North East regeneration specialists, RE:GEN Group have provided Army veteran Jack Harrison with the best possible start to help rebuild his life after donating a welcome pack for his flat in Newcastle.

Like Jack, around 90% of the veterans who arrive at Launchpad are homeless and turn up with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Jack, 24, arrived at Launchpad’s Avondale House on the Byker estate with only a bag of clothes and his toothbrush in his possession but, RE:GEN Group sponsored a welcome pack which has provided him with new bedding and towels, toiletries, cutlery and tins and packets of food.

Launchpad provides accommodation and targeted support, with the help of specialist partners, to UK Armed Forces veterans experiencing homelessness and unemployment and those who have struggled with the transition from the military into civilian life.

Jack, who originates from the North East, moved into the house in September after he was rough sleeping. Following in the footsteps of his brother and Grandad, he signed up to train as a driver with the Royal Logistic Corps and was based at Army Training Regiment Pirbright. He left training, by mutual consent, to build up his fitness and was sofa surfing at his sisters before moving out and being rendered homeless.

Jack was referred to Launchpad through The Forces Employment Charity and has since been working hard to build up his fitness and focus on his career options and move on, which he hopes to achieve in the new year. He is actively engaging with staff and residents and is participating in the England Boxing Veteran’s Project to improve his fitness.

Paul Flannigan, Director of People and Culture at RE:GEN Group presented the welcome pack to Jack in his flat and said:

“It’s sad to see someone like Jack, who has genuinely tried to make a good start in life end up homeless and unemployed.

 

“Launchpad is a brilliant charity providing vital accommodation and support to help veterans to move on to live independently.

 

“RE:GEN Group has been working on the Byker estate for the last few years and we wanted to give something back by supporting the charity and saying thank you to the veterans, like Jack, who need that little extra bit of support. Hopefully, this welcome pack goes someway to help provide the best possible start in his transition to moving on with his career and life.”

Jack commented,

“I really didn’t know what to expect when I moved in. I literally turned up with a bag of clothes and that’s it so to move into a lovely, warm fully-furnished flat and then to receive this welcome pack from RE:GEN Group, it’s a godsend. All the costs and worry of moving in have been removed, which has helped me to settle in and focus on my future.

 

“I’m really grateful to Launchpad for providing me with a place I can call home – the staff and residents have all been really supportive.”

Jack hopes to continue to build up his fitness and eventually resume training with the Army but, he is also considering applying for a role with the Police.

Ann Rees, Specialist Veterans Case Worker at Launchpad’s Avondale House, said:

“When the veterans arrive at one of our houses, it can be really daunting for them, so we try to make them feel at ease and give them the best start possible to help them on their journey to transition to civilian life. Everyday items we take for granted mean a lot to our residents so we are very grateful to Paul and RE:GEN Group for providing this welcome pack to Jack.”

Avondale House comprises 33 self-contained one-bedroom flats for former serving personnel and their partners. Launchpad has three houses in the North of England in Newcastle, Liverpool and Durham providing accommodation for 101 homeless veterans – accepting veterans from all over the UK

Painting and decorating contractor, Bell Group has teamed up with veterans’ charity Launchpad to transform the communal lounge and kitchen area in one of its houses.

Staff from the firm visited Avondale House on the Byker estate in Newcastle upon Tyne to deliver a two-day upskilling and volunteering course where residents were taught the basics of painting techniques to improve their skills and knowledge.

Long-serving painters Ian and Lenny shared their experience with the residents and Dulux provided all the paint, tools and additional staff to transform the area, providing a calmer more modern space for the residents to enjoy.

The two-day upskilling event was delivered as part of the firm’s social value commitments, where it delivers investment in local communities and involves local people.

Launchpad provides accommodation and targeted support, with the help of specialist partners, to UK Armed Forces veterans experiencing homelessness and unemployment and those who have struggled with the transition from the military into civilian life.

Avondale House was the first house the charity opened in 2013 and comprises 33 self-contained one-bedroom flats for former serving personnel and their partners.

Stacey Halliday, Community Engagement Coordinator for Bell Group – Cumbria and & North East region, said:

“Launchpad reached out to us and invited me to visit Avondale House in Newcastle and Hollyacre House in Durham. As part of our social value commitment and engagement with local communities, this has been a brilliant project to work on and to support our veterans.

 

“Our Social Value Strategy focuses on the societal issues that are a natural fit with our business: unemployment, inspiring young people, social inclusion, community regeneration and environmental issues. It is an integral part of our overall business strategy and is fully supported by Bell Group Directors and Senior Management.”

Sam Hughes, Assistant Manager – Projects at Launchpad’s Avondale House, said:

“We are very grateful to Bell Group and Dulux for coming in and helping the residents but also to redecorate our communal area and kitchen. This has made a huge difference and it’s nice that it has all been freshened up ready for Christmas. The residents really enjoyed learning new skills from Ian and Lenny and it will give them the confidence to use these skills when they eventually move on from Launchpad and live independently.”

