Enterprise employs 105 people, providing social value and driving national procurement policy
RBLI’s disability employment achieves £1.2 million in social value every year
80% of veterans gain employment within 12 months of RBLI’s Lifeworks course
1 RBLI Village
2 Social Enterprise & Employability
3 National Impact & Partnerships
4 Financial Sustainability
5 Our People
Highlights in numbers
HOMES
340+
homes for veterans on our 75-acre village in Kent
36 Lifeworks courses, including remote courses, across the UK
Lifeworks new online trial to support veterans coming from the criminal justice system
69
residents supported across the village with welfare support through RBLI’s STEP-IN programme
£1.5M 40
spent on a new Community Centre and female-only HMO
JOBS
Evaluation shows the Lifeworks programme saves the economy
£5.65 million each year
More than 100 veteran participants attained their SQA accreditation
WELFARE
247
sessions of counselling delivered to veteran residents including those through RBLI’s partnership with PTSD Resolution
new homes opened on the Centenary Village
Proud to be disability employment experts (70% of our Social Enterprise have a disability)
SBMC was awarded The King’s Award for Enterprise in the Promoting Opportunities category
14
residents moved out of emergency accommodation on to other supported or independent accommodation
FUNDRAISING
£4.7M £1.2M 7,000 £229k
raised through fundraising in 2023/24
raised by The Great Tommy Sleep Out, up 118% from last year
participants in The Great Tommy Sleep Out
PEOPLE
We continue to promote equality of opportunities for people with disabilities
We prioritise employment opportunities for veterans and people with disabilities across our Social Enterprise
raised through fundraising activities to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings
We demonstrate what is possible with a 70% disabled workforce in our Social Enterprise
RETAIL
RETAIL
11,092 £186K
new customers visited RBLI through the online shop
£307K
revenue generated through new D-Day 80 products generated from all shop products in three months before D-Day
MANUFACTURING
154,000
signs manufactured and sold by BBMC and SBMC combined, equating to 41,000m2
235,000
pallets produced - an increase of almost 7% on last year - with one order totalling almost 100,000 pallets
1,824
print orders fulfilled by our Leatherhead site – an increase of 20% on last year
Homes & Care
The Centenary Village
Work has continued at the Centenary Village, our £28 million project, where we have substantially expanded our existing village.
The Centenary Village is more than just housing; it is a thriving community where the physical, emotional and social needs of veterans and their families are met.
It stands as a beacon, demonstrating the power of community and dedicated support to transform the lives of the country’s most vulnerable veterans as people of all ages come together.
Designed as an inclusive and mixed development to meet the different needs of its residents, the Centenary Village includes family homes and move-on apartments in Sapper House, Invictus Games House and Victory House. All of our homes have been specially adapted for veterans overcoming crisis, particularly for younger veterans of more recent conflicts managing life-changing injury, and veterans who were homeless.
Her Royal Highness
The Princess Royal
In October 2023, we were honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who opened 40 new homes at the Centenary Village. These included assisted living homes, new family homes, and new Move On apartments for veterans who were homeless.
The Princess Royal spent two hours at Greenwich House speaking to residents, supporters, staff and Trustees. Her Royal Highness was so impressed by everyone she met, and everything she saw and heard, that she was moved to make an impromptu speech.
The Princess Royal began by stating, “I’ve been before, but what a change. Just over 100 years ago your predecessors came up with a remarkable model. What you’ve done is make this model work better.
“Arguably, it’s a little sad that it’s as unique as it appears to be. Can I just thank you and congratulate you all for being involved to make it, at the moment, still unique, but hopefully, maybe, not in the future. That you will continue to maintain its relevance and to build on what your predecessors started many years ago.”
What a way to celebrate a Centenary and to bear in mind that just over 100 years ago your predecessors came up with a remarkable model.
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal
Latest phase
In the autumn of 2024, we will mark a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to provide quality housing for the country’s most vulnerable veterans as we open The Army Benevolent Fund Community Centre and a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) for female veterans.
This latest phase of the Centenary Village will also include Move On accommodation for single male working-age veterans, who can benefit from our employability coaching and employment opportunities on site in the Social Enterprise factory.
The new homes are for the most vulnerable veterans from anywhere in the UK who may be living with complex mental health challenges, overcoming financial crisis and relationship breakdown, or managing pain and physical health conditions daily. There is support in place at RBLI that includes mental health support and domiciliary nursing care.
The Army Benevolent Fund Community Centre
The Army Benevolent Fund Community Centre, funded by the Army Benevolent Fund, will serve as the heart of the community, providing a space for social interaction, recreational and fitness activities, and support services.
It will include a fully accessible state of the art gym, a café, and a shared workspace hub that encourages employability by providing an ideal space for people to work and study in remotely. It also houses the Sir Donald Gosling IT Centre, generously funded by The Gosling Foundation.
The Army Benevolent Fund Community Centre will also provide a modern base for our Lifeworks team to deliver its award-winning employability programme for veterans and their families to help them into employment or find a volunteering opportunity.
The building will also provide a base where RBLI’s welfare staff will work with veterans and their families.
