Queen Elizabeth had an unstinting passion for charities, supporting hundreds of causes and helping to raise millions of pounds during her historic 70-year reign.
She has done more for charity than any other monarch, working with more than 600 charities and organisations across the UK and the Commonwealth, spanning everything from physiotherapy and women’s issues to bereavement care, wildlife and fencing.
In 2012, when the Queen celebrated her 60th year on the throne, research from the Charities Aid Foundation found that she was among the world’s greatest supporters of charities and had helped them raise more than £1.4billion.
Always eager to encourage the nation’s charitable spirit, she said in her 2016 Christmas broadcast : “We sometimes think the world’s problems are so big that we can do little to help. On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine”.
A particular keenness to help the elderly, children and animals, these were the causes closest to her heart. We speak to some of those at the Queen’s favourite charities to discover the huge impact she made.
CRUSE BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT
Josh and his little brother Sam were just ten and eight years old when their father Neil Appleby died from an aggressive brain tumour in February 2018, aged 44.
They were devastated, but in a valiant tribute to their dad, who loved the outdoors, they decided to climb the equivalent of Mount Everest (29,029ft) for charity, hiking and climbing seven mountains in 10 days in 2019 and raising £7,000.
They raised the money for Cruse Bereavement Suppport, the charity that supported them through their grief, wanting something positive to come from their pain and to say a huge thank you.
Their efforts were doubly rewarded when they were invited to meet Her Majesty the Queen, who was a patron for 38 years.
Their mum Hannah, 49, from Berkshire, recalls their trip to London. She says: “The boys were incredibly excited but nervous about meeting the Queen.
“However, they needn’t have worried. The boys were ushered into a private room and Her Majesty immediately put them all at ease with her kindness and warmth.
“She was so incredibly generous with her time listening as the boys told her about their climb and their dad, but what was most memorable for me was the way she looked at the boys, as though she knew the pain that they had suffered. You could see it in her eyes.
“I knew in that one special moment the boys knew someone else had seen and acknowledged their devastating loss”.
Steven Wibberley, Chief Executive, Cruse Bereavement Support adds: “As someone who has understood and known many bereavements, the Queen’s patronage has been invaluable to the work we do.
“Her patronage has meant so much over the years to those grieving and to those who volunteer their time to ensure no one should grieve alone.”
cruse.org.uk
ROYAL FORCES EMPLOYMENT CHARITY
Veteran Matthew Emberton hit a real low when he left the Army, having served for almost 23 years as an infantry communications specialist in the Royal Green Jackets.
Struggling to get work, the constant rejection left him without a sense of purpose.
“I was in a slump,” says Matthew, 46, from south London. “I was fed up with being rejected and I was starting to lose focus. I was so used to getting rejections that I half expected a rejection each time I sent my CV off."
Matthew adds: “A mentor boosted my confidence. I was introduced to roles I’d never thought I’d be capable of. It gave me a new positive outlook.
“People in the military have a strong work ethic and as a career soldier, I need big challenges. A new career as a project manager at TFL has lifted my morale and given me a new sense of purpose. I can finally plan my life again.”
One of the oldest military charities, supporting veterans for over 137 years, Queen Victoria first became the RFEA ’s royal patron in 1886, followed years later by Queen Elizabeth II.
Alistair Halliday, CEO at RFEA, says: “As a military veteran and spouse, the Queen had a deep understanding of our cause and a profound admiration and appreciation for the Armed Forces. She shall be sorely missed.”
rfea.org.uk
CANCER RESEARCH UK
Grandad Alfred Samuels is just one of many who has benefitted from the pioneering work of the charity after being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.
The 64-year-old, from Harrow, says: “I was diagnosed in 2012 and the cancer had already spread to my bones. Surgery wasn’t an option, so I was enrolled on a clinical trial funded by Cancer Research UK, which was testing the drug abiraterone.
“It was by no means an easy journey. I had to put on my war face - ‘No retreat, no surrender’ was my war cry along with my motto ‘It's not over until I win’.
“Thankfully, I responded well to the treatment and my cancer is stable. If it wasn’t for abiraterone, I don’t think I’d be here today.”
