John Burfield (pictured) was supported into business by training funded by ABF The Soldiers’ Charity
X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) is delighted to receive a £35,900 grant from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, to support the delivery of Enterprise Training workshops.
XFE has partnered with ABF The Soldiers’ Charity since 2015, one of our first charity partners to recognise self-employment as an important element in their work to help veterans to use their skills and experience and find new and rewarding civilian careers. Since then, XFE has delivered thousands of hours of self-employment discovery and start-up planning training to members of the military community, many of whom have gone on to build successful businesses, including John Burfield (pictured).
An engineer and veteran of the Royal Artillery and Royal Navy, John started an award-winning heating, cooling and hygiene services business in 2019, Sand Lizard Technical Solutions. John completed XFE’s start-up skills training, funded by ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, and is a member of XFE’s Military in Business network.
John said: “XFE’s events are valuable to enhance skills, connect with other entrepreneurs and get impartial feedback. When I was getting started, there was a lot to learn quickly in areas I wasn’t familiar with, for example accounting and marketing. XFE’s initial workshop gave me an overview of all the aspects I needed to consider. There is a can-do attitude among veterans that you can spot a mile away, and I’ll always advocate employing from the military community if you want a job done well.”
READ MORE ABOUT JOHN BURFIELD’S JOURNEY INTO BUSINESS
Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief Operating Officer at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, added:
“XFE provides excellent training platforms for veterans aiming to set up their own businesses as they transition to civilian life. This can bring both opportunities and risks, but the key point is that veterans are enabled to drive their own life goals. Our charity is committed to helping veterans put their skills and experience to best use.”
X-Forces Enterprise Founder and CEO, Ren Kapur MBE, said:
“In 2015, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity was quick to recognise the importance of enterprise training to increase opportunities for veterans in their pursuit of rewarding careers post-Service. Since then, the charity has continued to support our delivery of extensive training, which helps individuals decide if business could work for them and, subsequently, plan their launch with our supportive package of services. This valuable collaboration sits at the heart of XFE, and we extend our sincere thanks for this grant.”
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Read about ABF The Soldiers’ Charity on its website: https://soldierscharity.org/
