Assist Fund

The Assist Fund, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation established in December 2015 (continuing a legacy from 1966), is dedicated to providing timely, discreet financial support to current and former Service members and their dependants facing hardship across England and Wales. Rooted in a compassionate ethos of dignified relief, it prioritises alleviating financial distress through direct grants, loans, or advocacy, guided by rigorous governance, professional audits, and a sustainable reserves policy that ensures responsive, needs-based aid without publicity.

It funds essential living costs, urgent bills, and short-term emergencies for individuals in the Service community, with nearly all support directed personally rather than institutionally. Rare grants to charities or projects are considered only if funds are ring-fenced for direct hardship relief to eligible beneficiaries, emphasising individual impact over broader programmes, capacity building, or general activities.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities demonstrating clear, direct benefits to Service members/dependants in financial distress, with no geographic sub-restrictions within England and Wales or strict income thresholds—though patterns favour small to medium specialist organisations. Unsolicited applications are not accepted; approaches require prior relationships or invitations, typically via intermediaries like welfare agencies for individual cases.

Grants to organisations typically range from £1,000 to £10,000, with individual awards £250–£2,000; there are no deadlines or fixed meetings—support is rolling and trustee-discretionary. Distinctively specialist and low-profile, the Fund avoids core funding, multi-year commitments, thematic expansions, or non-Service-related hardship, differentiating it as a targeted lifeline for those who have served.