Impact Report 2025

The Royal British Legion is the UK's largest armed forces charity, supporting serving and ex-serving personnel and their families across 66 countries. In 2025, the RBL awarded £11.8m in grants and secured £24.5m in War Pensions awards through tribunal representation. 64 competitors were selected for Team UK at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, supported by the Battle Back Centre. The RBL operates through 180,000 members and 110,000 volunteers. A new 10-year strategy was launched to respond to the changing needs of the Armed Forces community.

Report snapshot
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📋About

RBL support helpline (0808 802 8080, 8am-8pm 7 days); casework and specialist support (financial, welfare, housing, employment, care); Battle Back Centre (adaptive sport, adventurous activities, wellbeing for wounded/injured/sick personnel); care homes (Galanos House and others); tribunal representation (War Pensions); Poppy Appeal; Poppy Supporter; remembrance events and campaigns; Poppyscotland; membership network (branches UK-wide) Custom geography from upload: UK-wide and 66 countries

📊Key Metrics

Households helped through RBL casework and specialist support services across 66 countries; £11.8m in grants awarded to those in need; 180,000 members and 110,000 volunteers Key Metric 1
£24.5m in War Pensions awards secured through tribunal representation; beneficiaries completed recovery courses at Battle Back Centre; 64 competitors selected for Team UK at Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Key Metric 2
Care home residents supported to live independently; RBL support helpline operational 8am-8pm, 7 days a week, 0808 802 8080; new 10-year strategy launched to support changing needs of Armed Forces community Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • Invictus Games Team UK: 64 competitors selected — Battle Back Centre involved with Invictus Games since 2016; Scottish Welfare Fund guidance amended to disregard Guaranteed Income Payments for veterans; Scottish Census consultation engagement to protect veteran status question
  • 10-year strategy launched responding to changing needs of Armed Forces community; policy work across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland; VALOUR Workshop in Northern Ireland; MP briefings on Northern Ireland Troubles Bill
  • Founded 1921 by Field Marshal Earl Haig; UK's largest armed forces charity; 180,000 members; 110,000 volunteers; supporter Naomi Hall features in impact report cover; funded through Poppy Appeal and donations

📍Geography

UK-Wide

2025 Enhanced

Annual Review April 2024 to March 2025

Social care services provided to thousands of people with learning disabilities; information and advice service caseloads growing in complexity; financial resilience rebuilt ahead of NI cost pressures
Key Metric 1
Omaze Yorkshire House Draw partnership raised £3.9m in 6 weeks with Jodie Whittaker as ambassador; awareness of people with learning disability significantly boosted through campaign
Key Metric 2
Voices Council (led by people with learning disabilities) challenged decisions on service handbacks, agency staffing and benefits access; new strategy to 2030 under development; new CEO Jon Sparkes OBE joined June 2024
Key Metric 3
Rebuilt financial resilience ahead of NI cost increases — 'more fortunate than many in the sector'; 80th anniversary approaching; new CEO appointed to lead strategy development
2024 Enhanced

Annual Report and Accounts 2024

518 new guide dog partnerships created in 2024 — 10% increase beating projections; 1,379 new puppies from breeding programme; 400th buddy dog partnership matched
Key Metric 1
17,500+ volunteers giving 12 million+ volunteer hours collectively; 2,400+ volunteers looked after dogs; 7,000+ training sessions on tech, travel and life skills delivered by Vision Rehabilitation Specialists
Key Metric 2
£47m raised through Sponsor a Puppy; £3.1m from raffles; £8.3m increased income from gifts in Wills; 3.45 million clicks to digital information and advice content; 5,900 visits to new Tech Selector assistive tech review tool
Key Metric 3
1,864 children and family members attended My Time to Play sessions; 6,852 large-print books delivered; 5,991 habilitation sessions completed to help children learn essential skills; 432,817 online learners accessing digital content
2025 Enhanced

Annual Report 2024-25

202,694 people supported across 270 locations; 74,070 in drug and alcohol; 102,531 in mental health; 1,035 in learning disability; turnover £191.9m
Key Metric 1
96% of regulated services rated Good or Outstanding by CQC; 12,456 naloxone kits dispensed (5.6% increase); 11,405 Hepatitis C tests (59% increase); 7,448 FibroScans (300% increase)
Key Metric 2
234 peer mentors; 82 volunteers; 5,194 colleagues (60% with lived experience); £7.79m invested in local VCSE organisations; £131.87m social value from local employment
Key Metric 3
87% of people supported have overall positive experience; 90% feel safe; 774/1,063 (72%) in Birmingham social prescribing service achieved goals across health, community, emotional and employment domains; new Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership reached over 160 staff in year one