Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund: Winner announced

Earlier this year, Reed in Partnership launched the Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund, our new initiative designed to support veterans in building sustainable futures through enterprise.

Since October 2024, we’ve been proud to support individuals leaving the Armed Forces as they transition into civilian life through our delivery of the Ministry of Defence’s Career Transition Partnership. The Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund expands our reach by offering a £10,000 business grant to veterans not currently participating in the Career Transition Partnership.

We collaborated with X-Forces Enterprise to offer participants on their programmes the opportunity to apply for the funding, and we are delighted to announce Rick Snowling as this year’s grant winner!

Supporting veteran enterprise

After leaving the Armed Forces, Rick retrained through the Career Transition Partnership, completing a Level 3 Electrotechnical Installation, Testing and Inspection course. He gained hands-on experience working for three electrical companies and this year launched his own business: Mull Electrical Solutions.

Based on the Isle of Mull off Scotland’s west coast, Rick’s business offers year-round electrical services tailored to the island’s unique logistical challenges.

Rick applied to the Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund in the hope that he could use the grant to gain qualifications in the installation and maintenance of solar and battery storage systems, enabling him to expand into the renewable energy sector. This will help local communities reduce energy costs and reliance on fossil fuels. The fund will also support the purchase of a new, reliable van - essential for navigating Mull’s remote terrain.

Rick said:

“We’re honoured to have received this grant, which will allow us to invest in a dedicated van and expand into green energy solutions. This support not only strengthens Mull Electrical Solutions but also helps us play our part in the island’s move toward sustainable energy. We’re truly grateful for the support, and for our family it’s a real boost as we build something lasting here on Mull.”

Social value at our core

Reed in Partnership operates with social value and philanthropy at our core.

Our company’s mission ensures that the things we do are always focused on the transformation of people and their communities.

But providing additional social value means going further still – beyond the direct impact of our service delivery.

We ask ourselves three questions to guide our approach to this:

• Are we thinking local?
• Are we working collaboratively?
• Are we able to measure our impact?

By doing this, we can deliver value that meets the needs of the communities we work in, build the capacity of local organisations and help people to prosper.

The Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund is an example of how we bring our social value principles to life - empowering individuals like Rick to build lasting businesses that benefit their communities.