Combat Stress, which is a UK mental welfare charity helping former Army, Navy and RAF personnel suffering from psychological injuries and mental health problems to rebuild their lives, has been benefited from several major apprentice fundraising activities in recent years. This includes in Santa Fun Runs in Edinburgh and London during the run-up to Christmas, in which many apprentices have participated.
On the theme of running, a team of apprentices also did a 5k Colour Run to raise funds for Combat Stress, while others ran the Edinburgh Marathon in aid of Clydeside Action on Asbestos.
Other past events have included Leonardo apprentices and staff making and planting ceramic poppies at the Tower of London during August 2014. This was part of the Tower Poppies art installation 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red', which marked 100 years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War.
In recent years, Yeovil-based trainees on Leonardo’s UK Helicopter apprenticeship programme have raised more than £75,000 for locally-based charity School in a Bag, which delivers rucksacks full of stationery and resources to poor, orphan, vulnerable and disaster-affected children around the world. Money raised is also helping rebuild a school in Nepal following its destruction by an earthquake in 2015.
Apprentices in Yeovil have also helped raised thousands of pounds for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, through events including a beer and cider festival, sponsored walks and an auction.
In addition to fundraising, Edinburgh-based apprentices have used sensor technology to help students at the city’s Royal Blind School. The idea is to help visually impaired users of a computerised power wheelchair (The Smart Platform, supplied by Smile Rehab) navigate their way to the right classroom. The technology includes special motion-detecting devices in the school to help therapists keep track of visually impaired students.
