News
24 November 2023
Veterans’ charity receives fleet of Volvo trucks to continue training veterans into new careers as HGV Drivers
Greater Manchester veterans’ charity, Veterans into Logistics has proudly launched a fleet of three striking red, modern Volvo trucks with dynamic and eye-catching livery, thanks to Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland and Asda donating vehicles, and a generous £30k grant from the Veterans’ Foundation.
The charity will use the three Volvos to replace its existing vehicles to help around 150 ex-military personnel a year to train and qualify for new careers as HGV Drivers upon leaving the British Army, Royal Navy or Royal Air Force.
Veterans into Logistics, founded in 2020 by former Royal Artillery Airborne Gunner, Darren Wright, has already transformed the lives of countless ex-service personnel by training and mentoring them to get their HGV licence and into new careers with their respected partners including Asda, Mϋller UK & Ireland and Stobart.
Striking Red Fleet
All three vehicles in the new fleet are high-quality Volvo Approved grade models selected from Volvo Used Trucks’ extensive stock. The trucks will operate predominantly in the North West of England, with both LNG-powered tractor units refuelling at Asda’s regional distribution centre in Rochdale. Veterans into Logistics is believed to be the first dedicated HGV training provider in the UK to use LNG-fuelled trucks, which reduce CO2 emissions in comparison with diesel.
Carl White, Used Truck Director for Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland said: “We heard Veterans into Logistics was looking for a new training vehicle and we wanted to help. After identifying the perfect truck, we set about preparing it as we would any Volvo Approved customer vehicle, with an intermediate service, tachograph calibration, comprehensive 200-point inspection, full cosmetic check, and professional valet. The two vehicles funded by the Veterans’ Foundation have since followed precisely the same preparation process.”
The Veterans’ Foundation £30k grant enabled Veterans into Logistics to purchase a second identical Volvo FH Globetrotter tractor unit and trailer, and an 18-tonne Volvo FL 250 rigid. The grant comes courtesy of its generous supporters, who, through donations, legacies and the 100,000+ playing the Veterans’ Lottery, have supported over 400 different charitable organisations all over the UK with almost £17 million in grant awards since 2016.
David Shaw, CEO Veterans’ Foundation said: “The Veterans’ Foundation is delighted to continue its support of Veterans into Logistics through this grant to help fund the purchase of new vehicles to train the military community.”
Chris Hall, Vice President Asda Logistics Services said: “We are proud to donate a trailer to Veterans in Logistics to assist with the ongoing training requirements, which will ensure we can continue to support the great work in helping veterans back into work. We are excited to continue our long standing partnership and initiatives with the charity, including giving access to their team to refuel their new fleet at our Rochdale depot using liquid natural gas and offering employment opportunities across our depots.”
John Harker MBE, General Manager of Veterans into Logistics said: “We desperately needed to modernise our training fleet. Volvo Trucks, Asda and the Veterans’ Foundation jointly stepped up at the perfect time – their generosity has been incredible and the charity is extremely grateful.
“The modern Volvo trucks will have a significant impact on our operational effectiveness and will enable the charity to continue providing HGV driver training to veterans and armed forces service leavers in a more environmentally friendly and efficient way.
“Our mission is to secure voluntary funds to provide HGV driver training for veterans, then guide them into well-paid careers with respected logistics partners. To accomplish this, we need quality training vehicles we can rely on. To say the new vehicles will be working hard for us is an understatement!”
British Army Veterans Abi Howard and Wez Thomson feature in life-size form on the rear doors of the training trucks. Wearing army uniform and their regimental berets, these striking images will inspire veterans and future Armed Forces Service Leavers to consider a career in logistics and show there is a bright future after leaving the military. Both Abi and Wez undertook their HGV driver training through Veterans into Logistics and now Abi works for Mϋller UK & Ireland and Wez works for Asda.
Abi Howard, from Elland in West Yorkshire, had served eight years in the Royal Artillery by the age of 24, joining up at the earliest opportunity after leaving school. She worked as an aviation operator, launching, servicing, and maintaining drones, but sadly was medically discharged after major knee surgery.
Within two months of leaving the army, Veterans into Logistics enabled Abi to undertake the required civilian Class 1 HGV driver training she needed and facilitated a new career for her with Mϋller UK & Ireland who are keen to recruit veterans into HGV Driver positions through the charity.