Women’s House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO)
The women’s HMO is a critical addition to the village as it is one of the few spaces in the country that meets the needs of female veterans who have been homeless or are fleeing difficult situations. The HMO will provide more than just a roof over the female veterans’ heads. It will provide safe, secure and supportive accommodation, ensuring they have access to employability coaching within a stable living environment where they can rebuild their lives.
Through the Welfare team they will have access to tailored support services, including mental health support and opportunities for education, training and paid work.
This £4.8 million phase is the jewel in the crown of the Centenary Village
NHS referral pilot
Through our accommodation discharge support service with the NHS, we continued to see positive transitions from the NHS patients who recuperated at Greenwich House and Queen Elizabeth Court.
Our accommodation discharge support service provided four self-contained apartments at Greenwich House and two at Queen Elizabeth Court. This enabled assessments of patients’ longer-term needs, and onwards care, to be put in place. The service was primarily for patients overcoming severe stroke. An evaluation showed that the service has provided a safe discharge pathway, improving patients’ outcomes and saving the NHS money.
During the pilot we provided accommodation for 23 patients admitted from the NHS, resulting in three permanent residents moving onto the village.
Ray’s story
Ray, 89, a Royal Engineer veteran, arrived at Queen Elizabeth Court (QEC) on 4 December 2023 after a two-week hospital stay following the death of his wife, Olive.
When Olive developed dementia, Ray’s health, including heart failure, made it increasingly difficult to care for her alone. The family decided it was time for them to move to QEC, which Ray was already familiar with due to his military connections.
One night, Olive fell while trying to go upstairs. Unable to lift her, Ray called for help. Olive was eventually taken to the hospital, but Ray was also admitted as his family had informed the medics he couldn’t cope alone. Olive passed away five days later, and Ray spent a few weeks in hospital. Though he was physically fine, the experience was exhausting.
Arriving at QEC was a relief. It felt like home immediately. The carers were outstanding, and Ray felt confident knowing he was well looked after. After two weeks, he moved into a permanent flat, already decorated and with his furniture in place. His granddaughter had even put up bird feeders, giving him comfort.
“It’s sad that Olive isn’t here with me as that was our plan. I have limited mobility, and really value the carers and the lunchtime meals that are served in the dining room as I sit with a group of people who have become friends. We all have health conditions that we live with, but we can relax as there’s expert care at QEC.”
Full care pathway
Across the village we provide a comprehensive, full care pathway designed to support residents at all stages of life, enabling them to transition seamlessly from our independent living accommodation to full-time care within a single community. This is a key feature of our commitment to lifelong care and support.
Greenwich House, the latest addition to the Centenary Village, illustrates our commitment to the full care pathway as it provides specialised accommodation for veterans who need some level of care, while retaining their independence.
In 2023, six residents transitioned from assisted living accommodation to full-time care within the village. This illustrates how the full care pathway operates in practice, ensuring residents receive appropriate support as their care needs increase over time. The ability to move between different levels of care without leaving the familiar environment of the village enhances their wellbeing by minimising disruptions and maintaining a strong sense of community.
Our care homes
Following a full strategic review of the charity’s activities, the difficult decision was made to sell our care homes, Bradbury House and Appleton Lodge. The rising cost of running our care homes and the high level of specialist provision required informed the decision to sell.
We are proud that prior to this, our care homes, Bradbury House and Appleton Lodge, continued to achieve positive reviews from our residents and their loved ones. Bradbury House remained consistently good at 9.7/10 and Appleton Lodge increased from 9.5/10 to 9.7/10.
Selling our care homes will spell a change in the way in which we offer care services, exploring sustainable ways of delivering care, with domiciliary care a key focus across the village and beyond. Although this strategy has changed, we are proud that care services will continue on our village and these can still be accessed by RBLI’s residents, who will still also benefit from the support of the wider veteran community.
Social Enterprise
Signs manufactured and sold by BBMC and SBMC combined, equated to over 41,000m2
One Social Enterprise
To maximise production capabilities, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company in Aylesford and Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company in Erskine share work to ensure both sites can meet manufacturing demands. This collaborative approach delivers numerous benefits, including increased efficiency and enhanced production capabilities.
Royal recognition
In April, Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company celebrated winning The King’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunities. SBMC also marked its five-year anniversary of transforming the lives of veterans and people with disabilities.
On behalf of His Majesty King Charles III, a very special ceremony took place in the Scottish Social Enterprise factory as The Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, Colonel Peter McCarthy, presented the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise to Lisa Farmer, RBLI’s Chief Executive. The Award was presented with a written Royal Grant of Approval, signed by HM King Charles III, and a commemorative crystal bowl.
The King’s Award for Enterprise formally recognised SBMC’s mission to provide jobs to disadvantaged veterans and actively promote disability employment in Scotland.
Amey marks 15 years with RBLI’s Social Enterprise
Over the last 15 years, Amey has spent more than £4.3m through our partnership, contributing more than £730,000 in social value to the economy. The partnership, which began in 2008 in Aylesford, enables us to create five more employment opportunities every year through our Social Enterprise to veterans and people with disabilities. In the last year alone, our Social Enterprise factories in Aylesford and Scotland have produced over 26,000 signs for Amey’s highways and rail network.
A great year for our Social Enterprise
STRONG SIGNS
Veterans and people with disabilities have been making the nation’s road and rail signs at BBMC since the 1960s. In the past decade, the enterprise has supported over 250 individuals, including those with physical disabilities, learning difficulties, and mental health challenges.
