New training drive for military vets

By Ged Henderson

21 Apr 2023

Businessacademy

A Lancashire based tech company is aiming to create hundreds of businesses for former military veterans.

Patch App UK, a home maintenance tech start-up, has launched a £250,000 academy in partnership with Community & Business Partners CIC and Burnley Football Club in the Community.

The Armed Forces Business Academy will train ex-forces servicemen and women to operate their own home maintenance businesses.

It aims to turn 119 ex-forces employees into business owners in the first five years. The academy is the first of its kind in the UK.

As part of the academy, Community & Business Partners CIC will provide veterans with two years of business mentoring and training.

For the first 12 months, they will have meaningful employment and training with Patch, and then they will take on that part of the business and operate it themselves. Burnley Football Club in the Community, which has a strong military veterans programme, will be the recruitment partner.

Patch App UK is an instant book window cleaning and outdoor home maintenance company based in Brierfield.

The pioneering tech company was co-founded by Paul White, who also helped modernise the cash-based milk delivery round with The Modern Milkman, and Innovate UK’s Young Innovator, 24-year-old Conor Walsh.

Paul, chief executive of Patch App UK, said “We’re a tech company and customers are our number one priority.

“By promoting this way of working, we’re able to ensure the services are of the highest quality, whilst supporting our ex-forces veterans with proper entrepreneurial opportunity. That’s something I’m really passionate about”.

“We didn’t want to provide our services by simply employing a workforce. That’s no longer enough in today’s society. We wanted to come up with a solution where the people delivering the services were as invested as we are.

“Effectively, we’re sharing the ownership of the operational side of our business. They’ll provide the services and we’ll run the tech.”

Paul’s grandfather, Squadron Leader Robert Ellis RAF (Retd), is the academy’s honorary president.

Jaydee Davis, operations director at Community & Business Partners, said “We’ve been supporting businesses for 30 years and we’re delighted to be leading the Armed Forces Business Academy.”

“Paul came to us with this brilliant idea to deliver their business in a completely unique way and it’s something that we’re really excited about. It could change the way of work in the future.

“As a CIC everything we do is to benefit others, so we’re delighted to be able to help those who have given so much to our country to set up their own businesses. They’ll be directly supported by some of our brilliant mentors, who are also ex-forces veterans.

Daniella Worth, veteran project co-ordinator at Burnley Football in the Community, said: “We’re really proud of our military veterans programme and when Patch came to us asking for support, we were excited to get involved.”

More information can be found at www.armedforcesbusinessacademy.co.uk

Enjoyed this? Read more from Ged Henderson

Latest news

1

Velocity Composites announce renewal of BAE Systems contract Velocity Composites Has Announced Its Entry Into The Us Market

Velocity Composites announce renewal of BAE Systems contract

12 May 2025

2

Popular pub only one in Lancashire to secure national award Fleece Inn

Popular pub only one in Lancashire to secure national award

12 May 2025

3

Lancashire business community gathers to toast Red Rose Awards winners Laurence O'Connor talks to Richard Slater

Lancashire business community gathers to toast Red Rose Awards winners

12 May 2025

4

Expansion of wills, trusts and probate team at Napthens Joanna Tomlinson, Farida Isaji, Shelby Munn, Victoria Cross and Jessica Turton

Expansion of wills, trusts and probate team at Napthens

12 May 2025

5

US tariff deal good news for car industry – but more is needed Car parts

US tariff deal good news for car industry – but more is needed

09 May 2025

Pc Prestonmacan Gif980x120 March
Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV122 May/June Launch Event
121 Lancashire Business View Magazine Launch
Networking
21 May 2025

LBV122 May/June Launch Event

Lancaster and Morecambe College, Lancaster, LA1 2TY

08:30 - 10:30

Sub36 Networking
Networking
11 Jun 2025

Sub36 Networking

British Jewellery School, Scorton, PR3 1BA

15:00 - 17:00

Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference
Net Zero Carbon Social 1200px 2
Networking
18 Jun 2025

Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference

Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley, BB12 0RT

08:30 - 13:00

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers
WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion copy.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
02 Apr 2025 - 08 Oct 2025

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:00 - 15:30

Sales Club – Stop Competing on Price: Transform Your Pipeline into Paying Customers
Chamber Logo1.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
14 May 2025 - 14 May 2025

Sales Club – Stop Competing on Price: Transform Your Pipeline into Paying Customers

Lancaster & Morecambe College, Morecambe, LA1 2TY

08:00 - 10:00

Society1 Open Day - European Coworking Day
4.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
14 May 2025 - 14 May 2025

Society1 Open Day - European Coworking Day

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 16:00

Systems for Success: Unlock consistency, productivity and profit in your business
LBV Event Header.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
15 May 2025 - 15 May 2025

Systems for Success: Unlock consistency, productivity and profit in your business

Bolton Arena, Arena Approach, Horwich, BL6 6LB

09:15 - 12:15

The Marketing Meetup: IRL Lancashire
LBV Hub Event Image.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
15 May 2025 - 15 May 2025

The Marketing Meetup: IRL Lancashire

Fraser House Hub, Lancaster, LA1 4XQ

18:00 - 20:00

Amber River True Bearing quarterly investment seminar
LBV Hub Seminars
22 May 2025 - 22 May 2025

Amber River True Bearing quarterly investment seminar

Cottons Hotel & Spa , Knutsford, WA16 0SU

16:00 - 18:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more Lbv121 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin