I’m proud to be joining The Soldiering On Academy, which was launched at the 2024 Soldiering On Awards as a beacon of support, purpose, and hope for our Armed Forces community, a place for those who’ve served and who now seek that extra hand in building a future worth looking forward to.
This isn’t just another academy; it’s a commitment, carefully built on the remarkable success of past work supporting our military personnel in settling into civilian life. Those successes reflect stories of lives transformed, careers rebuilt, and confidence renewed. We’ve seen it, we know it works, and now we’re taking it even further.
Our first course in spring 2025 will provide dedicated time and space for Wounded, Injured and Sick (WIS) veterans to gain clarity on the options and opportunities available to them. Through the power of enterprise skills, we will enable individuals to develop the knowledge and understanding to determine if self-employment, employment, or further learning is the right option for them.
A pivotal moment in the Academy’s story came at this year’s Soldiering On Awards, when the community gathered to celebrate, recognise and support. Amid the stories of courage and dedication, the event also raised all the funds needed to kick-start the Academy’s first programme. This incredible generosity stands as a testament to the strength and unity of the military family and a powerful reminder that the mission of the Soldiering On Academy is both shared and cherished. As David Richmond CBE remarked: “When the bullets stop, the need doesn’t go away“ and this Academy is here to meet that need long after service ends.
For the last 10 years I have been fortunate enough to develop courses for the military community. During that time, I had the privilege of working closely with the team at X-Forces Enterprise who developed and ran the successful Business Xperience programme. Using that programme as the catalyst for the new Academy and giving it life once more is what drives me, as is the opportunity to once again work with Ren Kapur MBE and Martin Wing, who share my passion for ensuring that nobody is left behind.
Whilst planning for the Academy, myself and Dougie Thomson reflected on working with individuals like John Geden and ultimately enabling him to bring his concept and business idea to life. Add to that the excitement of James Stott, The Magic Marine entertaining guests at the 2024 Soldiering On Awards and you can truly see ideas becoming reality. Welcoming previous delegates to share their experiences, individuals like James, Lee and Stu, would enable attendees to realise what is possible.
A big thank you to the Office for Veterans Affairs and Anisha Worbs for supporting the thinking behind the academy, and to the Royal British Legion for partnering with us on the residential delivery of the programme – we look forward to exploring the referral pathway with you alongside our other military charity partners Forces Employment Charity, Poppy Factory, Combat Stress, ABF, Greenwich Hospital, RMA the Royal Marines Charity and many others who wish to join.
In the future we’re looking forward to working with Helen Helliwell and supporting the Invictus Games. Here’s to building many more partnerships
To our new supporters, we would love to discuss the ways in which you can play a role in delivering the Academy’s objectives.
By Debbie Boundy, Soldiering On Academy Development Manager.
