The Trust exists to provide advice and financial relief in cases of necessity or distress among its members and their dependants, namely former members of the Women's Royal Naval Service known as Wrens. The Women’s Royal Naval Service Benevolent Trust (WRNS BT) was founded in 1941 by Dame Vera Laughton Mathews, then Director WRNS and in 1950 the Trust was granted a Royal Charter. A member is anyone who was serving in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) and transferred to the Royal Navy on 1 November 1993, or anyone who has served in the WRNS since 3 September 1939. The management of the Trust is vested in the Central Committee, which consists of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman (who may be a serving member), Governors, Chairmen of Grants and Finance Committees, the Honorary Treasurer and the RNRMC Nominated Trustee. The Chairman of the Association of Wrens, one member of the Association and two nominated Serving members act as advisers to the Central Committee. Only those eligible for membership of the Trust are entitled to vote at meetings of the Committee. The primary objects of the Trust are to provide relief in cases of necessity or distress among members of the Trust and their dependants; to make provision in suitable cases for assistance with further education; to make contributions to other suitable charities to enable them to carry out their respective objects for the benefit of the Trust's members; and to do anything ancillary to any of the above objects. The Trust’s policies, adopted to achieve its objects, are to invest its funds in securities that the Trustees expect will give optimised financial returns. The Trust operates for the public benefit under two charitable purposes as defined in the Charities Act 2011: “The relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage, and the advancement of education”. This is achieved through regular and one off grants to former members of the WRNS and their dependants.
