The Women’s Royal Naval Service Benevolent Trust is set to become a subsidiary of The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, following a unanimous vote.
The charities announced on Monday that the WRNSBT would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the RNRMC as part of its strategy to reduce running costs.
The WRNSBT said the decision was related to a declining number of potential beneficiaries since the integration of the WRNS into the Royal Navy in 1993.
The charity said its remaining potential beneficiaries, the youngest of whom were expected to live for another 40 to 50 years, would be best served by its becoming a subsidiary of RNRMC.
The trust’s most recent set of accounts, for the year ending 31 December 2021, showed income of £260,000 and expenditure of £294,000.
The RNRMC’s income for the same period was £11.7m, against expenditure of £17m.
WRNS members voted unanimously in favour of the move at an extraordinary general meeting held by the charity last week.
The Women’s Royal Naval Service Benevolent Trust will keep its name and it will have its own trustee board.
The board will continue to comprise former members of the WRNS but will also include a representative from the RNRMC.
The WRNSBT’s two staff will leave the charity’s employment in the first quarter of 2024, a spokesperson said.
The day-to-day management, benevolence and back-office functions of the trust will be transferred to the RNRMC.
The charities said they aimed to complete the transition by January 2024.