Unipart has partnered with Felix Fund, the charity supporting the health, wellbeing, and financial needs of the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and search community – more commonly known as bomb disposal – in the UK military and Met Police Counter Terrorism Command.
This partnership will see Unipart support Felix Fund’s annual fundraising activities and provide direct funding for serving personnel, veterans, and their dependents.
The 3,000 incidents per year that UK bomb disposal experts are called out to can significantly affect operators and their families. Felix Fund supports personnel by running three-day ‘Dashboard Courses’ focused on mental health resilience, helping them transition safely from dangerous incidents to home life.
Felix Fund also provides grants for needs including specialised wheelchairs and sports equipment, and raises awareness of bladder cancer, which early studies show is more prevalent among bomb disposal veterans than the general public.
To formalise the new partnership, an event was held at Unipart’s Advanced Supply Chain Institute in Oxford. Felix Fund personnel talked in detail about their work and shared the stories of veterans they have supported, while Unipart shared how supporting the mental health and wellbeing of colleagues is central to its Zero Harm approach.
Felix Fund joins Trussell, Railway Children, and Mind as Unipart’s fourth formal charity partner.
Darren Leigh, Unipart CEO, said: “We are incredibly proud to welcome Felix Fund as a formal charity partner. The work they do to support the mental resilience and wellbeing of the UK’s bomb disposal and search community has an undeniably profound impact.
“For Unipart, this partnership represents a strong alignment of values. Our deep commitment to social impact means we are focused on creating a positive impact through our entire value chain, to directly support the communities around us. By supporting these veterans through Felix Fund, we are putting those commitments into meaningful action.”
Daniel Reyland, Volunteer Chair of Felix Fund, said: “Every day, the UK’s bomb disposal and search community face risks most of us never see. We are therefore delighted to partner with Unipart, whose commitment to the wellbeing of its people closely reflects our own. Their support enables us to continue our mission—providing vital mental health support and financial assistance to those who serve, and ensuring no one faces the consequences of that service alone.”