A charity led by a former soldier who is a triple amputee has received a major boost from Warrington-based building services company B-engineering Group.
The Standing Tall Foundation in St Helens is converting a four-bedroomed terraced property in the town into a house of multiple occupation for armed forces veterans in need.
B-engineering Group is providing equipment including a boiler, bathrooms, showers and solar panels to help refurbish the house after choosing Standing Tall as one of its charities of the year and signing up to be an affiliate partner.
The company is pledging further support for the charity during the course of 2024, including undertaking fundraising.
Managing director Rob Ditchfield said: “As a company we’ve signed the Armed Forces Covenant and we like to support veterans and their families whenever we can.
“We have a number of veterans in our team, and they have all been welcome additions to the staff due to their great attitude and work ethic.
“Some of our team know Andy and he’s an inspirational person, so when the opportunity arose to support Standing Tall, it seemed a really good fit for us. We’re really pleased to be able to support the charity in its work.”
The charity, founded in 2020 by Andy and John Tabern, offers support and programmes for veterans and disadvantaged community groups to promote mental health and wellbeing. Its services include mental health counselling, addiction support, physical activity sessions and holistic therapies such as meditation, hypnotherapy and auricular acupuncture.
It also helps people with accommodation or employment needs and those in financial hardship, including the homeless, via the provision of grants, items and services.
In 2009, Andy was serving in Helmand Province in Afghanistan as a corporal in the 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment when he stood on an improvised explosive device while on patrol. He lost his legs and right arm in the blast.
Andy, who holds an MBE for his charity work, said: “It’s fantastic to receive the support from B-engineering Group, whose backing means we can provide a much-needed house in St Helens to support veterans.
“We’re delighted to have the company on board as an affiliate partner of the Standing Tall Foundation. It will be a great asset to our current partner stable, and the services it provides are invaluable for what we are trying to achieve with our accommodation.”
B-engineering Group is a family business which was founded in 1990 by Rob’s father Bernard. It employs more than 50 staff.
The company designs, installs and maintains heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, electrical and energy systems and solar PV panels in premises across sectors ranging from education, healthcare, leisure and hospitality to manufacturing, retailing, construction and nuclear. It is a specialist in decarbonising commercial properties and estates.
Under its B-Kind initiative, the company has helped numerous charities over the years by raising thousands of pounds, donating items and providing hundreds of employee hours of assistance.
Last year, it supported a range of good causes, including St Rocco’s Hospice in Warrington, sports teams and food banks.
Rob said: “We are a purpose-led business and like to do our bit to help make the world a better place.”
Charlotte Howard, senior events manager at St Rocco’s, said: “St Rocco’s Hospice is a local charity and we rely on the generosity of the Warrington community for most of our funding.
“The support from B-engineering Group during our recent Christmas Tree Collection event was invaluable. Staff gave up their time to help us collect and recycle over 2,600 trees from homes across Warrington.
“With their support, we were able to raise over £40,000 for the hospice which will go straight to caring for patients and their loved ones.”
