Abstract: Families are an important and sizeable part of the armed forces community. While their needs generally reflect those of civilian families, aspects of military life can present unique challenges for armed forces families. Therefore, having support in place to understand and respond to armed forces families’ needs is vital and the armed forces charity sector plays an important role in providing necessary support. The purpose of this report is to hold an objective mirror to the armed forces charity sector and – for the first time – provide a comprehensive account of the provision it offers to armed forces families. It is intended to be a resource for those involved with or interested in the armed forces charity sector, such as charity workers, policymakers, the media and the public. To address this remit, DSC devised the following research questions:
How many armed forces charities deliver support for families and how many
beneficiaries do they support?
What types of support are delivered to armed forces families and to which family
members?
What examples of collaboration and impact measurement exist?
What challenges do charities face in supporting armed forces families?