Foreword
I am delighted to present RBLI’s new strategy. I have been Chief Executive for two years now and I have taken the time to work with our Board to agree RBLI’s core mission and vision. I am pleased to share RBLI’s key themes and strategic goals.
Our Kent HQ and Village is unlike any other, and is a national exemplar of holistic veteran care. Nowhere else can give veterans of all ages the opportunities to create a second life after injury, illness or financial crisis. The holistic support, which includes more mental health support than we’ve ever provided before, is a national exemplar. This is why the Village, and its integrated model, is at the heart of everything, and why upgrading all the homes and facilities is driving all our thinking. We are determined to continue RBLI’s 100 year legacy for another 100 years.
Of course RBLI’s core expertise is employability support, and direct disability employment. We are all so proud of our social value impact and our outstanding track record in disability employment. Skills, volunteering, work experience, and then paid work, are the foundation of any second life, and securing work means better health, better social inclusion, and better mental health too, and this is the driving force for RBLI’s national impact.
Financial sustainability is essential for a charity which operates so many varied care and welfare services, including care homes, emergency homes, and employing extremely vulnerable people. RBLI will provide a more stable operational base and will maximise its assets and grow its income to put RBLI in the position to keep delivering such important services for another century.
Our national impact depends entirely on our partnerships, and on the wonderful generosity of the great British public, so fundraising success, including The Great Tommy Sleep Out, is the cornerstone of our strategy. Another essential part is growing RBLI’s customer and supporter base across the UK, and the Tommy brand and range of products is integral to our expansion plans. Our strong relationships with the infrastructure industry are key to our growth strategy as our collaborations will provide more services and impact for those we support.
But none of this will happen without great people at RBLI. People who understand care, welfare, and employability, and are passionate to make a difference. People who live RBLI’s values and connect with others, at any stage on their journey. This is why it is essential that investing in RBLI’s people is part of this new strategy.
Thank you for your interest in RBLI and your support for the strategy.
Lisa Farmer Chief Executive
Our Mission
The charity was originally established for wounded, injured or sick, Armed Forces veterans so they could receive care, and gain family homes, and work opportunity that would enable them to build a whole new life and provide for a family.
Today, our mission is the same. We prioritise support to Armed Forces veterans who are overcoming illness, mental illness, or disability, especially those who need extra help to find or secure paid work.
Just as our founders did, we look at the whole person, and work to help them build a new life after service, fully participating in civilian society. We do this by providing homes, jobs, care and training. However, our charitable objects are wider, meaning that RBLI can support anyone with disabilities, health conditions or other social disadvantages and barriers to employment, or any older people who need extra support to live a more active and independent life.
Our Village is a national exemplar of holistic veteran care.
Lisa Farmer, Chief Executive
Our Divisions
Social Enterprise
Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (BBMC) refers to RBLI’s social enterprise factory in Aylesford, providing signs for road and rail, and fulfilment services, as well as our print, mail and fulfilment centre in Leatherhead
Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (SBMC) is RBLI’s award-winning factory in Renfrewshire, Scotland predominantly focusing on signage manufacturing and precision engineering.
As well as being market leaders in their industries, more than 70% of those employed across the Charity’s social enterprise are military veterans, those with disabilities, or both. At the core of our Tommy brand is a range of products that resonates with the British public.
Lifeworks
Lifeworks is a UK-wide, award-winning employment support programme which equips veterans with the tools needed to find meaningful employment outside the Armed Forces. It is also a delivery partner of the MoD on transition advice to those leaving the military on medical grounds.
RBLI Village - Living
RBLI provides 340 family homes and Move On apartments in a thriving community with a sense of belonging for veterans of all ages.
The Centenary Village is home to our Community Centre, IT learning centre and our dedicated home for female veterans.
Emergency homes are also on-hand at Mountbatten Pavilion, RBLI’s house of multiple occupancy, providing a stepping stone for Armed Forces veterans in crisis.
STEP-IN is RBLI’s unique welfare model providing veterans and their families with structured, holistic support tailored to their individual needs.
RBLI also has a successful domiciliary care agency working across the village and at our assisted living facilities. RBLI provides on-site care and a thriving community for veterans who need it, whilst keeping their independence.
Fundraising
RBLI’s fundraising and marketing division drives awareness and partnerships as well as generating vital funds to support our full service offering and the charity’s ambitious growth strategy.
Our Impact
RBLI provide 340 homes for disadvantaged veterans in a thriving village community
1/3 of all working age veterans move on within 18 months on RBLI’s Village
RBLI’s holistic welfare model, STEP-IN, ensures residents lead full, independent lives
RBLI’s Social Enterprise employs 150 people, providing social value and driving national procurement policy
RBLI’s disability employment achieves £1.2 million in social value every year
80% of veterans gain employment within 12 months of RBLI’s Lifeworks course
Our Values
I Integrity
We are proud of the how; committed to doing what’s best while maintaining transparency and respect at all times.
M Motivated
We are motivated to maximise value through challenging ideas, innovation and embracing change.
P People First
People are at the centre of everything we do; we care about those we support, our colleagues, our customers and our stakeholders.
A Accountability
We are all responsible for our actions and we inspire each other to make decisions and take ownership.
C Community
We take pride in our inclusive and thriving community with its unique network of support.
T Teamwork
We achieve our goals together through the strength of our collaboration and communication.
RBLI Village
RBLI will have a thriving Village community and facilities in Kent that maintain our heritage and are a national example of excellence in integrated care, welfare and employability services.
Progress so far
1. 79 new homes completed, a mix of apartments, family homes and assisted living.
2. Turf cut by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.
3. Invested over £8m in older veterans care and supported living facilities.
4. Significant upgrades to our residential houses on the Aylesford village through cost-of-living grants.
5. More mental health support provided than ever before with partner PTSD Resolution.
2024-25 and beyond
1. Complete our Centenary Village development - 100 homes for 100 veterans.
2. Open a brand new purpose-built Community Centre with cafe and accessible gym to expand our community services.
3. Open the first dedicated Move On home for female veterans - a first of its kind in the UK.
4. Provide a specialised IT learning centre and training space to support our awardwinning employability programmes and enable more veterans to get back into work.
5. Deliver more mental health support provision and improve Move On outcomes.
6. Grow our STEP-IN model across the Centenary Village delivering emergency support, personalised welfare support and counselling for progression.
7. Undertake a major upgrade programme for our village embracing environment and housing changes.
8. Grow our domiciliary care agency across RBLI’s Village and beyond.
2
Social Enterprise & Employability
RBLI will be regarded as experts in supporting veterans and people with disabilities into employment, through our award-winning employment programmes and through our Social Enterprise across the UK.
Progress so far
1. First recipient of the inaugural King’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity.
2. £1.2 million in social value created every year through disability employment.
3. £1m National Highways procurement challenge exceeded.
4. SBMC deliver SVQ Level 2 on-site which means veterans gain qualifications as well as paid work.
5. Over 100,000 Tommy Products sold UKwide.
6. National Lottery support creates new product lines, expanding commemorative ranges produced at Leatherhead.
2024-25 and beyond
1. Build a new BREEAM excellent-rated social enterprise factory via a highprofile fundraising campaign.
• create over 30 more jobs
• create additional space to maximise production
• launch new training academy with over 100 placements annually so veterans get qualifications
• introduce environmental and sustainability innovations
• place veterans at the forefront of UK manufacturing
2. Grow our UK wide signs business to £9m in six years.
3. Secure an exciting social value partnership with Network Rail.
4. Work with customers, donors and partners to treble social value impact, including National Highways initiatives.
5. Expand the Tommy retail product range growing our 100,000 on-line customer base and developing national corporate partners to sell our products in store.
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National Impact & Partnerships
RBLI will work in collaboration to deliver more impact nationwide.
Progress so far
1. Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer describes Centenary Village “leading the way in veteran care” and “exactly what veterans need”.
2. First Move On homes for female veterans to open Summer 2023, working with the Office for Veterans Affairs.
3. Lifeworks evaluation launched at House of Commons, with RBLI President Lord King of Lothbury (pictured left), shows 80% into work or volunteering UK wide, and £39,800 in value created for every person in work.
4. Delivering for MoD transition programme partnering with Reed Group to reach those at medical discharge.
5. 1/3 Move On outcomes in 18 months. RBLI delivers this benchmark for working-age veterans overcoming injury, mental health crisis, relationship breakdown, redundancy, diagnosis, eviction and homelessness.
6. First pilot with local NHS hospital saves NHS £10,000 per week.
2024-25 and beyond
1. Commitment to national delivery of Lifeworks including in Northern Ireland, and to our MoD partnership for all Forces at medical discharge.
2. Commitment to deliver more Move On homes for female Armed Forces veterans.
3. Full evaluation of mental health support and Move On outcomes to complete April 2025 in partnership with the Armed Forces Covenant Fund.
