Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust: Research into the Needs of the Bereaved Armed Forces Community
The Trust is pleased to announce that, following a competitive selection process, we’ve awarded Alma Economics funding to conduct vital research focusing on exploring current support provision for bereaved military families.
The findings from this new research will guide a new Covenant Fund grant programme in 2025, aimed at enhancing Covenant-related support for this community.
Alma Economics will be conducting focus groups and interviews with sector professionals and members of the bereaved Armed Forces community in September 2024. These will aim to
- Explore and gain an understanding of the needs of the bereaved Armed Forces community,
- Map the existing services that support this community,
- Understand limitations, barriers and best practices associated with current support, and
- Develop and refine recommendations for future support by the Trust.
Research rooted in comprehensive consultation
During the summer of 2023, the Trust carried out an extensive consultation, indicating significant unmet needs within the bereaved military community. In response, the Trust has allocated approximately £2 million within its 2024-2027 Funding Framework specifically to fund projects that can meet these needs.
Deepening understanding of bereaved Armed Forces families
The research we have commissioned aims to delve into the unique and complex needs of the bereaved Armed Forces community. Through focus groups and interviews with sector professionals and bereaved families, it will explore existing support services, identify gaps and barriers, and highlight best practices. This will help refine future programme design under the Trusts three-year Funding Framework. We aim to use the findings from the research to develop an outcome-based programme that provides enhanced support for Armed Forces bereaved communities, which will launch in early 2025.
Data-driven and future-focused programme development
Anna Wright, Chief Executive of the Trust said: “We’re delighted to be able to focus on the needs and challenges of the bereaved community as part of our three-year funding framework. During our consultation in 2023, this community came forward and offered valuable insights and experiences which have allowed us to ensure that, moving forward, Covenant funding can better-support this vulnerable cohort.”
Find out more
For more information on our three-year framework and the programmes the Trust has launched so far, visit our programme page.