Formerly known as the Statutory Grants team, this team works across regions and local areas to strengthen SSAFA’s relationships with statutory partners and secure funding to sustain services. They identify funding opportunities, collaborate with regional teams and branches to understand local priorities and gaps, and share key insights across the wider SSAFA network.

The goal: To position SSAFA as a trusted partner within the statutory sector.

Who do they talk to? Local councils, NHS partners, Armed Forces Covenant Boards, combined authorities, and other statutory stakeholders.

Recent successes: Across the network, the team is already working closely with branches and regional colleagues:

• In the West Midlands, collaboration between the team and local branch leaders has opened conversations with partners including the Warwickshire & Coventry Integrated Care Board and the Mayor of Wolverhampton to champion projects supporting the Armed Forces community, including the Veterans in Care Homes initiative.  
• In Cumbria, partnership with the Cumbria branch chair and Westmorland and Furness Council has enabled joint engagement through the Armed Forces Covenant Board, as well as a collaborative submission to the VALOUR programme to strengthen casework delivery in the area. The programme is a £50 million government-backed initiative to create a UK-wide veteran support network.

When would you contact the team?

• If you identify a local statutory funding opportunity of any scale.
• When you have existing statutory contacts or are invited to local networking events.
• If you have local insights that could help shape their approach with stakeholders.

Who would you contact?

• North, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: Elleanor (Elly) Hutson at [email protected]
• Central: Melissa Michael at [email protected]
• South West and South East & London: Ruth O'Leary at ruth.o'[email protected]

While the team is structured to provide dedicated coverage across England, they also work alongside branches and regional teams in the devolved nations when opportunities emerge to add value. Learn more about the team by following this link here.

Owing to Scotland’s unique regulatory and geographic landscape, their dedicated team provides specialised support tailored to the network, working closely with Elaine McFadyen, Community Engagement Manager (CEM) and Harriet Brace, Regional Marcomms Manager (RMM). They equip branches with the resources and tools needed for high-impact local activities and grant applications, enabling volunteers to focus on engagement rather than administrative setup.

The goal: To maximise income through challenge events, corporate partnerships, and grants from trusts and foundations in Scotland.

When would you contact them?

• If you’d like to participate in Scottish fundraising challenge events such as the Kiltwalk or Kelpies Aerial Experience, or want to host your own fundraising event.
• When you want to initiate a branch-led project that requires external trust or grant funding.
• If you intend to engage a local business for sponsorship or volunteer recruitment.

Who would you contact? For fundraising and development support in Scotland, in the first instance please contact Elaine McFadyen ([email protected]) who can liaise with David Black, Fundraising and Development Manager of the Scottish Fundraising team, on the appropriate course of action. Learn more about the team by following this link here.

For statutory partnership discussions in Scotland, please contact Elleanor Hutson ([email protected]). Outside Scotland, equivalent specialist support is available through each regional team - please refer to the resources here.

The NDP Frequently Asked Questions document covers a range of topics addressing questions raised during and since the trials.

The Volunteer Knowledgebase is accessible to all volunteers and employees and contains detailed information on processes and procedures for all volunteer activities.

The Vision for Community Engagement in Branches document was developed following feedback from across the network and outlines the approach for increasing our reach, promoting understanding of our work, and building resilience.

NDP Information Hub on SSAFAnet and the NDP Information Hub on the Volunteer Knowledgebase both provide a variety of information on NDP – including caseworker and community engagement feedback videos, Town Hall presentations, transition guidance and copies of past updates in 2026 and in 2025.

If you have further questions, please contact the NDP Project team: [email protected].

Many thanks,

Kett McAfee, Welfare Operations Project Manager