The RCN Foundations’ commitment to investing in nursing and midwifery continued to grow in 2024, with over 700 individuals and organisations receiving grants through hardship, education and research totalling over one million pounds. 
Our Inclusive Health Programme – enhancing the lives of individuals with learning disabilities was launched in 2024 – an investment of £300,000 to support Registered Nurses, Learning Disability (RNLD) to address health inequalities and enhance health related quality of life outcomes for individuals with a learning disability.
We developed a new signposting hub which assisted over 2,400 individuals in accessing additional support ranging from domestic abuse support, gambling advice and other financial services available to them.
Professor Claire Pryor was appointed the first UK RCN Foundation Chair in Adult Social Care Nursing at the University of Salford. This is an RCN Foundation initiative which will see the investment of £700,000 over a five-year period in the sector.
The demand for education grants grew by 68% in 2024, with over 2,200 applications received.
We couldn’t have done all of this without the generosity of our supporters and staff. Read on to learn more about our impact or download our impact report here.
The difference we made in 2024
In 2024 we announced our new 5-year strategy: Ignite, Inspire, Aspire: Our Vision to Transform Lives, where we intend to increase our support in the three core areas of our work – hardship, education and learning and research and innovation – ensuring that the voices of nursing and midwifery, and of those with lived experience, are reflected throughout all our work.
We are proud of the progress we made in year one in ensuring we achieve these goals.
Strategic aim 1 – Hardship: Supporting nursing and midwifery in times of need
Strategic aim 2 – Education and learning: Investing in the future of nursing and midwifery through our programme of education and learning grants
Strategic aim 3 – Research and innovation: Developing and delivering a research and innovation strategy, that will have at its core the funding of nursing- and midwifery-led projects that improve patient care, health and wellbeing
Learn more about our strategic aims and what we intend to achieve by 2028. You can also read our Annual Report to discover more about the impact we made in 2024.
Now you’ve read about our impact in 2024, will you help us be here for more nursing and midwifery professionals? Donate today, and together, we can make a lasting difference to health and patient care across the UK.