Today, the Army’s national charity reverted its name back to the Army Benevolent Fund.
First established in 1944, the Charity became ABF The Soldiers’ Charity in 2010, in response to trends elsewhere in the military charity sector. However, in recent years, there has been a growing sense that the fractured nature of our current name is a potential source of confusion and is not always understood by our key audiences.
At the same time, research has confirmed the name Army Benevolent Fund has remained a widely recognised brand, which resonates powerfully with our core supporters and serving soldiers.
Having considered the evidence carefully, our conclusion is we do not need to make any radical change to our name; nor do we want to waste valuable funds on a large rebrand. Instead, we simply will be reverting to the name by which most always have known us: the Army Benevolent Fund, or the ABF for short.
Reverting our name to the Army Benevolent Fund and simplifying our logo will bring greater clarity to the understanding of who we are and what we do, and will allow us to deliver our plans with greater confidence; positioning us better to help those we serve: soldiers, veterans, and their immediate families in their times of need, such they can live with independence and dignity.”
Major General (Ret’d) Tim Hyams CB OBE, Chief Executive, the Army Benevolent Fund.