Two charities that care for Armed Forces veterans and their families living with disability, neurological conditions or dementia, have agreed to work towards a merger.

Royal Star & Garter operates three care homes in Solihull, High Wycombe and Surbiton, and Care for Veterans (formerly the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home) operates a single home in Worthing, West Sussex.

A merger of these two historic charities will bring together all their existing services and expand the Royal Star & Garter group to four care homes. Consolidating services will enable the charities to share expertise, resources and support functions, to provide a more effective, efficient and wider-reaching offer to the veteran community of all ages.

The charities have signed a memorandum of understanding that recognises the importance of supporting current residents and staff and enhancing the services delivered to veterans and their families.

‘Consistently high-quality care’

Chair of Royal Star & Garter, Major General Tim Tyler CB, commented: “I am delighted to be working with the board of Care for Veterans with a view to bringing its home, residents and staff into the Royal Star & Garter family. Both charities were founded as a result of the Great War, have shared similar experiences and ambitions ever since and today share common goals. Royal Star & Garter’s long-term strategy is to ensure consistently high-quality care is provided for those living with disability and dementia among the military family. This merger is absolutely consistent with this, and the two charities will develop and learn from each other for the benefit of our current and future beneficiaries.”

David Williams, Chair of Care for Veterans, commented: “Bringing together Care for Veterans and Royal Star & Garter into a single group unites two charities with a combined history of over 200 years of caring for the veteran community. A merger will leverage the expertise of both charities to the benefit of veterans and their families in need of care. It will also strengthen our financial and operational resilience to ensure that high quality care is provided at the Worthing home now and into the future, while preserving the legacy of the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home/Care for Veterans.”