Northamptonshire based aerobatic display team, The Blades, has donated £1,809 to Northampton Town Community Trust to support their new project to help veterans in the local area.
The world-renowned team of former RAF Red Arrow pilots known for their cutting-edge displays were welcomed by Chief Executive of the Community Trust, Phillip Smith and charity trustees to the home of Northampton Town Football Club, the PTS Academy Stadium to present the donation.
Over 65,000 veterans are estimated to be in the Northamptonshire area and with research commissioned by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, found that more than two in five (41 per cent) of British Armed Forces veterans surveyed have felt lonely or isolated at some point since leaving the military. This new project by the Community Trust to help veterans to connect within their community and to improve mental and physical health will be vital to support our local veterans.
For almost a decade, The Blades have hosted an annual charity event, The Blades Ball, to raise vital funds for a selection of nominated charities which includes the team’s charity partner the RAF Benevolent Fund, Aerobility, and a Northamptonshire charity chosen by the Blades event committee.
Andy Evans, Blade 1 and Team Leader said: "The team are delighted to be able to support the Community Trust this year with their new project to help and support veterans in our local area. With our team being former RAF pilots, this is something that is close to our hearts. The Blades Ball, to date, has raised over £2million for charity which is a great achievement and one we are very proud of."
Chief Executive of the Northampton Town Community Trust, Phillip Smith, added, “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen by the Blades as their local charity for 2019. As a charity, we rely on the generosity of our supporters and partners such as the Blades to help us to deliver our life-changing work. The funds donated will enable us to launch our brand new ‘forces friendly’ projects which we hope will further connect the communities we serve in Northamptonshire to make an even bigger impact. We are looking forward to developing an exciting partnership with the Blades over the next year.”
Formed in 1994 and becoming a Charitable Trust in 2001, the Northampton Town Community Trust has invested over £1 million into the local community to improve people’s lives. Their vision is to create a happy, healthy and connected Northamptonshire, they do this by using the unique appeal of the Northampton Town Football Club to deliver activities that connect our communities and improve people’s lives. The Community Trust runs a number of programmes including education in schools, health classes and sports, disabled sports and support groups as well as supporting and putting on women and girls’ programmes.
For more information on this partnership and how to get involved, please contact Media and Marketing Executive, Jamie Duncan at community@ntfc.co.uk or call 01604 683726.