4. Plan to expand and replicate RBLI’s Social Enterprise model to create more jobs for veterans and change perceptions of disability employment nationwide.
5. Use our national platform to promote social value at every opportunity and to influence government policy.
6. Plan to expand NHS partnership to provide more recovery, and independent living.
4 Financial Sustainability
RBLI will establish our national presence through partnerships and fundraising.
Progress so far
1. Raised £22m for the Centenary Village, creating a thriving community for veterans.
2. Over £1m funds raised annually for RBLI’s National Services, including our mental health and employability programmes.
3. The Great Tommy Sleep Out achieves £1m+ milestone.
4. RBLI’s Tommy Club, launched by General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL, unites disadvantaged veterans.
5. Corporate partnerships deliver exceptional opportunities for veterans including work opportunity, as well as public engagement.
6. Prestigious third sector award highlights success of RBLI’s corporate funding partnerships.
2024-25 and beyond
1. Fundraise £12.5m via a high-profile development campaign headed by General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC to create a new Social Enterprise building and training academy.
2. Complete our Centenary Village development through big gift fundraising and RBLI land sale receipts.
3. Maximise RBLI’s assets to create a longterm endowment fund and build back our reserves to three months operating equivalent.
4. Double fundraising income, building on our Great Tommy Sleep Out, creating more long-term supporters through our Tommy Club, and introducing legacy giving.
5. Win more corporate partnerships to demonstrate the impact of the corporate and charity sectors.
6. Grow support and partnerships for RBLI’s employment and welfare services by winning new statutory programmes.
7. Ensure all RBLI operations enhance our mission and are financially sustainable.
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Our People
RBLI will be an employer of choice with a fully comprehensive diversity and equitable culture embedded by a strong set of values.
Progress so far
1. Launched organisational values IMPACT.
2. New staff recognition: established an employee forum, instant rewards and birthday rewards.
3. Training and management development for all RBLI managers.
4. Commitment to the Real Living Wage.
5. Creating promotion pathways for disadvantaged employees.
6. Trained mental health first aiders organisation-wide.
7. Disability Confident accreditation achieved, highlighting that 70% of employees at RBLI’s Social Enterprise are living with health conditions.
8. Investors in People accreditation reports RBLI’s success in engaging staff in services.
2024-25 and beyond
1. Replicate SBMC qualification outcomes in all RBLI social enterprises.
2. Launch new staff communication tools, including an internal social network, and pulse surveys.
3. Introduce training academy at BBMC social enterprise.
4. Develop our values IMPACT by developing champions organisation wide.
5. With growth in our social enterprise win further accreditations that reinforce our position as a veteran employer.
6. With growth, build on the progression pathways for disadvantaged employees.
RBLI Five Years On
The charity – from its original foundation – created a social model of disability that has stood the test of time and we are proud to continue this vision.
In 2028 RBLI’s Village will be an outstanding showcase and the heart of everything we do. The unique combination of quality facilities, adapted homes, and welfare services, with employability at its heart, never fails to connect with people. The Village will help veterans recover from trauma, manage health conditions and severe disabilities, gain marketable experience and skills, and re-build their lives. Through our exceptional
homes, outstanding care, and awardwinning employment programmes and social enterprise, veterans will overcome multiple challenges. Living independently despite illness or disability is the golden thread that will remain the purpose of everything we do.
RBLI will have completed the Centenary Village. A national exemplar for affordable and adapted homes with demonstrable Move On success. Furthermore, all RBLI homes across the village will be of the highest possible standard of living, and state-of-the-art disability-adaptations, serving over 350 veterans and their families.
RBLI will have grown our award-winning social enterprise. We will have built a brand new facility and headquarters but most importantly we will have used our new social enterprise project to influence and grow disability employment and social procurement policy nationally.
RBLI will be delivering this important mission to veterans nationally through the incredible power of our Tommy brand. RBLI will still be reaching unemployed and disadvantaged veterans nationally with our awardwinning and evidenced employability programme Lifeworks and through our national events. The Tommy brand and RBLI’s services connect with veterans and with the British public which
will help us grow our Great Tommy Sleep Out event to become a national fundraiser for RBLI.
RBLI will have a truly sustainable future. All its operations will be financially sustainable which will help attract more donations and more statutory investment. We will have maximised our land assets to create an endowment fund to maintain our estate to the standards required.
We will have a thriving fundraising programme, with Tommy at its heart, to support our national work. Central to this vision will be RBLI’s workforce, committed and determined to further our important mission through a set of values that deliver true IMPACT.
