WAYS TO DONATE

The total cost of lifelong support for our cohort of very seriously injured veterans is estimated at £28.4m. This is based on an average lifetime care cost of £1.5 million for each veteran. 

We will be funding all support and fundraising costs associated with this campaign, estimated at £3.6 million. A further £7.8 million will be generated from investment returns on the donations raised. This will go directly into the care programme itself, meaning we need to raise £17 million to give this special group of people the care they need and deserve.

Every monetary gift and support offered to this campaign will be ring-fenced and go directly to support very seriously injured veterans and their families. 

BANK TRANSFER

You can donate by bank transfer or BACS; take a look at our donation form for further information. Remember to include our reference number TBTBHNWI and your surname on your bank transfer.

CHEQUE

You can download a copy of the form and post with your cheque to Freepost HELP FOR HEROES.

GIFT AID

Gift Aid is a simple way to increase the value of a donation to charity, so if you're a UK taxpayer, Help for Heroes could claim 25p on every £1 donated from the Government at no extra cost to you. Gift Aid can only be claimed on personal donations, not from companies or groups. You can complete a Gift Aid declaration when you make a donation, if the amount of UK income tax or capital gains tax you’ve paid in any tax year (from 6th April on year to 5 April the next) covers the amount of tax we will reclaim on your donations. We do advise you seek information and advice from your tax advisors about tax advantages and planning on major gifts.

We have a team of experts with clinical knowledge and military lived experience.  We have a person centred approach and a bespoke level of support.  Care costs money and we can’t deliver this level of support without help of our dedicated donors.  We can’t do it alone. 

In 2022/23 we spent £85,000 on PA Support helping our VSI be as independent as possible with daily activities, such as washing and dressing, managing medication, help with household and domestic tasks, such as cleaning and laundry etc, as well as leisure activities.  Funding to cover basic care provision is often via statutory services, however due to the complex needs of the VSI cohort H4H funds additional support and logistical activities where necessary.    

H4H Physiotherapy for the VSI cost over £52,000 last year helping to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. The NHS offers only self-led physiotherapy as a minimum intervention.  This therapy is crucial as it can also help to reduce the risks of injury or illness in the future.  

Our Occupational therapists (OTs) are amazing people who plan, deliver and evaluate interventions and take an overall person centred, holistic support approach to facilitate the recovery of veterans with long term health conditions.   We spent over £57,000 helping our veterans develop, recover and improve new skills; promoting independence to lead fulfilling lives through client centred care. 

Help for Heroes spent £45,000 last year helping VSI with additional carer costs and expenses to enable them to access events and activities in their communities such as Remembrance at the Cenotaph. Accessing their local community is vital for our veterans, helping them and their families to combat isolation and loneliness as well as participating once again in the world around them

Speech & Language Therapy (SaLT) is vital for veterans with Neurological problems (such as brain injury) resulting in difficulties with muscle function, speech, language, swallowing and social communication. Speech and Language Therapists will provide individualised treatment plans tailored to specific needs and abilities of the veteran.  This bespoke therapy cost £65,000 in 2022/23 

Case Management is a collaborative process which we spent £20,000 on last year.  A Case Manager assesses, plans, implements, co-ordinates, monitors and evaluates the options and services required to meet an individual’s health, social care, educational and employment needs, using communication and available resources to promote quality outcomes. 

Expert Dietician support can be game changing as the slightest changes can make the world of difference to a VSI.  Neuro and trauma specialist dieticians focus on weight management/loss, neuro fatigue and swallowing risks to ensure they can eat the right foods safely. Wheelchair scales are funded under this category to improve the monitoring and the ease of weight management.  

NHS funding for Specialist Adaptive Equipment is very limited so we spent £13,500 on providing a range of equipment that helps overcome the barriers of high-level complex needs. For example, a sit to stand wheelchair offers greater function, comfort and mobility to combat the side effects of being in a chair, such as pressure ulcers and breathing problems. 

We spent £35,000 on house adaptions and improvements such as wheelchair lifts to move between floors of their home independently, or improving access to their gardens and nature through the provision of ramps and wheelchair friendly pathways.  

Grants - Some of our very seriously injured are dependent on specialist equipment – such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, hoists, or wheelchairs, all of which are powered by electricity 24 hrs a day. Others live with health conditions, such as spinal injury or amputations, that require careful temperature regulation, because they cannot maintain their body temperature themselves due to their injuries.  

We expect our VSI cohort to grow by 2-3 veterans a year, and the cost of living crisis is affecting all aspects of life.