Research, Armed Forces charities research

Sector Insight: Armed Forces Charities in Scotland

DSC's guide to armed forces charities registered in Scotland

What is the purpose of the report?

Whilst DSC’s 2014 report Sector Insight, UK Armed Forces Charities offered a comprehensive account of the UK armed forces charity sector, a lack of data limited the account of Scottish charities.

Attending to this gap in knowledge, this report offers a dedicated analysis for armed forces charities registered in Scotland.

What does it cover?

As part of the Sector Insight series, this report provides a detailed overview of the armed forces charities sector as a whole, within Scotland.

The report provides the reader with insights relating to:

Total numbers and types of charities
Financial size and characteristics of the sector
Longitudinal trends in charity finances
An overview of charities by charity types and Service affiliation

In addition, the report includes numerous detailed case studies to demonstrate specific aspects of the work undertaken within the sector.

Who is it for?

This report provides a body of evidence to inform policy, practice and research. This is a unique resource for charities, the government, policymakers and researchers to understand the topography and nature of Scotland’s armed forces charity sector.

What did we find?

The total number of armed forces charities registered in Scotland is 320.
The total annual income and expenditure for all armed forces charities registered in Scotland is £314.4 million and £293.7 million, respectively.
The level of annual income and expenditure over recent years has remained relatively stable for charities solely registered in Scotland.
There is a higher number of associations than welfare charities; however, welfare charities have a higher amount of income and expenditure.
Provision by charities that support the armed forces community is primarily focused on relief in need.
The most common type of Service affiliation in Scotland is tri-Service charities.

What did people say?

Ray Lock CBE, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust: ‘The clearly detailed evidence in this report offers an important and unique insight into the armed forces charity sector in Scotland, and will provide a guide for anyone wishing to better understand the armed forces charities sector, particularly those who work in the sector, policymakers, government officials and media organizations.’