Launchpad has three houses in the North of England in Newcastle, Liverpool and Durham providing accommodation for 101 homeless veterans – accepting veterans from all over the UK.

To date, over 635 veterans have been supported since 2013 and 139 residents were supported between July 2022 and end of June 2023. On average, over the last five years, 60% of residents successfully moved on from Launchpad to live independently and 32% gained employment during their time with Launchpad.

We had the pleasure of welcoming The Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor Veronica Dunn to Avondale House today. She took time out of her busy schedule to meet staff, residents and partners to learn more about the work we do to support our veterans.

Royal Navy veteran Ian Summerson has been appointed as an Employment and Training Specialist to support fellow veterans in gaining the necessary skills and training they need to secure employment.

Ian joins from his previous role as National Recruitment Co-ordinator for the Royal Navy – a position he held for almost 15 years and hopes to help fellow veterans living at Launchpad’s Avondale House and Hollyacre House in the North East of England.

The new role has been created and funded as part of the government’s Op FORTITUDE programme – a pathway to reduce veterans’ homelessness. In July this year, veterans’ charity Launchpad was selected as one of nine organisations by the government to deliver the programme. Launchpad will support 230 homeless veterans over the next two years.

The charity provides accommodation and targeted support, with the help of specialist partners, to UK Armed Forces veterans experiencing homelessness and unemployment and those who have struggled with the transition from the military into civilian life.

Ian will support up to 50 residents living in both houses who are seeking employment by engaging with training specialists, colleges and organisations to match their skills and support them into employment. Securing employment is one of Launchpad key priorities and staff at the house support the residents as part of their transition to move on to live independently. On average, over the last five years, 32% of residents gained employment whilst living at Launchpad. Now, with a dedicated Employment and Training Specialist in post, it is hoped this figure will increase.

Ian’s role will vary depending on the requirements of each resident but his responsibilities include helping them to create CVs, preparing them for interviews, delivering health & safety courses at the houses and attending job fairs with candidates.

Ian, from County Durham, has served in the Royal Navy since 1986, initially starting his career as a radar analyst for Maritime Security and working in various other roles including; training supervisor, sub-department training manager, training delivery instructor (combat management systems), careers advisor and then finally as a National Recruitment Co-ordinator. He hopes the experience he has learned will support residents to engage and find suitable employment.

Commenting on his role, he said:

“I’m really excited by this role and using my knowledge and experience to give something back to the veterans living at Launchpad who have not had the best experience of transitioning from the military to civilian life.

“I’ve only been in post for a couple of weeks, using my time to understand how the charity works, meeting the staff and residents and the huge array of organisations and partners we are already engaging with.

“Every resident is at a different stage of their journey – some are ready for employment while others need a little more time to understand where they are and what they want to achieve. My role is to engage with them and provide as much encouragement and support.

“A lot of the veterans have the transferrable skills most employers are looking for, it’s about making them realise their potential and communicate how the skills they learned whilst serving can be applied within civilian roles. Once I understand their career aspirations, I can work with them to fill their skills gap which in turn will stand them in good stead for securing employment.”

Phil Thompson, Manager of both Avondale House and Hollyacre House, said:

“I’m thrilled to have Ian on board. He has a tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience that will help our residents. It has been proven that if residents can gain additional skills and training, it will help them to go on and secure employment. This in turn gives them some stability and structure in their lives, it helps them to gain confidence and focus on move on which is ultimately Launchpad’s purpose.”

Launchpad has three houses in the North of England in Newcastle, Liverpool and Durham providing accommodation for 101 homeless veterans – accepting veterans from all over the UK.

To date, over 635 veterans have been supported since 2013 and 139 residents were supported between July 2022 and end of June 2023. On average, over the last five years, 60% of residents successfully moved on from Launchpad to live independently and 32% gained employment during their time with Launchpad.

Staff and veteran residents from all three houses have been busy this week finalising preparations for Remembrance Sunday.

Since July, Speke House residents and staff have been collecting, cutting and painting the bottoms of plastic bottles to make a poppy wall, which is now a prominent feature in the garden at the house.

The materials were kindly supplied by property services company Bell Group, who have been working with the house over the last few months and the end result is fantastic.

In addition, staff and residents spent an afternoon helping to put the finishing touches to the cenotaph and cleaning the Commonwealth gravestones at St. Aiden with All Saints Church in Speke.

Jan Buckley, Activities Co-ordinator at Launchpad’s Speke House, said:

“This week is really poignant for our veterans and we wanted to engage with the local community and in activities they will remember. They’ve really enjoyed spending time decorating the bottles and creating the poppy wall and getting outdoors to help clean around the church. This is a commitment we make every year in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday and our residents and staff are very proud of Speke and the local community.”

Meanwhile, staff from Avondale House in Newcastle engaged with Year 6 pupils from Byker Primary School and St Lawrence’s RC Primary School and invited them to decorate clay poppies.

