Veterans' Outreach

The primary purpose of the Veterans Outreach programme is to reduce social isolation and loneliness in older veterans, particularly those over the age of 65, who served in the three Armed Forces and Merchant Navy. The programme operates from facilities here at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, including the purpose-built Activities Centre, the adjacent Outreach, Heritage and Visitor Centre, and extensive grounds and gardens that provide the health and wellbeing benefits of urban green spaces. 

We offer supported activity groups, including themed monthly events, activities in collaboration with partners such as The Fighting Chance and the Defence Gardening Scheme, and a weekly Drop-In session every Thursday where veterans are welcome to come and engage in convivial company with our resident Chelsea Pensioners.
 

The programme aims to provide comradeship and a sense of community to veterans who might benefit from the company of other veterans who have shared the Service ethos and experienced the unique challenges of military campaigning and keeping the peace. We collaborate with partner organisations in London and beyond to deliver these benefits, and a number of these organisations also attend our Thursday Drop-Ins and annual summer picnic in Ranelagh Gardens.

Our ambition is to progressively extend this outreach service to the other regions of the United Kingdom where there is a need, and to complement these in-person programmes with a digital outreach service.