Through its partnership with the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC), Greenwich Hospital supports initiatives that help veterans and their families reconnect with their naval community, honour shared service and build lasting friendships.
Remembrance is about more than looking back. It is also an opportunity to bring people together, strengthen bonds between generations and ensure that those who have served, and their families, continue to feel part of the Royal Navy community.
Through Greenwich Hospital's annual Remembrance and Comradeship Grant, projects across the UK and overseas give veterans and their families opportunities to reconnect, share experiences, and find new friends.
Bringing shipmates together through Remembrance
A highlight was the Royal Naval Association’s 75th Anniversary Parade on Whitehall last year. Bringing together hundreds of veterans, families, cadets, and serving personnel, the event celebrated a shared history of service while giving former shipmates a chance to reconnect and strengthen their support networks.
Shipmate Alex Blincow captured the spirit of the day: “A great event with just the right amount of ceremony and formality followed by the camaraderie and friendship that is present when Royal Navy veterans get together”.
Similar connections were rekindled at the AnyFace Association Reunion in Portsmouth, where veterans from the Skyraider and Gannet eras reunited after decades apart. One attendee reflected on the enduring nature of these friendships:
“We were sharing a table 48 years later – it was like no time had passed at all.”
Remembrance also brought families, veterans and local communities together through the Scott Sutherland “Leaping Salmon” Memorial Project, commemorating the sculptor of the Commando Memorial. For families of the fallen, the project provided a meaningful opportunity to remember loved ones alongside others who understood the significance of their service and sacrifice.
One family member described the occasion as “a very emotional day… deeply touching to see everyone come together to remember”.
Rebuilding confidence and camaraderie in Malta
The impact of comradeship extends beyond reunions and commemorative events. For veterans facing significant challenges after leaving the Royal Navy, shared experiences can also offer an important opportunity to rebuild confidence, rediscover a sense of belonging, and look towards the future.
One example is ALABARÉ'S Mission to Malta programme, which brought together veterans from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF for a two-week residential experience focused on heritage, wellbeing and community. Five participants were Royal Navy and Royal Marine veterans.
Hosted by Armed Forces Malta, the group stayed at the historic Naval Hay Wharf dockyard, reconnecting with a military environment and taking part in cultural visits, conservation activities and opportunities to meet serving personnel. They also experienced life at sea aboard a Maltese military vessel and attended Malta’s Anzac Day commemorations, including a wreath-laying ceremony alongside military and civic representatives.
For veterans who had experienced homelessness and other challenges since leaving service, the programme offered more than a change of surroundings. Through shared activities, new experiences, and time together, participants could strengthen friendships, reconnect with their military identity, and build renewed confidence.
The programme demonstrates how opportunities to reconnect with service heritage and the wider Armed Forces community can complement the support veterans need as they move forward in civilian life.
Making a lasting difference through connection
From national commemorations and association reunions to schemes supporting veterans in the most difficult circumstances, Remembrance and Comradeship Grants give people the chance to come together, share their stories, and reinforce the bonds that matter most.
Supported by Greenwich Hospital and run by the RNRMC, the scheme helps maintain the bonds of service beyond active service. It recognises that friendships, memories, and a sense of belonging continue to matter after you've left the service.
Find out more
To find out more about the Remembrance and Comradeship Grants (including the projects we fund) please visit the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity's Remembrance Grants page.