Sales of signs continue to be strong, with £3m achieved in revenue at Aylesford, representing an increase of 32% on the previous year.
We were delighted to secure new work with Network Rail to provide trackside signage.
We also increased production capacity at BBMC, aided by the inception of split working shifts for the team and the installation of cameras above the printers, which can be left on through the evening with monitoring via an app.
In addition, BBMC customer HW Martin kindly donated a new printer to support current production requirements and future growth plans at our Social Enterprise.
BBMC’s largest single project for signs was for a rail electrification project, delivering 4,167 safety signs in Welsh and English advising when the line is live. The total value of this project was around £70,000.
A total of 90,000 signs were made to fulfil our 2023/24 orders using 26,000m2 of vinyl
UPDATE ON PALLETS
Our pallets division produced a total of 235,000 pallets this year, signalling an increase in pallet production of almost 7% on the previous year, with one key customer purchasing 100,000 pallets.
Despite this, increased operating costs played a huge part in reducing our financial performance, as did the purchase price of the 2,000
cubic meters of wood used to fulfil orders. These factors ultimately resulted in the difficult decision to divest this part of our Social Enterprise.
Our print site in Leatherhead brought in £900,000 in sales, with eight customers spending over £35,000 each this year. The Leatherhead Social Enterprise recorded 1,824 orders in the last financial year, representing an increase of 20% in total orders compared to the previous year.
We have invested in perfect binding machinery in Leatherhead to increase our print finishing capability and reduce our cost of sales while enabling us to offer this service to new and existing customers.
National Lottery support has created new product lines allowing us to expand the commemorative ranges that are produced at Leatherhead.
Evaluation of our training
Following the conclusion of a three-year research project funded by Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), an evaluation report by Glasgow Caledonian University evaluated the effectiveness of SBMC’s training programme in helping veterans transition to employment in civilian life. The report highlighted how SBMC’s progressive training programme positively transforms veterans’ lives through targeted work experience, training and qualifications.
SBMC’s approach, which includes qualifications in core skills like ICT, numeracy and problemsolving, as well as courses in Health & Safety and NVQ Level 2 in Manufacturing Operations, was highly praised. The report concludes that vocational training such as SBMC’s could greatly benefit veterans, emphasising the need for formal recognition of military skills and supportive environments for successful civilian employment transitions.
THANK YOU
We want to extend a very public thank you to Forces in Mind Trust and Glasgow Caledonian University for their evaluation.
Thank you to the veterans at Scotland’s Bravest for taking part in this evaluation.
We are grateful to the Veterans’ Foundation for providing funding towards our Training & Development Manager role for a further two years.
The Scottish Veterans Fund and The MacRobert Trust who have sponsored the development and piloting of a 22-month manufacturing traineeship, supporting veterans with their career progression.
The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, in partnership with Greenwich Hospital for supporting employment and welfare support for Royal Navy beneficiaries.
We would like to thank all SBMC funders for their generosity, some examples of which include The Basil Death Trust, The Graham Trust, The Hugh Fraser Foundation, The James Weir Foundation, The John Scott Charitable Trust, The Murray Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund, Nimar Charitable Trust and Souter Charitable Trust and The Stafford Trust.
We also remain forever grateful to the late Jackie Johnson, whose wonderful vision, energy and life-long commitment to Social Enterprise kickstarted our vital focus on skills and qualifications.
Retail
Our online shop welcomed 16,719 customers this year, as people were eager to buy our products that are made or fulfilled by veterans. In total, we sold and dispatched 32,949 products, across a product range of more than 150 items.
Our Tommy brand continues to resonate deeply with the Great British public. Our strong partnerships with commercial customers continue to thrive, bolstered by the positive social value that buying through RBLI brings.
For the Remembrance period, always important for retail activity, people flocked online to buy our Tommy perspex figure and unknown Tommy statue.
We received an excellent response from our customers when launching new products such as the Solar Garden Tommy.
£186,000 in revenue was generated through new D-Day 80th products.
Every product sold, whether it’s handcrafted items, memorabilia or gifts, contributes to funding vital services, such as employment opportunities, housing and welfare support for these individuals.
Looking forward
ENHANCED PRODUCTION FLEXIBILITY
The ability to allocate work between both Social Enterprise sites increases flexibility in meeting customer demand. When one factory is operating at full capacity or faces resource constraints, the other site can step in to fulfil orders, reducing delays and ensuring deadlines are met. This shared approach to production ensures our Social Enterprise remains responsive to seasonal fluctuations in demand.
BUSINESS GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY
With the ability to share work between Kent and Scotland, RBLI is better positioned to take on larger contracts and more diverse orders, as the increased capacity means RBLI can accommodate higher demand.
In turn, this contributes to our long-term sustainability, ensuring that we can continue to provide employment and support for veterans and people with disabilities.
COMMERCIAL GROWTH
We are entering into new markets, including the production of internal and external signage for housebuilders, facility management companies, and health and safety signage.
We are also branching out into hoardings. We can manufacture hoardings for city centre developments, where they are also used as a means of communication, and for events and festivals. This is all very much a natural extension of our expertise.
