Funded: June 2023
Blue Light Card Foundation is supporting a veteran-built Land Rover Defender Campervan project
Sector supported: veterans
Veterans in Action is a charity working to improve the mental, physical, and social wellbeing of veterans through participation in long-term, centre-based projects, adventurous activities, and expeditions to enable them to grow at their own pace whilst working within a team of their peers.
Veterans Expeditions Overland is the main project run by Veterans in Action (VIA), where veterans maintain, strip, and rebuild Land Rovers and prepare them to expedition standard.
This project has been running successfully since 2017, enabling veterans to fully engage in the long-term aspect of building a vehicle, working alongside their peers in a safe and relaxed environment, learning and relearning old skill sets from their time in the military. The longevity of this project enables participants to work together and help each other to grow over time. Work is carried out at the VIA ALIVE Centre on the Hants/Wilts border. To date, over 300 veterans have taken part in the project.
The completed campervan build will support the VIA’s Walk & Talk project, seeing walks being set up across the country to provide a safe space for veterans to connect and share their experiences. This will enable growth of a network of walks and establishment of a widespread community that are there to help each other and facilitate a wider reach for support.
Billy MacLeod MBE, Chief Operations Officer, Veterans in Action said, “The funding received from the Blue Light Foundation will enable many veterans to grow far beyond their expectations by working alongside their peers through this fantastic project. This will see them building a Land Rover 130 camper vehicle which will be used to set up Veteran’s Walk & Talks around the country. This will bring a community together that will support each other far into the future.”
To learn more about Veterans in Action, please visit www.veteransinaction.org.uk
Chair of Trustees – Steve Denny I General Manager – Naomi Adie
Blue Light Card Foundation, Charnwood Edge, Syston Road, Cossington, Leicester LE7 4UZ
The Blue Light Card Foundation is a registered charity within England and Wales. Charity No. 1 1 9 8 4 9 2
