A GROUP of old soldiers who learnt their trades at Beachley are working with Olympic double medallist Dame Kelly Holmes on a project aimed at transforming the help given to service personnel as they return to ‘Civvy Street’.

The Beachley Old Boys’ Association (BOBA) said it wanted to specifically work with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust because of her background as a soldier.

BOBA, whose world-wide membership is made up of men who attended the Army Apprentices’ College at Beachley, were in negotiations with the trust and other organisations for three years before going public about the partnership.

The plan is to develop a centre of excellence to help armed forces’ personnel with the transition to life after service and would be based at the current barracks which are scheduled to close by 2027.

The trust would bring the expertise gained through its More than Medals programme which helps athletes transition to life after sport.

Trust chief executive Ben Hilton said: “We will be one of several delivery partners operating at Beachley.

‘‘Our work on transition from one dedicated lifestyle to a new future is encapsulated by our own athlete transition programme ‘More than Medals’.

“We’ll use our understanding and learnings from this to support veterans making their own transition to a different, new lifestyle.

“Our focus will be threefold: on children and families of armed forces veterans, young veterans (up to age 25), and on older veterans themselves transitioning at the end of their career. The Trust also recognises the similarities between a veteran’s transition to civilian life, whatever their age when they leave the armed forces and an athlete’s transition from competitive sport.

“Our programmes and training will not only support them, but also have positive impacts on their family and the wider community.”

BOBA chairman Chris Ricketts, who lives in Tutshill, said: “The trust has made a beneficial impact on thousands of young lives through its mentoring programmes and has supported over 400 athletes in their transition to a life beyond sport. Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes brings particular insights to military culture that the Defence Select Committee acknowledges is often a dimension missing from other service providers who interact with Armed Forces Veterans.

“Alongside other delivery partners in the Beachley project we are confident the trust will make a major contribution to the success of the project.”