An organisation that helps to support homeless and struggling veterans has been given £12,000 from a national bakery.

Healthier Heroes CIC, was awarded the grant from the UK’s leading bakery Warburtons, which has a factory in the town, to support the mental health and wellbeing of socioeconomically disadvantaged children and families following the pandemic.

Founded in 2018, Healthier Heroes CIC is a dedicated support service to help the veteran community, including families and carers, overcome barriers that restrict aspects of their lives, such as social isolation, homelessness and mental wellbeing.

The charity aims to rehome, rehabilitate, and reconnect veterans and their families, as well as support veterans who have left, or are still in the criminal justice system, using a peer mentoring programme to help them rebuild their lives and find jobs.

The £12,000 will be put towards the ‘How to be mindful, not mind-full’ project, which aims to equip families and children with new skills to cope through mindfulness and wellbeing techniques, workshops, counselling and yoga.

Managing director of the community interest company, Andrew Powell said: “We look forward to seeing how the grant will help young people obtain vital life skills to improve their mental health and emotional intelligence, as well as learning about their brains and how they can create positive experiences for themselves through simple and quick interventions. We couldn’t thank Warburtons enough.”

Jonathan Warburton, Chairman of Warburtons, added: “We’re thrilled to be able to work with organisations like Healthier Heroes who provide such vital support for the local community.”