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

Call to recognise the ‘Now Generation’ of Lancashire leaders Sub36 event

Call to recognise the ‘Now Generation’ of Lancashire leaders

15 Jul 2025

2

Maya Ellis MP hails A582 upgrade funding as major step forward in tackling transport chaos Maya Ellis MP photo

Maya Ellis MP hails A582 upgrade funding as major step forward in tackling transport chaos

15 Jul 2025

3

TSS announce leadership appointments to drive continued growth James Austin, Alistair Bradley and Michael Collum

TSS announce leadership appointments to drive continued growth

15 Jul 2025

4

Date revealed for opening of entries for Red Rose Awards 2026 Red Rose Awards 2025

Date revealed for opening of entries for Red Rose Awards 2026

14 Jul 2025

5

Northcote celebrates marketing award for the 25th anniversary of Culinary Festival Obsession Northcotes winning awards

Northcote celebrates marketing award for the 25th anniversary of Culinary Festival Obsession

14 Jul 2025

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
LBV123 July/August Launch Event
Lancashire Business View magazine launch
Networking
16 Jul 2025

LBV123 July/August Launch Event

Burnley College University Courses Building, Burnley, BB12 0AN

08:30 - 10:30

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 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

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

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past
1750160034867.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Jul 2025 - 16 Jul 2025

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:30

Chamber Summer BBQ
LBV Hub Social
17 Jul 2025 - 17 Jul 2025

Chamber Summer BBQ

The Borough, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

17:30 - 20:00

BNI presents Lancashire Speed Networking
1.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
17 Jul 2025 - 17 Jul 2025

BNI presents Lancashire Speed Networking

Chorley Football Club, Chorley, PR7 3DU

16:00 - 19:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
17 Jul 2025 - 17 Jul 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Mytton Fold, Langho, BB6 8AB

11:30 - 14:15

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?
July Longer Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2025

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July
Longer July Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
31 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – August 14th
Navy--Event Tile.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
14 Aug 2025 - 14 Aug 2025

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – August 14th

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 12:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Header (24).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
21 Aug 2025 - 21 Aug 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Mytton Fold, Langho, BB6 8AB

11:30 - 14:15

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 LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin