Royal Hospital Chelsea hosts largest outreach picnic as searches for veteran events rise

Around 500 veterans and guests gathered for the largest ever outreach picnic hosted by The Royal Hospital Chelsea – double the number of attendees compared with last year.

It comes as new research highlights the programme’s positive impact on wellbeing and loneliness.

The event, now in its fourth year, is part of the Royal Hospital's outreach programme and they say 85% of those who attend their events report an improvement to their wellbeing. 

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The aim is to keep a sense of community long after service and help address loneliness. 

The Royal Hospital Chelsea website has also seen a 390% increase in searches for veterans' outreach events between January and June this year, compared to the same time last year, with searches for veterans outreach also increasing by over 80%. 

Giles Woodhouse, the director of Chelsea Pensioners Veterans Outreach, told BFBS Forces News the event was a chance "for everyone to have a great time, seek advice and support and just celebrate what the military is all about, which is the comradeship, that fellowship that [comes] through and the shared service bit that sometimes is missing for those when they leave the Armed Forces".

You've got to be a British Army veteran of pensionable age to live at Royal Hospital Chelsea as a Chelsea Pensioner, but the outreach events and mobile app Old Comrades are for former tri-service and Merchant Navy personnel of any age.

One former sergeant with 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment (1 PWRR) is Richard Moore, who became a war pensioner when he was in his 30s. 

"I was one of the last probably to go through the war pension process due to my injuries in 2004," he said.

At the time "you get on with it" but in the last two years of his service "it started to show its cracks" he explained.

The War Pensions Scheme was replaced by the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in 2005.

"We're kind of like a missing cohort that's out there that are a lot younger than the average war pensioner that you'd see. We're kind of like forgotten about in the woodwork," he pointed out

Richard says the Royal Hospital's outreach programme is not only beneficial" but is "really lifesaving in some ways".

His advice for others in a similar position to him? "Don't sit at home trying to deal with it yourself like we do, because we're stubborn in the darkness and keeping ourselves to ourselves.

"Even if you don't want to go to social function, jump on the Old Comrades app."

For those who want in-person interaction, the scheme is expanding into different UK regions and there is a weekly drop-in at The Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.

Lance Bombardier (Ret'd) Paul Barber served with the Royal Artillery and has been a Chelsea Pensioner since October 2024.

"I think every member of the Forces carries a little bit of baggage upstairs [in their head], and we all need to unload it and here we can do it" he said.

"If the younger veterans have got problems, they need to come and talk to us and we're here to listen. We're here to help."

On Thursday mornings at 10am, you can visit the Royal Hospital for tea and biscuits.

"You come in and you just sit down and you talk to people... I can listen forever, but if they need help, we've got the right people to come and help them."