Abi said: “It was a real pleasure and lovely surprise to be asked by Veterans into Logistics to feature on the back of their new Volvo training trucks. It’s a privilege for myself and Wez to represent the great work of the charity and I’m looking forward to showing my family and my partner, especially as my dad was in the army for 22 years.
“I hope that when veterans and service leavers see us on the trucks, it will encourage them to contact the charity if they are considering a career in logistics.
“I can’t thank Veterans into Logistics enough. The charity has been absolutely amazing. Leaving the army was a shock to the system, I’d never even written a CV before and didn’t know how to.
“I really enjoy my new career as an HGV driver at Mϋller UK & Ireland and there’s a special camaraderie and banter between ex-forces colleagues.
“I’ve already recommended Veterans into Logistics to ex-army friends and would encourage any veteran to contact the charity. I’m so impressed with how quick the process has been and the support I’ve received.”
Wez Thomson from Littleborough, was the first of ten former military personnel to start a new job as an HGV driver with Asda, after the supermarket generously donated £40,000 to Veterans into Logistics in November 2022.
39-year-old Wez joined the British Army after leaving school in 1996 and served for nearly seven years, seeing active service in Northern Ireland and Kosovo with the Grenadier Guards.
Wez said: “I’m so happy that Veterans into Logistics has been given these trucks and I’m excited to see myself and Abigail on the rear doors. It was a real honour to be asked to do this for the charity and being able to show my wife and children.
“I am really proud of everything that Veterans into Logistics has achieved and the charity has changed mine and my family’s lives.
“I’m coming up to my first year working at Asda and I enjoy my work and get job satisfaction. I love driving the trucks and being out on the road. As a family, we have booked several holidays which we would never have been able to afford before.”
To add to an already exciting week for the charity with the Volvo fleet launch, Veterans into Logistics was Highly Commended at The National Facilitator Awards. The awards celebrated trainers who create meaningful change in the world and whose values shine in their training.
For more information on Veterans into Logistics, please visit: www.veteransintologistics.org.uk
08 September 2023
Former women’s professional footballer and ex-army veteran now championing Veteran HGV Driving charity
Tamara Honeywell, 46, has had an interesting and varied global career, including playing professional football and cricket for Jamaica, before serving 10 years in the British Army. Veterans’ charity, Veterans into Logistics has now helped Tamara into her ideal career as an HGV driver for Stobart – with shifts that work perfectly around caring for her 11-year-old son.
Tamara who lives in Sedgley in Dudley is originally from Jamaica. Aged 26, she came to England for two weeks to visit friends, after which she planned to return home to Jamaica to take up a football scholarship. However, she always had an ambition to join the military and her friends encouraged her to join the Army instead, where she spent over a decade, including two tours of Afghanistan and The Falklands. She left the Army in 2013, ending her military career in the Logistic Support Regiment in Abingdon.
After taking a few months out after the birth of her son, she returned to work in various jobs including working as a bus driver, postwoman, and teaching assistant.
When the cost-of-living crisis hit, Tamara realised she needed a better career to provide for herself and her son. She had her Class 2 truck licence from her time in the Army and said: “My friends were always telling me to do lorry driving as it pays more, but I didn’t want to be away from my young son until he was older.”
She researched truck driver work online and found Veterans into Logistics. She sent a message and was impressed with the charity’s speedy response.
Veterans into Logistics interviewed and assessed Tamara and referred her to one of their partners, Stobart – one of the UK’s most well-known companies in the supply chain sector. She attended the company’s training academy where she would be guaranteed employment upon completion.
Tamara said: “My Class 1 training with Stobart was brilliant and I enjoyed every moment, I’d do it all again if I could! I had a great instructor who was really encouraging.”
Veterans into Logistics ensures their partners, including Stobart, have signed The Armed Forces Covenant which shows their commitment to supporting the veteran community.
Tamara is enjoying her new career as an HGV Driver for Stobart which she started in April. She said: “I’m there to do a professional job, I’m paid and I’m happy. I start my shift around 7 or 8 o’clock in the evening, which means that before work I can pick my son up from school. It’s so important to me that we can have dinner together, do his homework and I get to put him to bed.
