A VETERAN’S charity born in Teesdale only two years ago has won a national award in recognition of the more than 700 people it has helped.
Sporting Force, which was started by Butterknowle resident and ex-solder Tommy Lowther, has received a prestigious Marching On award.
The award has previously been won by the likes of The British Legion, The Poppy Factory and Help For Heroes.
Mr Lowther came up with the idea of using sport to help former servicemen after suffering a breakdown, which was brought on by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in 2015.
Today the charity works with 92 professional football teams, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, to provide training and job opportunities for former servicemen and women.
Tottenham Hotspur, in particular, are using Sporting Force to find ex-soldiers to fill an anticipated 200 posts when they move into their new grounds.
Mr Lowther said: “That is single-handedly the biggest recruitment of veterans any organisations has done. That is a big compliment to us to get asked to do the recruitment.”
Several of the football clubs, including Tottenham and Leeds United have earmarked 50 home game tickets for Sporting Force to give out to veterans.
The former 1st Battalion Light Infantry soldier said: “Honestly, the response we get back from people is phenomenal. We have a vet who lost touch with his son. They went to a Leeds United match, just the two of them, and they have rekindled their relationship. You can’t put a price on it.”
In the two years that Sporting Force has been operating it has attracted over £350,000 in funding which has helped it expand dramatically and help veterans who have suffered from extreme PTSD, some on the verge of suicide.
Among those who have been helped is a former serviceman who went on to win double gold at the Invictus Games, a former soldier who is now official photographer for Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club and another has gone on to be a human resources manager for a major company.
Sporting Force’s offices in Newton Aycliffe boasts a large IT suite where veterans can access the Internet and prepare their CVs, a full canteen, a games room, a training room and a one-on-one consultation room.
Along with presenting courses, such as a mental health first aid course presented by Mr Lowther, who is a full qualified instructor, they also present a monthly breakfast club in the canteen.
Mr Lowther said: “They come down for a bacon sandwich and coffee. We often have a guest speaker giving courses or talking about different job opportunities.”
Most recently the charity worked with Sheffield United to present a course titled Coaches Working In The Curriculum, which qualified the participants to help with PE lessons in school.
The most recent award follows a successful year in which the charity also won a Teesdale Business Award and a Pride of Teesdale Award.
Of the Marching On award, Mr Lowther said: “We were over the moon about being nominated, then to find we were in the final three was just incredible. We were elated just to be in top three in the country. I burst into tears if I am honest. It is phenomenal to be recognised in the same category as help For Heroes, The Poppy Factory and the British Legion.”
