Amey and its supply chain partners, Tivoli, commit to working with social enterprise, e50k, to enhance the lived experience of Forces families at Catterick Garrison

11 Nov 2021

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Amey, the UK’s leading provider of critical facilities services for the public sector and UK Defence, has partnered with e50K, a social enterprise led by its vision of reducing the discrepancies between civilian and service life for military family members.  

Amey’s role within the Defence sector means they are uniquely placed to make a positive impact on the communities and environment they work alongside, specifically by investing in people, reducing their carbon footprint, supporting suppliers and working with local communities. 

As a founding funding partner, Amey played an integral role in setting up e50K, providing support and funding for an initiative at Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, offering Service personnel and their families a range of resources across education, employment opportunities and enterprise, while encouraging positive change for the wider area. 

The Bramble Woods Project is the first of its kind within the Defence estate. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), through Amey and with the support of Garrison Station Command, has gifted e50K an encroachment of 3.5 hectares of veteran woodland and meadows to establish a multi-generational and multi-use site. As custodian of the site, e50K has secured independent funding to support its development including renovation works, café facilities, community allotment spaces and flora and fauna conservation. 

Amey is working closely with e50K and its supply chain partners, Tivoli Ltd, to establish a circular economy of use, with Tivoli donating truckloads of bark and compost to help e50k and volunteers establish a community allotment; with plans to sell the produce locally.  

Tivoli Ltd, a company dedicated to delivering ‘real benefits and long-term improvements to society and the environment’ are also donating tree trunks to the Richmond Veteran’s Woodcraft Workshop - helping veterans to make crafts and generate profit to purchase supplies. Veterans Woodcraft delivers courses to help people battling suicide, PTSD, mental health issues and physical disability, mainly caused by their military service. Working to learn new skills they can rebuild their lives, grow in confidence and develop resilience to help them recover. 

Any logs not used by the veterans are donated to Chop Sticks, a not-for-profit charity supporting adults with a learning disability. Chop Stick members convert scrap timber that would otherwise be put to landfill sites, into kindling wood by working as a team to sort, chop and pack the wood which is then sold locally.  

Dr Elizabeth Newman-Earl, founder and CEO of e50K said: “The support received, in the form of volunteer hours, materials and networking from both Amey and Tivoli has been hugely beneficial to Bramble Woodlands. The space has huge potential to support and enhance the local community and it is truly inspiring to see large companies ‘give back’ through social value initiatives such as these! We look forward to further collaboration in the coming months and years.” 

Tim Redfern, Amey’s Managing Director Defence added: “It is incredibly important, particularly in the current climate, that communities feel valued and have a purpose. Social enterprises such as e50k promote and encourage the local community to get involved in projects that deliver a positive and lasting change and allows Amey to give back to our communities. Amey will continue to support e50k by providing funding and opportunities for further community projects that will enhance the lived experience for more of our Armed Forces and their families.” 

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