“I’d like people to know that a career in truck driving doesn’t have to take you away from your family for long periods of time. There is flexibility and Stobart have been supportive in accommodating my hours, ensuring I get to spend quality time with my son.”
Tamara’s route varies across the UK anywhere from London to Liverpool, delivering food to supermarket warehouses.
She said there are no obstacles to being a female truck driver and that the male drivers are “all totally accepting and supportive,” because she does her job “safely and properly.”
Happy in her new career, Tamara said: “I am so glad I found Veterans into Logistics and I have already recommended the charity to my ex-army friends. The team were all so helpful, especially Darren and Danielle. I love what the charity is doing to support veterans like myself into work as HGV Drivers.”
The future is bright for Tamara and she hopes to take her son to visit her friends in America next year.
Veterans into Logistics General Manager, John Harker MBE said: “I’d like to congratulate Tamara on passing her HGV Class 1 first time, and thank Stobart for their continued support to Veterans into Logistics by employing ex-military personnel in the logistics industry.
“Tamara makes the excellent point that a new career as an HGV Driver doesn’t have to mean being away from home for long periods – a reason why some choose to leave the military. With the current shortage of HGV Drivers, logistics companies, including our partner Stobart, are eager to support staff by providing the flexibility to fit around family life. The industry is 24/7 – 365 days a year, with a variety of shifts available.
“At Veterans into Logistics, our mission is to reduce unemployment and poverty in the ex-military community by providing a pathway into the logistics industry, as we know that many veterans, like Tamara, are ideally suited to working in this sector.”
A Stobart Spokesperson commented: “We are proud to have Tamara as part of our team at Stobart and congratulate her on successfully transitioning into her career as an HGV driver. At Stobart, we are committed to supporting initiatives like Veterans into Logistics and providing employment opportunities for ex-military personnel.
“Tamara’s story is a testament to the flexibility and work-life balance that can be achieved in the logistics industry. We value her professionalism and dedication to her role, and we are pleased to accommodate her schedule so she can spend quality time with her son. We wish her continued success and fulfilment in her journey as an HGV driver.”
For more information on Veterans into Logistics, please visit: www.veteransintologistics.org.uk
08 September 2023
Veterans’ Charity Announced as Finalists for Multiple Awards
Veterans into Logistics – a charity that trains and mentors veterans into new careers as HGV drivers – is delighted to have made the shortlist for three awards across two exciting Awards Ceremonies.
This is incredible recognition for the charity which raises its own funds to cover HGV Licence and training costs. Veterans into Logistics personally supports veterans and service leavers with training tailored to their individual needs, supporting them into logistics careers with their partners who include Asda, Mϋller and Stobart.
ENGLISH VETERANS AWARDS
The charity has been named as a Finalist by the prestigious English Veterans Awards in the Employer of the Year category. The Awards were created to reward veterans who have gone above and beyond and excelled in their relevant fields. The English Veteran Awards say the winners will act as role models for future service leavers and they want to find the people who have excelled, even during the most difficult periods.
Winners will be announced on the 21st September in Bristol at a ceremony hosted by Radio X DJ, Polly James
INSPIRATIONAL FACILITATOR AWARD FINALIST
Veterans into Logistics has also been named as a Finalist for two awards at the first National Facilitator Awards. The charity’s founder and former Royal Artillery Airborne Gunner, Darren Wright, for the Inspirational Facilitator Award and the charity for the Values in Action Award.
The National Facilitator Awards are the UK’s only awards dedicated to celebrating excellence in training and facilitation, and the aim is to celebrate and elevate unsung industry heroes and to highlight the impact quality training can have.
Veterans into Logistics General Manager, John Harker MBE said: “We are honoured to be Finalists in both The English Veterans Awards and The National Facilitator Awards.
“This recognition is so important in raising awareness of the charity because training and mentoring veterans into new logistics careers is at the heart of everything we do.
“I’m proud of our Founder, Darren Wright, being shortlisted for the Inspirational Facilitator Award. He goes above and beyond to help the veterans who come to the charity and the feedback he gets is remarkable. With Darren’s aptitude and foresight, the charity has supported hundreds of veterans over the last two and a half years and will continue to help hundreds more as they return to civilian life.
“I’d also like to thank our partners who return to us for their HGV Drivers. They see how veterans who go through our training are ideally suited to careers in the logistics industry with their hardworking, professional, “can do” attitude.”
