Leading external maintenance and biodiversity business Ground Control has announced veterans’ charity Help for Heroes as its Charity of the Year for 2025/2026.
The company, based in Billericay, Essex, and employing more than 1,000 people across the UK and Ireland, has set a fundraising target of £55,000 to support former servicemen and women living with physical and mental health challenges as a result of their service.
In addition to colleague fundraising and volunteering, Ground Control will also donate £1 for every Amber Health & Safety alert raised by employees. This unique initiative will help boost funds while reinforcing the importance of strong safety practices across the business.
Ground Control CEO Jason Knights said: “Supporting charities is part of who we are, it reflects our belief in ‘Human Nature at Its Best.’ Help for Heroes’ mission of resilience and community truly resonates with us. We’re proud to support their work raising awareness, helping veterans, and expanding their reach into local communities.
“As an employer of veterans, we know the skills and dedication they bring. This partnership is a natural fit with our values of integrity, community, and valuing each other, and I’m excited to see how our people get involved and what we can achieve together.”
Ground Control’s long-standing CSR arm, EverCare, already supports a wide range of initiatives, from food banks and school outreach to tree planting and community garden refurbishments. Last year alone, the company delivered over 1,500 volunteer hours through these projects. Every employee receives two paid volunteer days a year, and fundraising is boosted through a match-funding scheme that recently helped raise over £50,000 for the RNLI.
Employee engagement in these initiatives is consistently high, with employees volunteering for local charities, school careers fairs, and environmental projects. Over the next year, colleagues will also join Help for Heroes’ fundraising campaigns and volunteer at its events.
Andrea Prout is a veteran based in Essex, who served for served for eight years in the Army and now works for Ground Control as a Learning and Development Associate. She said: “I feel proud and honoured that Ground Control has chosen Help for Heroes as our chosen charity this to year, enhancing our commitment to The Armed Forces Covenant and supporting the armed forces community.”
Help for Heroes Ambassador Stephen Salmon served for six and a half years in the Army. He said: “Without the ongoing support of partners like Ground Control, the Charity would not be able to continue to support people like me. I reached out to the charity in 2018 when I needed help re-building my life after I left the service and the help I received was second to none. And the demand for support continues to go up each year, with five people on average every day leaving the armed forces due to a physical or mental health injury.”
Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps people live well after service. The Charity supports veterans and their families with their physical and mental health, as well as welfare and social needs. It has already supported tens of thousands – and won’t stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.
The Charity supports veterans from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians (and their families) who worked under the command of UK Armed Forces.
- To get support visit helpforheroes.org.uk or call 0300 303 9888
