Created in October 2007, Help for Heroes has raised a staggering £17 million, of which £13 million has already been allocated to a number of projects including the building of a swimming pool and gym complex at the Tri Service Rehabilitation centre Headley Court.
Located near Epson, Surrey, Headley Court has its origins in post World War 2 charitable facilities for injured aircrew. It now performs a vital role in supporting injured personnel from all three services. The new swimming pool will mean patients won’t have to share the facilities in nearby Leatherhead, which has led to unpleasant confrontation.
Described by Gordon Brown as a ‘National Institution’
The charity is run largely by volunteers, with a small team of employees and relies heavily on the continuing support of businesses to keep the fund raising gears grinding. Surrey based telecommunications company, Opus Telecom, kick-started the charities communications with the donation of a phone system. Help for Heroes Operations Director, Mark Elliott says: “Opus Telecom is a real asset to communicating our cause. The rapid success of Help for Heroes means we now rely heavily upon Opus’ services to ensure our lines are always open. The system is very flexible and caters to all our needs, whilst being fully scalable in-line with our growing operation. Opus continues to maintain and upgrade our system, whilst supporting us for lines and calls.” http://www.opustelecom.co.uk