Darren Wright said: “I’d like to say a big thank you to The English Veterans Awards and The National Facilitator Awards. I believe my role in life is to support veterans who have lost their direction after leaving the military, and recognition like this helps to highlight the important work of the charity I founded, Veterans into Logistics.
“Empowering veterans with our training, and seeing their confidence increase once they’ve got their HGV Licence and into new logistics careers is an emotional and positive feeling, especially those who left the military not knowing how to find stable employment.”
Tammy Banks, founder of The National Facilitator Awards said: “This is the first year of these awards and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate brilliant facilitators from across the UK.
“The judging panel had a really tough job shortlisting the entries as the quality of the applications, nominations and the skills shown by the facilitators who entered was impressive and inspiring. I personally cannot wait for the awards ceremony when I’ll get to meet all the candidates who are taking our industry forward in the most exciting ways.”
The awards will be held at York Racecourse on 17th November 2023, where the winners of each category will be announced.
For more information, please visit: www.veteransintologistics.org.uk
06 July 2023
Ex-Marine and Wakefield resident completes Total Warrior Great Northern Mud Run for Veterans’ Charity
A gym-loving group of friends from Mϋller Milk and Ingredients Distribution (MMiD) in Leeds, headed by former Royal Marine, Karl Crossland, took part in The Total Warrior Great Northern Mud Run in Leeds on Sunday, raising £1000 for Veterans into Logistics – a charity that trains and supports veterans into new careers as HGV Drivers.
The team comprising Wakefield local Karl, his wife Lynne, and Mϋller teammates Paul Ellam and Lee-Anne Trotter, completed the gruelling 7.5-mile course battling the wind, rain and never-ending mud, defeating 20 military-based obstacles including running over fire, through water and taking on the 100ft Slideaway!
Karl was a Royal Marine for 12 years and now works as a Driver Trainer at Mϋller’s Leeds Depot. He’s competed in several Warrior and endurance challenges and chose to raise money for Veterans into Logistics this year through Mϋller’s partnership with the charity.
Mϋller has signed The Armed Forces Covenant, a promise to the nation to support those who serve or who have served in the military.
After Karl left the Marines, he lived in Australia for two years where he enjoyed cycling. He’s been working at Mϋller for seven years since moving back to England, starting as an HGV Driver and working his way up to Driver Trainer.
Karl got his HGV Licence during his time in the Royal Marines and supports Mϋller in their partnership with Veterans into Logistics as he sees first-hand the difference that a new career as an HGV driver makes to ex-military personnel.
He said: “My wife and I have been doing challenges like this for years and we enjoyed taking part in Total Warrior this year with my Mϋller colleagues, despite the bad weather! We all wanted to raise as much money as possible for Veterans into Logistics, as through our work at Mϋller, we see how the mentoring and training provided by the charity makes a huge impact and how a new career as a truck driver is so positive for ex-military personnel.
Veterans into Logistics General Manager, John Harker MBE said: “On behalf of the charity, I would like to thank Karl, his wife Lynne, and his Mϋller colleagues and teammates Paul and Lee-Anne for raising £1000 for Veterans into Logistics by taking part in this epic endurance challenge.
“We receive great support from Mϋller through our partnership and are proud that their employees like Karl continue to support our mission outside of work. The money they have raised will go towards mentoring and training veterans into new careers as HGV Drivers.
Mϋller Leeds Depot Manager, Stewart Smith came along to give the team moral support on the day. He said: “Karl’s focus and dedication are testament to him and his service, he works hard to maintain high standards and will always help where he can.
“Karl’s support for Veterans into Logistics through the business and personally is no surprise, as any person who has served knows the transition to civilian life can be difficult and can take its toll, having someone with Karl’s understanding and drive to support through that transition really can, and does, make a difference.”
For more information on Veterans into Logistics, please visit: www.veteransintologistics.org.uk
26 January 2023
First of ten veterans starts work as HGV driver after Asda’s investment into Greater Manchester veterans’ charity
It’s a great start to the new year for the Thomson household in Littleborough, as former British Army soldier Wez Thomson becomes the first of ten former military personnel to start a new job as an HGV driver with Asda, thanks to the supermarket funding £40,000 into veterans’ charity, Veterans into Logistics.
