SUPPORT US
MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
Please note that from August 2026 our membership categories changed to just the two options outlined below.
Those members already (pre-August 2026) on our mailing list as a (non-subscription paying) Supporter can remain as such for the time being, but will be periodically encouraged to consider moving to the status of (subscription paying) FRIEND.
The revised categories are:
SUBSCRIBER
New members can elect to join for 12 months for free and to effectively put us, the charity, on probation. At the end of 12 months you will have the option of unsubscribing or, if you like and want to support what we are doing, taking out a Friend subscription @£26 pa.
FRIEND
The modest annual fee of £26 brings you the benefits listed below and most importantly funds (together with occasional external grant approvals and donations) our work. If neither Subscriber nor Friend category appeals, you may nevertheless have liked our work when attending one of our ceremonies, events or presentations. If you would consequently like to simply make a donation, details can also be found below.
Become a Subscriber
Ideally, we’d like you to become a Friend and therefore make an annual contribution to the funding of our activities. But we understand you might want to ‘suck it and see’ or simply make an occasional donation in respect of something you particularly support, or have enjoyed. If that’s you, please still do sign up as one of our hundreds of Subscribers and you will still receive:
- A quarterly newsletter
- A programme of events and activities throughout the year
- A quarterly programme of online lectures, interviews, films or presentations (donations requested)
Become a Friend
It is largely through Friends’ subscriptions of just £26 per annum that we can fund our bursaries, our contribution to a Mobile Teaching Unit in India, Zoom subscription, web site maintenance, hire of venues, purchase of equipment, plaques and information boards etc. No-one is paid, other than for legitimate expenses, so the vast majority of income from subscriptions goes straight to activity costs.
In addition to knowing that you’re helping in our important educational role through our scholarship and bursaries, in return for your subscription to our Friends’ membership scheme, you will receive:
- A quarterly newsletter
- A programme of events throughout the year, with some for Friends only
- Priority for any bookings required for our events
- Reduced fees for some of our chargeable events
- An invitation to an annual Friends’ conference and lunch
- A quarterly programme of free, online lectures, interviews, films or presentations
- A discount from our tour partner(s)
- Eligibility to apply for one of our annual student bursaries – simply as a Friend, rather than needing to be a student at one of the specified participating universities
- Access to our archive of official files, predominantly those relating to SOE.
Why are donations so vital?
The Charity’s activities are only possible due to donations and the subscriptions from its Friends scheme, supported by partnership working with, and grant funding from, other organisations.
This web site is just one expense which can be seen by everyone, and it plays a vital role as the Charity’s online shop window via its regularly updated news of the activities undertaken – but many of these activities have costs, for example:
- Covering the costs which enable the Charity to develop special commemorative events and install plaques and information boards
- Covering some or all of the expenses involved when getting veterans and carers to special events
- Covering the expenses of guest contributors such as historian speakers – that’s the least we can do if they’ll take part in an event or other initiative
- Owning and storing the equipment needed for presentations and other events, as this is more cost-effective than always having to hire these items
- Producing display and other promotional material – there’s no point in doing what we do unless we can also publicise all this so as to engage wider audiences
- Turning our archive and knowledge into learning resources – including videos for online access – by digitising existing or acquired interviews and archive material
- Instigating ever-more links between appropriate organisations, veterans associations, learning institutions and local communities in the countries in which we operate
- Improving and expanding this web site as the Charity’s resource platform and also as the ‘shop window’ for fundraising and promotion
The continuation of activities such as those is why the Charity needs ongoing income, so please do consider a donation, or subscribing as a Friend of the Charity (see below) – so that we can cover the basic month-to-month costs while also developing new initiatives.
There are three ways in which you can donate:
– by an online payment to our account:
IBAN – GB96NWBK60052429856736
– by a cheque, payable to The Secret WW2 Learning Network, to our Chair: Louisa Russell, 29 Wiseton Road, London SW17 7EE
– via Just Giving – see button/link below.
Thank you!