Ground Control raises £100,000 for Help for Heroes

Employees, partners and suppliers unite to surpass original fundraising target by almost double

Ground Control has reached a major fundraising milestone, raising more than £100,000 for Help for Heroes, the UK charity supporting serving personnel, veterans and their families.

The achievement comes after 12 months of company-wide fundraising, with employees taking on a range of physical challenges, organising events and making donations to support the charity. Activities have included hiking, running, mountain biking and other fundraising initiatives across the business.

The partnership originally set out to raise £55,000. However, thanks to exceptional engagement from employees, suppliers, customers and partners, that target was exceeded well before the end of the fundraising period, with the milestone announced during Ground Control’s Strategic Conference.

Jason Knights, CEO shared:

Surpassing £100,000 for Help for Heroes is a proud milestone for Ground Control and a real reflection of the commitment shown across our business. This has been made possible by our people and Field Teams, alongside the generous support of our suppliers, partners and wider community.

What began as a £55,000 target, supported by EverCare, has grown into a remarkable demonstration of Human Nature at its best.

A partnership that goes beyond fundraising

The partnership has extended well beyond fundraising efforts. Ground Control’s Learning and Development team has opened its internal learning platform, the GC Academy, to Help for Heroes free of charge, providing access to professional development opportunities and training resources.

Employees have also actively promoted the charity through awareness campaigns, proudly wearing Help for Heroes pin badges and hosting pop-up stalls at customer and company events to highlight the charity’s work and encourage further support.

Lisa Blakey, Chief People Officer, commented:

The past year has shown outstanding commitment from our people, who have fundraised, shared their expertise and supported Help for Heroes with real passion. It says a great deal about the people at Ground Control and the culture we have built together.

As a Gold award holder under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, we are proud to employ and support veterans, and we value the skills and experience they bring to our business. Choosing Help for Heroes as our charity of the year was a natural next step, allowing us to make a lasting difference to the wider armed forces community and those who have served.

Partnership extended for a further six months

Following the success of the first year of collaboration, Help for Heroes has confirmed that Ground Control will continue as a charity partner for a further six months, focusing on continued fundraising, awareness-building and knowledge sharing.

James Needham, CEO, Help for Heroes said:

We’re hugely grateful to everyone at Ground Control for their incredible support over the past year. Their teams have got involved in a wide range of fundraising activities, raising an amazing £100,000 for Help for Heroes – almost double their original £55,000 target.

This support will help us provide vital services for veterans and their families, helping them to live well after service. The partnership has also gone beyond fundraising, with Ground Control sharing their expertise and supporting Learning and Development opportunities across our charity.

We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with Ground Control for another six months and look forward to building on what we’ve achieved together and seeing what their teams take on next.