The charity has a two-year established partnership with Asda Logistics Services who support their mission of preventing homelessness and unemployment in the veteran community.
Asda made this significant donation to Veterans into Logistics in November and the charity is thrilled to announce Wez Thomson is the first veteran to complete his Class 1 HGV training and will be starting a new driving career with Asda.
39-year-old Wez joined the British Army after leaving school in 1996 and served for nearly seven years, seeing active service in Northern Ireland and Kosovo with the Grenadier Guards.
He’s been married to his wife for 12 years, and they’ve been together for 21 years and have three children – a daughter and 19-year-old twin boys.
Wez has been impressed with Veterans into Logistics’ efficiency and support whilst getting his Class 1 HGV Licence. He already had his Class 2, but it was too expensive for him to do his Class 1 training himself.
He got in contact with Veterans into Logistics Founder and former Royal Artillery Airborne Gunner Darren Wright, through professional networking site LinkedIn. Darren invited Wez down to the training office and Wez said: “I met him and had a few brews with him, we have the same background and interests. I immediately felt comfortable in his office with the infantry and para flags and memorabilia.
“I must admit I was dubious at first. I couldn’t believe that my Class 1 training would all be paid for and provided by Asda and Veterans into Logistics. But it’s true and the process has been so quick! This is so good for my family and I can now provide them with the nicer things in life.
“I’m grateful for the Asda funding and I’m pleased to be the first veteran to pass my Class 1 Licence and achieve this new driving career. This means so much to me and my family and I’m excited to start.
Thank you to Darren and Veterans into Logistics for supporting and training veterans into new careers in the logistics industry.
“I would encourage any veteran to contact Veterans into Logistics. Take the plunge, I had a new career lined up within weeks, with better money which means a nice family holiday and being able to enjoy a few more of the nicer things in life.”
Veterans into Logistics Founder, Darren Wright said: “Myself and the whole team are proud that Wez has become the first veteran to achieve a new driving career with this generous donation from Asda, and Wez’s hard work and dedication.
“Alongside our driver training scheme, we also provide personal mentoring and understand the skills, discipline, and hard-working ethos that ex-military personnel have from their careers in the armed forces.
“This new year, Wez will be joining other veterans who have been through our training and worked as HGV drivers at Asda for several years. They have established good careers and importantly say they feel respected and appreciated by Asda. We know that Wez will fit right in.
“We look forward to announcing the other nine veterans who will benefit from this life-changing investment which will give them structure, stability and financial security.”
Rochdale MP, Tony Lloyd said: Many people leaving our armed forces struggle to find a job; the skills they learn in the armed forces may be relevant but may not be in civvy street. But we would all believe helping ex-service personnel is good for them and their families but is only appropriate for the public service they have already given.
“Wez Thomson is the first to start his new job as an HGV driver with ASDA, and that’s good news for him and his family this new year and for many years to come. The Veterans into Logistics charity have done a great job in helping Wez but have given hope to Ex-Service personnel in the future.
“ASDA also deserve thanks, and I know they, like many companies, have found finding HGV Class 1 drivers a real problem but their support for Wez and support for Veterans into Logistics is turning a problem into a solution.
Councillor Neil Emmott, Leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “I am delighted that Wez has secured permanent employment with ASDA after completing his course with Veterans into Logistics. I know that Veterans into Logistics do sterling work in our local communities in getting ex-armed services personnel into full-time employment in the logistics and haulage industry.
“Secondly, we should recognise and thank ASDA for the £40,000 investment they have put into Veterans into Logistics to help our local veteran heroes to find good employment after they’ve left the armed services.”
Melanie Richmond, Training Manager at Asda Logistics Services said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Veterans into Logistics with this investment that will help to support 10 armed forces veterans with the opportunity to be upskilled to hold an HGV licence.
“We have been working with Veterans into Logistics for the last two years, helping them with their vision of supporting and rehabilitating ex armed forces back into work and civilian life and the next step of their life journey.”
Veterans into Logistics has had an exceptional first two years by either successfully training or supporting hundreds of ex-military personnel into new HGV driving careers, featuring in a BBC 1 documentary, receiving high-profile ministerial visits from the Cabinet Office and being awarded the prestigious Gold Armed Forces Covenant for their support to reservists, service leavers and the veteran community.
