The Gurkha Welfare Trust is the leading Gurkha charity.

In the late 1960s, following the end of various Eastern conflicts, there was a significant reduction in the number of serving Gurkhas in the British Army.

It was realised that many Gurkha soldiers and their dependants or widows in Nepal faced destitution in old age. Many of these soldiers had served in the World Wars. However, they had not served the 15 years needed to qualify for an Army pension. Unlike their British counterparts who could rely on the welfare state in old age, the Nepali Gurkhas had no such safety net.

In recognition of our debt to these soldiers, a public appeal – organised by British Gurkha officers – raised £1m to establish an aid organisation.

It began to create a network of bases in Nepal to provide support to retired soldiers who had met with disasters such as landslides and floods. The Gurkha Welfare Trust was born.