Fundraising for a new BREEAM excellent rated factory at Aylesford
We are beginning to fundraise for a new BREEAM excellent rated Social Enterprise factory at Aylesford that will enable BBMC to create 30 more jobs, and additional space to maximise production.
As the training programme at SBMC has proved so successful, we will launch a new training academy at BBMC, with over 100 placements annually to ensure veterans gain essential qualifications.
The new factory will also enable us to introduce environmental and sustainability innovations and ensure that veterans are at the forefront of UK manufacturing. We have ambitious plans to grow our Social Enterprise – an outstanding example of disability employment and social value impact.
We can’t do this without support and we are looking for individuals and organisations with commitment to creating more jobs for people with disabilities, and a belief in the importance of British manufacturing.
Defence industry leaders attend RBLI dinner
To showcase our Aylesford factory, and social impact in action through the work opportunities we provide to veterans, including the veterans who live on our village, and people with disabilities, we held a dinner for representatives of leading companies in the Defence industry.
The dinner led to new business as people realised the impact buying through us would make to those who have served our country. The dinner also led to support for our Lifeworks employability programme, when one attendee offered their offices as a location for future courses.
Before the dinner there was a tour of the Centenary Village when people could see the 79 homes that have currently been built there. The Centenary Village was launched in 2019, to celebrate our centenary as the plan to build 100 homes for 100 veterans for 100 years was announced.
The journey of Purna Gurung
BECOMING A GURKHA
Purna Gurung, a Gurkha veteran and now team leader at Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, began his journey in the village of Ramailo, Nepal. Military service ran in his family: his father served in the Indian Army, his brother with the 2nd Gurkha Rifles, and many relatives in the British Army. Purna joined the 1st Gurkha Rifles in 2007, beginning training in 2008.
SERVICE AND SACRIFICE
In March 2010, Purna’s Battalion was deployed to Afghanistan, where he was injured in a mortar attack in Helmand Province. He lost three colleagues and sustained injuries to his left arm and eyes,
leading to surgery and rehab. His life changed completely, and after a couple of years of recovery, he had to leave the Army.
Purna’s hard work and leadership skills did not go unnoticed, and he was promoted to a team leader role. “In Nepal, the main thing is being a family, and here it feels like being part of a family again,” he said.
A LEGACY OF HONOUR
Purna remains proud of his service and continues to honour the sacrifices of his fellow Gurkhas, including those who lost their lives. His journey reflects the enduring spirit of the Gurkhas and the ongoing support from RBLI for veterans like him.
Welfare
Since the Government’s launch of Op Fortitude in 2023, their team has worked closely with Mountbatten Pavilion. The crucial gateway from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs for homeless veterans to apply for short term housing has supported our 30bed direct access emergency accommodation for male veterans who were homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
Each month we receive referrals through Op Fortitude for Mountbatten Pavilion. We also have a long-established pathway with housing providers nationwide, including The Riverside Group, who as part of Op Fortitude, are working together to speed up access to emergency accommodation for veterans in every corner of the UK.
In the last year, 14 residents have moved out of Mountbatten Pavilion, and we have moved new residents in, using a newly developed referral and assessment process.
All veterans at Mountbatten Pavilion are enrolled in our STEP-IN programme of structured coaching. This is vital to help them make the transition and move on after an average of 18 months to go onto independent accommodation in a place of their own.
Op Fortitude and STEP-IN have both helped to make the possibility of independent living very real to the veterans we support. Op Fortitude and STEP-IN are also beneficial to our commitment to help veterans get back to their families, or towns where they have positive relationships. We
can do this through our ability to find social housing anywhere in the country.
Working in partnership remains a core objective and through STEP-IN we have continued to work with PTSD Resolution, Op Courage and Change Grow Live, to provide support to residents who are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder and addiction. We are currently supporting 54 veterans across the village.
We have also joined with Positive Transitions, a digital service that delivers employment support via web and mobile devices. It also provides information advice and guidance around housing, finances, education, and health, all tailored to the individual’s own personal circumstances. It’s also available to the families too.
Alfie’s story
Alfie Ellis is a man of resilience and transformation. After moving from Mountbatten Pavilion to independent living, Alfie credits RBLI with saving his life and giving him hope for the future.
After joining the RAF at 16, Alfie was stationed at RAF Northolt, where part of his role was to greet VIPs. Describing himself as “the young bloke at the end of the line with the brolly,” he greeted senior Royals including Prince Charles and Princess Diana. He later moved to the Joint Helicopter Support Unit. After service, Alfie built a good career and raised four children. In 2008, while walking with his family, he contracted Lyme Disease from a tick bite, but it went undiagnosed for four years, leaving him bedbound with fatigue, memory loss and narcolepsy. Alfie has complex PTSD and suffers with a number of health conditions that include narcolepsy and social anxiety.
At risk of becoming homeless after a breakdown when he split from his partner, he was directed to RBLI and moved into Mountbatten Pavilion. Today, Alfie is preparing to start a Foundation course before a degree course in Archaeology at Canterbury Christ Church University. He says, “The university is known as the best in the country for people with disabilities. It shows what you can do with support as two and a half years ago, I was close to disappearing off this mortal coil. Now I’m about to start this course. It wouldn’t have been possible without RBLI.”