07 December 2022
Veterans’ charity “changes life” of local veteran, by training him into new career as an HGV Driver
Veteran Carl Pearson, 39, from Wolverhampton felt “lost and alone” after leaving the British Army. A chance meeting with a trustee from Veterans into Logistics turned his life around and he’s now enjoying work after being supported and mentored into a new career as an HGV driver.
With the financial security from his new job, Carl is able to provide for his son, who is under the care of Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and he’s looking forward to taking him on a family holiday.
Carl was an infantry soldier who served in the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment and saw active service in Afghanistan. He left the Army in 2006 and said: “When I left the military 16 years ago, I felt completely alone and isolated through lack of support.”
He has struggled in the years since leaving the military and is a single parent to a child with serious health issues, including Juvenile Arthritis – a disease where the immune system, which is supposed to fight invaders like germs and viruses, instead attacks the body’s cells and tissues, and Bilateral Uveitis – an extremely painful eye condition.
After being made redundant, Carl fortunately had a chance meeting with Veterans into Logistics Trustee, Heidi Chapman when he was visiting friends in Worcester a year ago. Heidi told Carl how the charity helps veterans, providing the training for HGV driving careers and explained how the charity has partnerships with national logistics companies who offer employment opportunities to service leavers and veterans.
She put Carl in contact with Veterans into Logistics Founder, Darren Wright and he said since then: “Darren has turned my life around and made me believe in myself again. He cares with his heart and soul and gave me time for reflection. He reignited my drive and focus and was someone to talk to who understood, because he’d been through it. He always made time for me and cares immensely.
“Darren is fighting for veterans, supporting them into a better future. This charity is so important as it gives veterans a new beginning.”
Carl had driven military vehicles, including the Snatch Land Rover and WMIK Land Rover during his time in the Army. Since undergoing his training with Veterans into Logistics, he has passed his Class 1 and Class 2 HGV Licences and has been working for Culina Group for the last three months.
He said: “They are such a caring employer and treat me well. My job is fulfilling and I’m thoroughly enjoying driving across the West Midlands where I make about 15 drops a day, on an 80-mile round trip.”
Carl is proud of his time in the Army, serving his country and recently attended the Armistice Day service in Wolverhampton, but said that when he left the military, he “felt shut off from the world and isolated.”
“Working at Culina and with the support I’ve received from Darren, Heidi, and all the team at Veterans into Logistics, I feel like I’ve found the family I lost after leaving the military. I know other veterans will feel the same way and I urge them to contact the charity if they’re considering a career in the logistics industry.
“There is a brighter future, earning a good wage, where you will be trained and mentored by people who care and understand what you’re going through.
“I’d like to thank Veterans into Logistics for making this one of the best Christmases of my life and I can’t wait to see the look on my son’s face when we go on holiday.”
Veterans into Logistics Trustee, Heidi Chapman said: “When I met Carl, I knew that given the opportunity to train as a driver, he would be an asset to any company. I’m so privileged to have been a part of Carl’s journey and to see him progress through training and into work.
“Carl represents what can be achieved by someone who is given the chance of a new career and I’m extremely proud to know him.”
For more information on Veterans into Logistics and for advice on training as an HGV driver, visit: www.veteransintologistics.org.uk or phone: 0330 111 9320.
01 November 2022
Asda invests into Veterans’ charity to train ex-military as HGV Drivers
Great Manchester based charity, Veterans into Logistics have received a welcomed funding boost of £40,000 from Asda, that will enable the charity to train 10 armed forces veterans into new careers as HGV Drivers.
The charity has a two year established partnership with Asda Logistic Services who support their mission of preventing homelessness and unemployment in the veteran community.
This significant donation from Asda will help to provide training and mentoring for the veterans to pass their HGV licences, resulting in new driving careers.
Veterans into Logistics CCO Major Ian Battersby is passionate about supporting ex-military personnel. Alongside the charity’s dedicated driver training scheme, the team also provide personal mentoring as they understand the skills, discipline, and hard-working ethos that ex-military personnel have from their careers in the armed forces.
Major Battersby and the team make it their mission to support those who have fallen on hard times after leaving the military as some can slip through the net, ending up unemployed, homeless, suffering with addiction issues or even ending up in prison.
