An aftermarket supplier has lent support to forces charity ‘Veterans in Action’ which provides ex-service personnel with a workshop environment rebuilding old Land Rovers in order to help them adjust to civilian life.
Lumileds, best known for the Philips automotive lighting brand have donated equipment to the organisation. Richard Armstrong, UK and Ireland Manager for Lumileds, explained “A work friend told me about Veterans In Action, so I went down to Andover find out about them for myself. I discovered an amazing set up – truly inspiring on both what the organisation does for those it works with and on its subsequent outlook on getting them to give aid and assistance to others. Looking at the work they do, it seemed that we could help out by providing Workshop Lights and other Philips Automotive Lighting products that met their requirements for both performance and durability – which takes some doing! We are proud to be helping them to help others.”
VIA is the brainchild of former Royal Engineer, Billy MacLeod MBE, who suffered from his own mental health issues on leaving the military due to an injury sustained in the course of duty. Having found a way through the condition, Billy, using the skillsets learned in the Royal Engineers and, after studying what was happening with veterans who were suffering around the world, he realised he could do something to help others who had served in HM Armed Forces and who were suffering through the effects of war – or who had found the transition to civilian life difficult. That was the spark that brought Veterans In Action into being, and for twelve years he and the small team he works with, have created a base from which to operate, a squadron of go-anywhere Land-Rover vehicles and an ever-expanding group of people who build, maintain and operate them, while at the same time benefitting from everything VIA has to offer.
“A work friend told me about Veterans In Action, so I went down to Andover find out about them for myself. I discovered an amazing set up – truly inspiring on both what the organisation does for those it works with and on its subsequent outlook on getting them to give aid and assistance to others. Looking at the work they do, it seemed that we could help out by providing Workshop Lights and other Philips Automotive Lighting products that met their requirements for both performance and durability – which takes some doing! We are proud to be helping them to help others.”
VIA is also looking for a minimum of 100 businesses who could donate £1000 that would give the charity the security to continue the valuable work they carry out, to help veterans who suffer. Companies can be among the first to sign up to this scheme by contacting billy.macleod@
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