Moving Forward
RBLI will deliver more mental health support and Move On outcomes, while our STEP-IN model will continue to grow across the Centenary Village. A major part of this will result from an evaluation of mental health support and Move On outcomes in partnership with The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.
Further plans are in place to work in partnership with other welfare services, including winning new statutory programmes, to improve quality and speed of delivery to our beneficiaries while we will continue to raise funds specifically for mental health support and our STEP-IN welfare programme.
Being Active
There will be a new activity programme for residents across the village, aimed at encouraging more active lifestyles and improve mental health.
We will also increase our existing summer events calendar, which will mean additional sessions for offsite activities, and we will explore opportunities for more of our residents to volunteer with the charity.
Critical investment in veteran mental health
In July last year we were awarded an incredible £254,000 grant by The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust for our STEP-IN programme, which has significantly improved how we can help veterans.
The grant also pays for PTSD Resolution to provide more counselling and therapy sessions at Mountbatten Pavilion. This has been essential to help the veterans we support achieve stability, health and employment to enable their return to independent living.
The grant ensures we can support 60 street homeless veterans, with the aim of the project to improve on our benchmark of a third of working age veterans being ready to move on within 18 months.
This investment in mental health - totalling nearly 250 sessions to date - has been critical in getting to the root cause of veterans’ pain and distress, which may be physical or mental. This then aids the discussion of practical independent living challenges, life goals, financial pressures, and vocational skills and opportunities.
Our employability coaching and vocational assessment helps veterans back into work or volunteering. There are paid work placements in our Aylesford Social Enterprise factory, and gradual return to work plans start with one or two sessions in the factory each week.
Ian’s story
Another person to benefit from the grant from The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the STEP-IN programme is Ian.
Ian states, “since living here, RBLI has helped me through its STEP-IN welfare support programme. I meet with PTSD Resolution at Mountbatten Pavilion RBLI and the Royal Engineers Association have helped me overcome different issues, such as accommodation, money, PTSD, and medical issues, as I have type 2 diabetes, am insulin dependent and take 29 tablets and four injections a day.
Following a divorce, Ian lost possession of his home and slept rough, during which time his mental health spiralled, as is sadly so often the case for our nation’s homeless veterans.
“At Mountbatten Pavilion, I’m with like-minded people. They may be from different Regiments, but we’ve all got our reasons for being here. We have a joke and a laugh, have a coffee together, but don’t invade each other’s privacy. Scoff Club on Tuesday morning is good, when we get together over sausage sandwiches and other veterans who live on the village come in. It’s all part of our peer support and helps when we talk and laugh together.
I’m now looking for accommodation, and the RBLI team is helping with that.
Lifeworks
Approximately 15,000 veterans leave the UK Armed Forces each year, and while 81% successfully transition into civilian employment, many find the job search challenging. This is where our Lifeworks team step in to help.
Run by veterans and military spouses, Lifeworks is an award-winning, nationwide employability programme, aimed at helping veterans who face significant barriers to employment, such as health issues or long-term unemployment.
Lifeworks also partners with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide vocational assessment support to medically discharged service leavers. As a subcontractor to Reed in Partnership, Lifeworks contributes to the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) programme, which assists over 14,000 personnel each year.
Our proactive programme targets deprived areas of the UK, increasing the frequency and reach of our courses. This year, we will deliver 36 courses, including, for the first time, a course in Northern Ireland.
Colchester
Lifeworks evaluation
In November 2023 RBLI President The Lord King of Lothbury launched an independent evaluation of our Lifeworks employment programme. In a speech in the House of Commons, he said:
“Lifeworks’ track record is outstanding, considering that 64% of participants are overcoming mental health crises RBLI’s outcomes are even more impressive.
“Every veteran back in work saves the taxpayer around £23,000. For every £1 invested in Lifeworks we all gain £7 as a society, as well as changing lives and actively creating brighter futures. So, helping them participate in Lifeworks at a cost of around £2,000 per veteran should not take much deliberation at all.
“We want the evaluation to become a catalyst for more outreach with disadvantaged veterans, more regional partnerships in deprived communities, and more life-changing Lifeworks coaching with our nation’s veterans.
THE IMPACT OF LIFEWORKS
“I urge everyone to think seriously about how you can enable the Lifeworks programme in your own workplace or through your partnerships. It doesn’t matter if people left the Forces one day or many years ago, we must be there for them at their time of need, just as they were there for us when the country called on them. We need to help veterans back to employment and to volunteering, not isolated at home.”
see being a veteran as a barrier to employment % have faced mental health challenges
80% of veterans gained employment, training or volunteering within 12 months.
Lifeworks has supported 5,800 veterans since its launch in 2012.
Before the course, a third of veterans saw employment as their main goal. This grew to 57% after the course.
live with other health issues
The programme saves the economy
£5.65 million each year.
The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch and the Army Benevolent Fund raising funds for Lifeworks
The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch and the Army Benevolent Fund once again generously supported our Lifeworks employability programme this year. Since 2019, the focus of the Lunch has been to help veterans into stable and rewarding employment in the civilian world.
As this remit resonates with RBLI’s mission, the Army Benevolent Fund ensures that we receive funding from the Lunch to put veterans through our Lifeworks programme. To find out more information about The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch visit events.armybenevolentfund.org/lordmayors
Lifeworks to launch new Families courses
With the support of the Armed Forces Career Development Fund at The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, the Lifeworks programme will expand to support families of serving personnel, including their school leaving age children. The first courses will be delivered at four locations across the UK. It will also support the families of reservists and of veterans who have settled in the areas where the courses are held.
Lifeworks impact
The average cost of Lifeworks is £2,000 per veteran. This is money well spent!
For every £1 invested in Lifeworks by the organisations that sponsor the programme, the UK economy gains £8
Every veteran back in work saves society around £23,000 in benefits to the local economy and healthcare cost savings.
We have partnered with Positive Transition to provide a digital tool for Lifeworks delegates that can support them in areas such as training, housing, welfare, health and household finances.
Patrick’s story
Patrick Okla, 39, from Hampshire, served four years in the Army and six in the Royal Navy. After leaving the Services in 2022, he faced challenges finding work.
“I spent eight months job hunting, feeling lost and overwhelmed. Despite my 10 years of service, interviews were daunting and I doubted if I’d fit into civilian life. I was determined to work in cyber security, but each rejection left me spiralling.
“Lifeworks was recommended by my Careers Officer, and it was life-changing. The four-day residential programme helped me connect with other veterans who understood my struggles. The trainers helped shift my mindset, and within three weeks, I landed the cyber security job I wanted. None of this would’ve been possible without Lifeworks.”
Thank you
Our Lifeworks courses were only made possible with financial help from philanthropic organisations and corporate partnerships.
Fundraising
The Great Tommy Sleep Out raises a staggering £1.2m
Our flagship fundraising event was more popular than ever with people signing up in their droves to put aside their comfort for a night in support of Armed Forces veterans.
With more than 7,250 people taking part across the UK, and even as far away as the Antarctic, The Great Tommy Sleep Out has become a powerful movement. Entire communities gave their support to RBLI and showed how much they cared about the issue of veteran homelessness.
While many individuals braved the elements alone, numerous groups also took part including serving members of the Armed Forces, veteran groups, cadets, colleges, military schools, scout groups and of course, friends and family groups.
Each person received an official beanie hat. If you lined all the beanies up together, they would measure one mile.
This year’s Sleep Out raised £200k over our £1m target - this is the most we have ever raised from one single fundraising event
THE CHAIRMAN’S GREAT TOMMY SLEEP OUT
The Chairman’s Great Tommy Sleep Out was an outstanding success, with more than 30 senior leaders sleeping outside at Fort Amherst in Chatham on Thursday, 14 March.
Despite the cold, damp and windy conditions and lack of sleep, they all said they’d be back next year and would recommend it to business partners. The group helped the event exceed its target to raise £40,000.
With a moving speech by Luke, a resident of Mountbatten Pavilion, people gained a first-hand understanding of the importance of our work with homeless veterans.
Gabby Costigan, Group Managing Director from event sponsors BAE Systems, shared her personal experiences about the difficulties of transition and the challenge of finding the feeling of home after leaving the Forces.
FORMERLY HOMELESS VETERANS
SLEEP OUT FOR RBLI
Mike O’Brien served in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers from 1991 to 2004, including active service in Bosnia. After his service, Mike became homeless for two years following a family bereavement. His recovery began when a former comrade found him on the streets and took him in. Now living in Gravesend, Kent, with his wife Angie, Mike volunteered for this year’s Sleep Out, spending two nights outside, including one in his garden and another in his local pub’s garden with friends.
Mike, who now volunteers with our Lifeworks team, explained why he participates: “Veterans are proud and often don’t ask for help, leading to difficult situations. I’ve been homeless, cold, hungry, and ashamed. By taking part, people understand that most homeless individuals aren’t there by choice. I know how RBLI helps, and if I can help just one veteran, then it’s worth it.”
This year, we welcomed back Jason Roffey from Lincolnshire. Jason, an Army and Royal Navy veteran, who served from 1988 to 2013 in Northern Ireland, Germany, Bosnia, and Basra, explains how he came to support RBLI.
“Last year I met a gentleman at our veterans’ breakfast club who was homeless,” he said. I put him in touch with RBLI and was impressed by how quickly he was helped. It coincided with The Great Tommy Sleep Out, so I signed up and slept outside at Mannakin Hall, where I was surrounded by 15,000 mannequins and mannequin body parts. It’s the spookiest place I know, but I’ll be back for a third Sleep Out in 2025.”
THE GREAT TOMMY SLEEP OUT FUNDS NEW BEDS FOR VETERANS
Thanks to The Great Tommy Sleep Out, residents at Mountbatten Pavilion are now enjoying new beds – symbolising care, respect and the community’s commitment to improve the lives of the once-homeless veterans we support.
It is widely acknowledged that a good night’s sleep can significantly improve mood and energy levels, which supports our STEP-IN programme of rehabilitation and reintegration.
It is also a mark of dignity and respect as our veterans have sacrificed so much. It reinforces
how valued they are and that their wellbeing is our priority. The success of our fundraising and the purchase of new beds also sends a powerful message to all those who engaged in The Great Tommy Sleep Out, as it demonstrates the collective impact we can make when we come together.
