Prince Charles praises Portsmouth charity battling to help struggling Royal Navy families through lockdown crisis

The royal championed the work of Portsmouth-based Royal Naval Benevolent Trust (RNBT), as it continues to support current and former naval personnel through the crisis.

The message comes as the head of the charity today warned of a huge rise in the number of desperate families appealing for aid, with more now struggling to pay for rent and food.

Rob Bosshardt, chief executive of the organisation, said the trust had handed out almost £12,000 in crisis grants to help naval families pay their rent – an increase of ‘200 per cent’ compared to a similar pre-lockdown period.

And a huge surge in pleas for cash to pay for food and clothing had been received, with the charity approving £9,000 for grants – ‘up 300 per cent’ compared to the month before lockdown.

All in all, 89 families in crisis have been supported by the RNBT since Britain introduced its stay-at-home measures last month.

But Mr Bosshardt, a retired naval Commander, feared demand would ‘increase’, and added: ‘People who were right at the edge at the start of this crisis are really feeling it now.

‘There will be difficult times ahead for a number of people in our community but the message we have is we are open for business and will be there for them during this crisis.’

In a personal letter to the RNBT, Prince Charles described the current health crisis as an ‘unprecedented period of difficulty, disruption and intense anxiety’.

Praising the organisation, the Prince of Wales continued: ‘As your patron, I have nothing but the greatest sympathy for the predicament you face and the many difficult decisions and circumstances that have to be managed.

‘Above all, I am certain you will be doing your utmost to maintain the essential elements of the care and service you provide to so many vulnerable people who depend upon you, and of which I am so immensely proud as your patron.

‘I want you to know, therefore, that I can well imagine the appalling pressures you have suddenly and unexpectedly been put under and that my heart goes out to you and your families during the coming weeks and months of such hideous uncertainty.’

Mr Bosshardt insisted it would remain ‘business as usual’ at the charity and that it would continue to focus on supporting families in need.

He added staff had been left overwhelmed by Prince Charles’ message and said it meant a ‘huge amount’ for all those working in such ‘challenging circumstances’.

Last week, Adrian Bell, head of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity warned naval families were facing a ‘whirlwind’ of financial misery that could last for ‘months of years’.

The navy said it ‘understood’ the pressures faced by naval families and that it has stepped up support for sailors.

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