Alfred has been volunteering for the charity for eight years now. He says: “I wanted to make a meaningful difference to people affected by cancer.
“I’m most proud of seeing the changing stigma around cancer that has been an issue within the Black community, through my awareness, motivational and inspirational engagements. “Prostate cancer is particularly prevalent among Black men and I feel passionately about raising awareness of the disease to ensure that many more lives are saved.”
The Queen had supported the charity’s pioneering work since 1953 when it was the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.
“She kindly supported us over the years, opening our laboratories and institutes,” says Chair of the charity Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz. “She set an example for all of us - and leaves a lasting legacy.”
cancerresearchuk.org
BRITISH RED CROSS
Ukrainian refugee Olena fled her home in Kyiv with her ten-year-old son Ivan the day after the conflict escalated a few months ago.
The 45-year-old single mum was forced to leave loved ones behind as she escaped to find a better life. But she couldn’t have coped without support from the humanitarian aid charity.
Generous donations made to the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal have helped to establish one of the largest Red Cross financial assistance programmes.
She was one of the first to receive a Red Cross cash card and is now safe in Poland. She says: “I’m so grateful to know that someone cares about us. I’m without work and I don’t know when I’ll get a job. Cash assistance is very important.
“This freedom of choice gives you courage and hope that the normal life you had before the conflict is possible again.
“Now I have a chance to give my son back some of his childhood, even a little bit.”
British Red Cross chief executive Mike Adamson adds: “Her Majesty the Queen gave us enduring support for seven decades.
“From countless financial donations for those hit by disasters at home or overseas to meeting the victims of crisis here in the UK, the Queen has been a constant source of support and comfort to people during some of the toughest times in their lives.”
redcross.org.uk
FRIENDS OF THE ELDERLY
Reaching out to shake the hand of a disabled ex-Service embroiderer at a charity event, a young Princess Elizabeth was just at the beginning of what would become a lifetime of charitable work.
This charming scene shows Elizabeth aged about seven visiting with veterans at the event organised by Friends of the Elderly, then called Friends of the Poor. She was with her mother, the then Duchess of York, standing beside her and looking on with pride.
Her Majesty’s support continued through the years and she became an official patron in 1953.
The charity, first established in 1905, supports people to live well in later life, through care homes, day centres, special projects and grants to help older people living in poverty.
Recently the charity helped Linda with £400 to pay for car repairs that she couldn’t afford.
She says: “The money has been a Godsend. You are lifesavers. I live in a rural village with limited public transport so I felt very cut off from everything. Having my own car again gives me back my independence.”
FotE care home resident Vera Wren, 90, from Alton, Hampshire, has made a floral arrangement in tribute to the Queen. She says: “I looked at her as more of a friend than The Queen, that’s how I felt about her.”
fote.org.uk
RSPCA
It’s no secret that the Queen was a huge animal lover, especially fond of her horses and beloved Corgis, and a fervent supporter of dozens of animal charities.
Her impact on the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was huge, thanks to her decades-long patronage.
Just recently, French bulldog Bruce was dumped with horrific scalding burns across his back, but rescued by the RSPCA.
The terrified eight-year-old dog was found abandoned and shivering in a bush in Preston, Lancashire.
After three months in the care of the RSPCA, Bruce survived his ordeal and was fostered by Jack and Angharad Brennan, both 27, from Leyland, Lancs, who then decided to adopt him.
Angharad said: “We just fell for him.”
In another tragic account, the RSPCA saved a dog thrown from a truck at 50mph along a rural Kent road. Frightened terrier Freya was underweight and had fleas but finally found a home.
Chris Laurence, who works with RSPCA, has received three honours from the Queen for his services to animal welfare, meeting her when he received the Queen’s Volunteer Reserves Medal in 2002. He also received an OBE in the Queen’s Jubilee honours and his MBE was invested by King (then Prince) Charles in 2007.
He says: “I admit being nervous meeting the Queen but she was so good at putting you at ease.
“As a six year old child I remember watching the Coronation procession passing us while we stood on the Mall to watch. I am delighted to say that I went to pay my respects at the Lying in State and eventually got in after an eight hour wait. It was very emotional and well worth it.”
rspca.org.uk