RBLI is building as many move-on homes as quickly as we possibly can. We are delighted that The Great Tommy Sleep Out can contribute towards the building of new homes for those veterans who need us, our services and our village community.
Tommy Club Ambassador, Hari Budha Magar, inspires riders
We could not ask for a better ambassador to inspire 40 cyclists at the start of their epic challenge than Gurkha veteran Hari Budha Magar. Just a month earlier, Hari achieved the seemingly impossible, becoming the first double above-the knee amputee to conquer Everest.
Among the riders was his friend and former Gurkha comrade Tirthraj Thapa, who was taking part for the fourth consecutive year. In the crowd of onlookers were friends and former colleagues, including his mountain guide Krishna Thapa, as well as veterans enjoying new careers at Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company.
Hari spoke with a conviction born from hardearned wisdom, sharing his experience of how life changes after injury, yet acknowledging that each person has their own personal Everest to conquer. His words resonated deeply with those listening. Hari’s message was clear: regardless of any adversities you face, with focus, strength, dedication and support you are capable to reaching unimaginable heights.
Touring our village afterwards, Hari commented, “It’s vital to support charities such as RBLI as they provide important services for veterans in need. After injury, life changes and you have to learn to
London Landmarks
Half Marathon
This year was also our most successful for London Landmarks, as 66 eager runners took part on 6 April. Their dedication and fundraising raised over £31,000, as every step they took and every pound they raised brought us closer to our goal, to provide vital support to the country’s most vulnerable veterans.
As they ran along the iconic 13.1-mile route, they passed Trafalgar Square and The Houses of Parliament, before crossing the River Thames and catching a glimpse of the London Eye.
do things differently. I believe that whatever life you’re living you can do anything, and that was my message today as we all have our own Everest to conquer. After the cyclists had left, Hari and Krishna pledged their support as Tommy brand ambassadors.
I believe that whatever life you’re living you can do anything, and that was my message today as we all have our own Everest to conquer.
Hari Budha Magar
Remembrance
Royal British Legion Industries was founded in September 1919 for troops, mainly Tommies, who had returned from the battlefields of the First World War.
To remember the 1919 formation of Royal British Legion Industries and the birth of the tradition of Remembrance, 104 people gathered at Invicta Park Barracks in Maidstone, where they stood silently in the form of our iconic Tommy emblem. Stretching 30m, the ‘human Tommy’ was formed by veterans who live and work on our village and soldiers from 36 Engineer Regiment and The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers.
The limited edition Tommy Figures held during the Remembrance Tommy formation are available to buy from rbli.shop
D-Day 80
Sand installation of 80 Tommies
commemorates the 80th Anniversary of D-Day
Looking for a special way to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, RBLI decided to create a sand installation of 80 Tommies at Stone Bay in Broadstairs.
As our Tommy represents men and women of all ages and ethnicities who form His Majesty’s Armed Forces, it was fashioned as a tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the troops who took part in the D-Day Landings and The Battle of Normandy. Each silhouette acting as a silent reminder of the sacrifice made 80 years ago by so many.
Early morning waves from the incoming tide gently washed over 80 Tommy silhouettes engraved in the sand and the sea removed all traces of their short existence. Standing on the beach, lost in silent reverie, one man watched and thought of his father. The washing away of the silhouettes symbolised the troops setting out for Normandy, their fate unknown, as their bravery
PETE REMEMBERS HIS LATE FATHER’S ACCOUNT OF D-DAY
As he stood on the sand, Pete Gower, a 72-year-old veteran thought of his late father, Arthur. In his pocket lay one his most treasured mementos – his father’s berthing card for a landing craft dated 6 June 1944.
His voice full of subdued emotion, Pete Gower, who lives in our Centenary Village, said, “Watching as the Tommies were washed away, I remembered the barbed wire scars on my father’s body. As a boy, I kept asking him to tell me how he got them and what he did in the war. For years he wouldn’t, but then one day he said, ‘You’re in the Army now, I’ll tell you’.”
“I’ll never forget his words as he told me about D-Day and how he acted as a human bridge for his mates. He said, ‘All you had to do was get on that beach and get off it to cover as quickly as possible. It didn’t last that long, but it seemed like a lifetime. The guys couldn’t get over the barbed wire – they were just dropping as they were shot. All I did was throw myself across the barbed wire and they ran over me, but you could feel as bullets hit some of them’.”
The image of the 80 Tommies, and Pete’s account of his father’s act of compassion on D-Day, grabbed national and international attention with coverage in The Times, Washington Post, Independent Online, Reuters, Fox News, CBS Inside Edition and BBC News online – coverage reaching 665 million people.
RBLI’S D-DAY TRIBUTE SPARKS
BBC LIVE COVERAGE
Our Social Enterprise featured on BBC Breakfast as part of a D-Day special with Business Correspondent Ben Boulis broadcasting live for three hours from our Aylesford factory.
Ben’s report showed road and rail signs being made by veterans and people with disabilities who work in the factory. He also interviewed Anil Gurung, a Gurkha veteran who has worked at BBMC since 2011.
Sue Mlynek, a working age veteran who lives in Queen Elizabeth Court and volunteers in the Fulfilment department, was interviewed as she stood beside the perspex D-Day 80 Tommies.
