Veterans Aid started life in 1932 as EFC. In 2007 it was renamed Veterans Aid and its remit extended from homelessness to all issues affecting veterans in crisis.
It was founded by the wife of Major Gilbert Huggins after her husband narrowly escaped death by drowning in Malta's Grand Harbour. Grateful for what she considered to be a miracle of deliverance, she started looking for some way in which she could be of service. Being frequently approached for money by homeless Veterans in London, she decided to establish an organisation to help them. This led to the opening in January 1932 of H10 - a canteen and recreation room for destitute ex-services personnel in Lambeth, South London.
Additional accommodation was obtained, including a hostel and a night shelter, and in 1933, the title Embankment Fellowship Centre (EFC) was adopted. In March 1969 the name was changed to Ex-Service Fellowship Centres (the acronym EFC being retained). In October 2007, the Trustees decided that the name of the charity should be changed to "Veterans Aid" in order to reflect more accurately the nature of the work done.
It operates from an HQ and Drop-in Centre at 40 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0RE, a few minutes walk from Victoria Station. It also operates a hostel called New Belvedere House in East London.
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