A donation is being used to expand support for veterans and military families.
Blackpool FC Community Trust has received £50,000 from defence firm BAE Systems to extend its programme for veterans and serving personnel across Blackpool and the Fylde coast.
The funding will help the trust deliver coffee mornings, sports events, peer support groups, and one-to-one assistance for those facing challenges such as unemployment, isolation, PTSD, and substance misuse.
Simon Barnes, group managing director of BAE Systems’ air sector, said: “As a business with roots in Lancashire, we understand how critical it is to support those who work to protect our nation, past and present.
“The Blackpool FC Community Trust is delivering important and impactful support for the armed forces community here and we’re proud to help the team with its work.”
The donation is part of BAE Systems’ wider commitment to supporting armed forces communities in Lancashire.
The company donated £140,000 to AFC Fylde and Blackburn FC Community Trusts, bringing its total regional contribution to £190,000 since 2024.
Matt Hilton, deputy chief executive of Blackpool FC Community Trust, said: “We’re grateful for the support from BAE Systems.
“This new funding will allow us to significantly increase our capacity, reaching more veterans, delivering more provisions and strengthening our community engagement across Blackpool and the Fylde coast.”
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BAE Systems, based in Warton and Samlesbury, is the UK’s sovereign combat air provider.
The company was a founding signatory of the UK’s Armed Forces Covenant in 2013, pledging to support and fairly treat current and former service personnel.
Over the past five years, BAE Systems has contributed more than £18 million globally to armed forces causes through donations, sponsorship, employee fundraising, and volunteering.