The charity received funding of £400 from Byker Community Trust (BCT), part of Karbon Homes, through the BCT Community Partnership Fund to contribute towards the costs of the materials needed for the activity, such as the clay, paint and brushes.

Sam Hughes, Assistant Manager – Projects at Launchpad’s Avondale House visited Byker Primary School to talk to pupils about the importance of Remembrance Day and explain why we remember those who served and honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. The pupils were also invited to write messages about what Remembrance Day means to them and to use them to create a wreath.

Teachers, pupils, Launchpad staff and residents and corporate partners were all invited to attend a special Remembrance Day service held at St Lawrence’s Catholic Church yesterday morning (Friday, 10 November).

During the service, Father Jonathon Bowes invited all the children present to come to the front of the church and lay down their poppies.

Sam said:

“This is the third year we have engaged with Byker Primary School, and the first time we have engaged with St. Lawrence’s RC Primary School. Remembrance Day is such a significant day in our calendar of events and it is important for the children to learn about what Remembrance Day is, the significance of the poppy, why we fall silent at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month and what this means to armed forces personnel.

“The feedback we get (from the pupils, teachers and the school) is always positive and they learn so much from it. After the service, we invited all pupils back to Avondale House for a buffet and an opportunity for them to have a look around the house and meet some of the staff and residents.”

Launchpad provides accommodation and targeted support, with the help of specialist partners, to UK Armed Forces veterans experiencing homelessness and unemployment and those who have struggled with the transition from the military into civilian life.

The charity has three houses in the North of England in Newcastle, Liverpool and Durham providing accommodation for 101 homeless veterans – accepting veterans from all over the UK.

To date, over 635 veterans have been supported since 2013 and 139 residents were supported between July 2022 and end of June 2023. On average, over the last five years, 60% of residents successfully moved on from Launchpad to live independently and 32% gained employment during their time with Launchpad.

Over 130 guests attended a glittering black-tie celebratory dinner in Newcastle last week to celebrate Launchpad’s 10th anniversary.

The event, which was held last Friday at the Discovery Museum, was organised to celebrate the charity, which provides vital accommodation and support to veterans who have struggled with the transition from the military to civilian life.

Guests were entertained by The Sing United choir and an inspirational speech by Launchpad’s ambassador, James Rose. The evening concluded with a raffle and auction and over £6,000 was raised on the night.

Also in attendance was His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Tyne & Wear, Ms Lucy Winskill OBE, the leader of Newcastle City Council Cllr. Nick Kemp plus many other corporate guests, key partners and suppliers the charity works with. Launchpad staff and residents were also in attendance who spoke to guests and told them of the support they have received from Launchpad.

Founded in 2013, Launchpad provides accommodation and targeted support, with the help of specialist partners, to UK Armed Forces veterans experiencing homelessness and unemployment and those who have struggled with the transition from the military into civilian life.

The charity has three houses in the North of England in Newcastle, Liverpool and Durham providing accommodation for 101 homeless veterans – accepting veterans from all over the UK.

To date, over 635 veterans have been supported since 2013 and 139 residents were supported between July 2022 and end of June 2023. On average, over the last five years, 60% of residents successfully moved on from Launchpad to live independently and 32% gained employment during their time with Launchpad.

David Shaw, CEO of Launchpad, said:

“It was a wonderful evening and I’d like to thank our sponsors for enabling the event. The aim of the dinner was to bring our guests, staff and some of our residents from all three houses together to celebrate our anniversary. The venue, food and entertainment was all first class and my thanks go to them all, and organisers, for making it such a memorable occasion.”

Darush Dodds, Group Corporate Affairs Director for main event sponsor, Esh Construction, said:

“Launchpad’s 10th anniversary dinner provided an opportunity for service users, military colleagues, business and the third sector to come together to reflect, celebrate and raise money for a brilliant cause.

 

“Launchpad is much more than a charity; it provides safe, secure accommodation and other essential support to help veterans make a successful transition from military to civilian life. Men and women who have done so much for us and our country should never have to face huge challenges – such as homelessness, poverty, addiction and mental and physical health issues – alone.

 

“Esh has signed the Launchpad Pledge, and in line with our Gold Armed Forces ERS we will continue to support this, inspirational local charity.”

Chris Chennell, Regional Director for gold sponsor, Hydrock North East, said:

“We’re committed to being a force for good in the communities where we live and work.

 

“That’s why we are proud to be the Gold Sponsor of the Launchpad 10th Anniversary Dinner which has helped raise £6,000 for the massively important work the charity delivers to provide ongoing support to our veteran community in the North East and beyond.

 

“At Hydrock, we’ve a large community of exceptional employees who are ex-forces and have successfully navigated from military to civilian life and so Launchpad, in particular, has a special place in our heart.”

The sponsors for the event were Esh Construction, Hydrock, believe housing, Urban River and Up North Communications.