Major Battersby said: “We are extremely grateful for this donation from Asda which will enable us to train 10 veterans into new careers as HGV drivers.
“We are so pleased that Asda continue to partner with us and see the benefits of employing veterans with the dedication and skills they bring. We have already upskilled and supported veterans who are working for Asda Logistic Services who say they are enjoying their new careers and feel respected and appreciated by Asda.
“This donation will be life-changing for the veterans it supports, bringing structure, stability and financial security.”
Now an Asda Colleague, sixty-year-old Carl Smith left the Armed Forces in September this year after 43 years’ service. He joined as a junior soldier in 1979 and served as a regular in the 3rd Royal Horse Artillery for 22 years before becoming a full-term reservist with the Royal Artillery Regiment. He left with a rank of Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant.
Liverpool-born Carl served in Northern Ireland, Germany, Kosovo and Bosnia and saw action in the first Gulf War in 1991. He’s been married to Paula for 40 years and has five children and seven grandchildren.
He got in touch with Veterans into Logistics as soon as he left the Armed Forces and he’s now a trainee HGV driver at Asda’s Skelmersdale depot.
Carl said: “Getting this job means a lot. I envisioned having to get my CV done for all kinds of jobs and sending them off to people and take a gamble like everyone else but Veterans into Logistics opened those doors and closed them at the same time if that makes sense and they got me a direct link into Asda. I really appreciate the fact that Asda have taken me on.
“I think it’s amazing what Asda and Veterans into Logistics are doing. I did not expect it to be honest. What they have done for myself is great but what they are doing for other people who are probably less fortunate than me is amazing. It’s a really good thing and I hope more companies will look at doing it.
“Some people may think that because you’ve been in the military all your life you are boxed off and sorted, but you’re not. There are lots of people with lots of problems still who need gainful employment.”
Carl has been working in the transport office at Skelmersdale while he does his HGV training.
He said: “The plan is that when I pass my HGV test then I will be buddied up for six to eight weeks with an experienced driver and they will teach me the ropes until I’m deemed ready to take to the roads on my own. The whole set up is really good and I’m so happy to be employed by Asda.”
Melanie Richmond, Training Manager at Asda Logistic Services said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Veterans into Logistics with this investment that will help to support 10 armed forces veterans with the opportunity to be upskilled to hold an HGV licence.
“We have been working with Veterans into Logistics for the last two years, helping them with their vision of supporting and rehabilitating ex armed forces back into work and civilian life and the next step of their life journey.”
Veterans into Logistics has had an exceptional first two years by either successfully training or supporting hundreds of ex-military personnel into new HGV driving careers, featuring in a BBC 1 documentary, receiving high profile ministerial visits from the Cabinet Office and being awarded the prestigious Gold Armed Forces Covenant for their support to reservists, service leavers and the veteran community.
30th January 2022
I feel like me again’ – troubled Army vets are helping fix driver shortage
Some UK veterans can face difficulties finding employment when returning to civilian life, but one ex-soldier wants to help them get back in the driving seat.
“Take your time, compose yourself, check your mirrors.”
Darren Wright is training a new recruit to become an HGV driver. Many of the people that sit alongside him have something in common – they are all ex-military. The 46-year-old has been running Veterans into Logistics, a not-for-profit organisation in Greater Manchester, for 19 months.
“We get veterans who are struggling to find employment,” he says. “We reach out to them, we put our [arms] around them and we support them into becoming HGV drivers.”
Government figures published in 2017 show that of 952,000 veterans of working age, 28,000 were unemployed.
Darren says there is a lack of support for those who leave the armed forces without a trade or skill. Many he encounters are battling with low confidence or have mental health problems.
“They put a lot of trust in me,” he says. “I can talk to them and go, ‘Listen mate, I’ve been there, I know what it’s like, but trust me, let’s get you trained up, let’s get you a job.'”
Growing up on a council estate in north Manchester, Darren left school without any qualifications or many prospects. He joined the Army at 23 and served as a gunner and paratrooper in 21 Battery, 47 Regiment, Royal Artillery for five years. He did a tour of Afghanistan and was discharged in 2004 suffering undiagnosed post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
13th August 2021
TIGER TRAILERS SUPPORTS VETERANS INTO LOGISTICS AT A KEY TIME FOR THE ROAD TRANSPORT SECTOR
Tiger Trailers is delighted to have provided initial support to non-profit organisation Veterans into Logistics at an important time for the community interest company (CIC) itself, the ex-military personnel and families it assists, and the supply chain and haulage industry as a whole.
Veterans into Logistics’ primary objectives include providing HGV/LGV driver training to empower former armed forces members to embark on and enjoy fulfilling careers in road transport rather than face a life of unemployment and sometimes homelessness, and the organisation’s growing vehicle fleet features its liveried DAF CF85 truck tractor unit on centre stage, named in memory of Fusilier Lee Rigby.
The organisation recently strengthened its training vehicle provision with a class 1 ‘box van’ trailer, which Tiger Trailers inspected, serviced and carried out modifications to when the Veterans into Logistics (VIL) team visited the Cheshire manufacturer’s site. The 13.6m trailer’s tail-lift was removed and replaced with new underrun bars and lights, and various external enhancements were made to the bodywork, providing VIL with the confidence to fully utilise this important asset in their activities.
Darren Wright, Veterans into Logistics’ co-founder and Director & Logistics Advisor, comments: “Many thanks to Tiger Trailers for providing us with much-needed fixtures to our ‘Class 1’ trailer and for inviting us to their site to meet their team, which included former Staffordshire Regiment soldier Steven Creswell.”
Veterans into Logistics’ full management team visited Tiger Trailers’ Winsford factory for the trailer’s servicing and handover, namely Major Ian Battersby (Director), Janice Gurney (Finance Director), Darren Wright (Director & Logistics Advisory) and Leilah Wright (Media Supervisor).
VIL’s debut visit to Tiger coincided with the attendance of the eye-catching Derian House Children’s Hospice Volvo FH Globetrotter operated by Thomas Hardie Commercials of Middlewich, who were providing truck safety sessions to the manufacturer’s engineering, production, supply chain and other teams.
Steven Cresswell, Stage 1-5 Production Manager at Tiger Trailers, is himself a veteran, having served in Iraq and other locations with Staffordshire Regiment, and was delighted to meet the VIL team and pose for a photograph with them in acknowledgement of the great and multi-faceted work the organisation does.
Formed in 2020 with the aim of reducing unemployment amongst military veterans while helping safeguard their mental health, VIL provides skills, opportunities, and personal support to veterans struggling to cope with reintegration into civilian life, and its HGV training focus comes at a time when the UK’s truck driver shortage is widely publicised and urgently needs addressing as the haulage sector approaches its Christmas peak.
Encouraging women into the logistics sector as drivers is seen by Tiger Trailers and many other entities as a key way of addressing the truck driver shortage while ensuring that the industry becomes increasingly diverse and welcoming. Heidi Chapman, Cheshire businesswoman and tireless charity campaigner whose activities currently see her driving class 2 HGVs as she works towards her class 1 licence, is part of VIL’s wider team and attended the trailer handover at Tiger Trailers.
“We are very proud to have been able to provide support to Veterans into Logistics by servicing and modifying their HGV trailer and it was an honour to welcome their entire team to our HQ to discuss the excellent and timely work they do, and how we can continue to work together going forward, to support both veterans and their families plus the wider road transport sector at such a challenging time”, comments Alison Cartwright who heads Tiger Trailers’ CSR and safety activities.
Veterans into Logistics has already helped many ex-military personnel into HGV/LGV driving careers, such as former Queens Lancashire Regiment soldier Steven Eden who now drives a class 1 for ASDA, and disabled ex-Royal Artillery soldier Craig Dyer who has taken up driving Wilko lorries for Wincanton. The Armed Forces Covenant silver award-winning organisation has recently had discussions with hauliers including Kinaxia Logistics and Mark Thompson Transport on how to lessen the truck driver shortage, and VIL has received donations from well-known personalities including former world champion boxer Ricky Hatton.
Tiger Trailers, headquartered at the Bostock end of Winsford Industrial Estate on a site that in January will be just three years old and was the sector’s first to include an indoor showroom, is one of the UK’s small number of leading articulated semi-trailer and rigid bodywork manufacturers and employs around 200 people. Its product range spans from curtainsiders and box vans to fixed and moving double deck trailers, demountables, flatbeds, rigid bodywork and specialist builds such as fork-lift truck carriers.