The One Show also featured RBLI for their D-Day special edition. Katie Ashby, the lead singer of the D-Day Darlings, filmed with Tirthraj Thapa, a Gurkha veteran who works as a Team Leader in the Signs department.
She also appeared with residents of Queen Elizabeth Court, and in the Garden of Honour. Her warmth and great sense of humour endeared her to everyone.
These two reports enabled 5 million people to see the incredible work that takes place on our village. During and following this coverage we experienced a dramatic spike in the sale of D-Day merchandise from our online shop.
The photo print of the poignant Tommy sand art is available to purchase on rbli.shop
Board of Trustees
LORD KING OF LOTHBURY KG GBE DL
PRESIDENT
STEVE ROWBOTHAM
CHAIRMAN
Steve has a comprehensive background in the defence industry having worked in this sector throughout a career spanning over four decades, his final appointment being Chief Operating Officer of General Dynamics UK Limited. Steve has a passion for Social Value and is a Non-Executive Director of E50k, a company that specialises in the design and delivery of SV programmes.
BECKY WOOD
VICE CHAIR
Becky is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a fellow of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and has significant transactions experience in both private and public sectors having spent the last 20 years working in and leading complex transport infrastructure programmes. She has held Non-Executive roles with a number of infrastructure bodies and projects in the UK and internationally.
NADRA AHMED CBE, DL
High Sheriff of Kent (2023/24), Nadra is the Executive Chairman of the National Care Association and was awarded an OBE in 2006 and a CBE in 2023 for her work in social care over 40 years.
PETER ALESBURY (appointed 20 June 2024)
Peter is a professional strategic Estates Director with significant experience in the management and operational delivery of the full estate’s life cycle. His previous roles have included senior leadership positions within the NHS, private healthcare, facilities management organisations, heritage, and medical device companies.
CHRIS BLUNDELL
Chris is recently retired following a 45-year career in housing and is a Fellow of both the RICS and the Chartered Institute of Housing. He has had four Director level positions in mid-sized and large housing associations in London and the South East.
DAVID DENT MBE (appointed 20 June 2024)
David is currently Vice President (Global leader) Integrated Strategy at Parexel International. He has over 35 years of experience from working in International Business, the NHS, and the British Army where he was a trauma and critical care specialist and is a war disabled veteran. He is an Honorary Professor at Stirling and Nottingham Universities business schools Companion of the CMI and Fellow of the IoD.
BRIGADIER DAVID INNES
David spent 34 years serving in the British Army as a Royal Engineer followed by 15 years as a Chief Executive in the charity sector. In addition, he held a number of non-executive and Trustee positions, and is still involved with several charities.
PARUL KAUL-GREEN (appointed 20 June 2024)
Parul is a distinguished global executive and economist. With over two decades of financial service experience, she has held senior leadership positions in global companies most recently as Chief Digital Strategy Officer at Liberty Mutual Global Risk Solutions and Chief of Staff and Executive committee member at AXA XL.
MATT KELLEHER (appointed 20 June 2024)
Matt is currently Chief Digital Officer sitting on the Executive Board of the Asda Group, and has spent nearly 30 years in Retail in various Director level positions with responsibility for strategy and transformation, eCommerce, supply chain and technology.
REBECCA LEWIS (appointed 20 June 2024)
Rebecca is the Finance Director and Company Secretary at General Dynamics UK. Rebecca has over 20 years of experience in managing the finances on complex defence programmes across the UK and Internationally. Rebecca has led multiple large-scale events for charity and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
ALISON START (appointed 20 June 2024)
Alison runs a consulting company specialising in commercial strategy and operational challenges within the Defence and telecommunications environment, working in both the private and the public sector. Alison is a Non Executive Director for a training company providing training to the Royal Engineers and is also a Trustee for the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
ALISTAIR WATSON
Alistair served in the Royal Navy, during which time he was appointed Equerry to HRH the Prince of Wales and then worked in the City for a leading international law firm.
Senior Leadership Team
LISA FARMER
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Lisa was appointed Chief Executive at RBLI in 2022 having joined the organisation as Director of Strategic Development in 2015 with over 20 years of experience in fundraising, marketing and business development.
HELEN BIDGWAY
DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE & CULTURE
A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Helen joined RBLI in 2022 with over 30 years of experience in Human Resources at a senior level in the charity and education sectors.
LOUISE GIBSON
DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING AND MARKETING
Louise joined RBLI in March 2023 with over 25 years’ experience in fundraising in charities, most recently with the RAF Benevolent Fund. She has a Masters in Charity Marketing and Fundraising.
SUSAN STOKER
DIRECTOR OF GOVERNANCE, COMPLIANCE AND BUSINESS SYSTEMS
Working at RBLI since 2019, Susan is an expert in assurance processes, specialising in corporate governance, risk management, and internal control with over 25 years’ experience across both the private and public sector.
COLIN HARSANT
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Colin joined RBLI following 20 years managing and leading companies in the Aerospace, Defence and Automotive Industries and is a specialist in SME Manufacturing.
NIK MARINOV
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND PERFORMANCE
Having previously held senior Finance roles in multiple industries across the commercial and third sector, Nik brings a wealth of experience to RBLI’s management team.
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