Help for Heroes considers 90 redundancies to meet Covid-19 fundraising losses

Help the Heroes has announced that 90 jobs are at risk as it looks to tackle a 30% drop in income.

The charity has said its reliance on public donations (97% of all its income) has left it financially vulnerable amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This has seen many of its face-to-face fundraising events cancelled or postponed.

It anticipates a 30% fall in income over the coming years due to ongoing recession and its impact on public fundraising. The charity is also facing a surge in demand for its service.

As part of a planned restructure, 142 roles are at risk, 90 of these would be through redundancy.

Help for Heroes chief executive Melanie Waters said the decision has been made to secure the charity’s long term future and continue supporting wounded veterans amid the pandemic.

“In 2007, we made a promise on behalf of the nation to provide lifetime support to wounded veterans, and their families, and we are striving to keep that promise,” said Waters.

“The crisis has had a devastating impact on the whole UK charity sector, with lasting consequences, and it has hit us hard. These tough decisions have been made to protect the future of the charity and have been taken with our beneficiaries in mind.”

“We remain absolutely committed to our wounded and their families and will continue fighting for, and changing the lives of, those we support for as long as they need it.”

As it looks to restructure the charity is to prioritise in person and digital community services and no longer operating out of three of its recovery centres in Catterick, Colchester and Plymouth “for the foreseeable future”.

In person services will be returning to its base at Tedworth House over the coming months and it is looking to reopen its community office in Wales.

Community rehabilitation teams are to be created and there will be an initial increase in frontline staff in England and Wales.

Since Covid-19 lockdown March 40% of its staff have been furloughed. During lockdown the charity saw demand for its mental and physical health services increase by around a third.