Local Heroes partners veteran handyman firm
Local Heroes is pleased to announce that we have some new Heroes joining our network of trusted tradespeople, all of whom are former soldiers, sailors and airmen and women.
It’s not always easy for ex-servicemen and women to adapt to life after leaving the armed forces, and many struggle to find employment afterwards, impacted by the challenging experiences they faced during service.
That’s why ex-RAF serviceman Nigel Blanchard founded Heroes4Hire Handymen in April 2017:
“I left the RAF in 1990 and spent over 20 years in the property industry. I’ve always wanted to help my fellow veterans and realised that on leaving the forces so many were unemployed, suffering from health issues and felt like no-one really cared anymore.
“I founded Heores4Hire-Handymen, a veterans-only handyman service, to help ease their transition after leaving the forces, providing direction, focus and stability.”
Nigel already employs 49 veterans across the country, all of whom have been fully trained in a wide range of trades, including plumbing, repairs, plastering, painting and decorating. To train them, Nigel partnered with the charity Building Heroes, who have an ongoing training program.
However, Nigel is ambitious about expanding and his mission is to get 300 veterans into employment by 2018 and 1,000 by 2020. For him it’s all about “seeing the faces of my veterans when they graduate”.
“When they first arrive on the training course their heads are low and for most of them this is a lifeline.”
Nigel told us he is delighted to be joining forces with Local Heroes to help his expansion plans:
“Having a relationship with Local Heroes helps us to reach out to a larger audience than we could ever achieve on our own.
“We also take great pride in what we do, providing professionalism, quality and great customer service, which again fits perfectly with the values of Local Heroes.”
Local Heroes head Mat Moakes welcomed the team at Heroes4Hire Handymen, saying “We are delighted to have Nigel and his team on board – we look forward to working with such a fantastic organisation of trusted local tradespeople.”
