Impact of Philanthropy The commitment of our donors in recent years, both as personal supporters and as ambassadors for the Royal Hospital, has made a tremendous difference to the lives of the Chelsea Pensioners. Together they have helped us to: Build a new infirmary with registered care wards, a specialist dementia ward, end-of-life facilities and a dedicated medical centre. The Infirmary and its courtyard garden are named in honour of two principal Benefactors – Baroness Margaret Thatcher and Lord Salisbury respectively – in honour of their key contributions. The Infirmary is currently being upgraded to continue to offer the very best care to our most vulnerable Pensioners. Transform the daily lives of Pensioners with a new, fully accessible Activities Centre, offering a wide range of life-enhancing activities for veterans of all abilities in a light, bright state-of-the-art building. Invest in the historic wards for Pensioners designed by Christopher Wren which are so iconic to living on the heritage site – including modernising and enlarging the berths and providing en-suite bathrooms. Benefactors include singer-songwriter Bryan Adams who donated in honour of the many members of his family who served in the Army – a berth is named for him in acknowledgement of his generosity. Ensure the Chelsea Pensioners continue to represent the military community with the best equipment such as new lightweight Scarlet uniforms for warmer weather, and transport to take them into the community and to key national military events. Safeguard our heritage buildings, art and artefacts for future generations. Care for our grounds and the monuments and artefacts there. The tranquil Salisbury Court garden was designed for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and donated by the Army Medical Corps, while a beautiful garden next to the Soane Pavilion was made possible thanks to a donation from Princess Astrid of Belgium. "When I wear my Scarlet coat, I feel very proud. I feel like I'm wearing 325 years of history. The Scarlet is the Chelsea Pensioner" Mike Hall, Chelsea Pensioner Without philanthropy, we simply couldn’t preserve our historic site or continue our proud tradition of ensuring the Chelsea Pensioners have the exceptional care and support they deserve. With the help of our Benefactors, we will continue to honour the contribution of Army veterans for generations to come – just as we have done for over 300 years.