Hidden Warriors CIC was established 2019. Our aim is to help families that are engaged in struggle or conflict from within the Armed Forces Veterans Community and when possible, we support non-Veteran affiliated families.

Our team at Hidden Warriors CIC have many years’ experience within the Armed Forces and share a passion for helping others. Our founder and Director Gavin Tuach, a serving Warrant Officer in the Royal Navy worked with a registered charity for 6 years as an ambassador and fundraiser. The knowledge and understanding working as a volunteer for this charity prompted Hidden Warriors CIC to be established. 

Gavin realised that support was available with a number of registered charities doing great work with Veterans but not many focused on the Family Support for the partners or children. 

Hidden Warriors CIC set up with three initiatives that we believe could help families: 1) School Uniform support. Provide financial support to purchase items required so that the child does not feel excluded. We are especially busy within this area, purchasing many items and having them delivered directly to the beneficiaries. 2) Sports and Activities for children to support mental wellbeing. If the parent or carer are receiving support we felt it would be beneficial for the child or young person to take part in sports/activity to better their wellbeing. We have children taking part in Karate, swimming, horse-riding, football, and dance. 3) Organise and take part in Community events to promote peer to peer support. 

Outside of our initiatives we have provided support to many families during the Pandemic and Cost of Living by running projects within the Community of Staffordshire, where Hidden Warriors CIC is predominantly based. These projects have helped to reduce loneliness and isolation, tackle food and fuel poverty, provided child cancer welfare boxes and Christmas packages for families identified living in disadvantaged areas. We are always looking at how we can help support families. As a Community Interest Company, we believe it to be an advantage in terms of the support we can offer as we are not restricted by the same rules and regulations that a registered charity finds. We are purely run by volunteers. 

Personnel from the Veterans Community have also been supported in various ways as we receive referrals from SSAFA, The Baton Charity and The Veterans Charity to name a few. We believe in teamwork over ego to get the right support to the right people when required.  

For Hidden Warriors CIC to be sustainable we organise a minimum of two fundraising events per year. Our fundraising always involves personnel from the Veterans Community as it provides a great sense of camaraderie.  We also look to collaborate with other charities and organisations. For 2023 our fundraising events have involved Haig Housing Trust and the Children’s Mental Health Charity, Place2be. This year we organised Ride to the Gate, a 300 plus mile cycle from the National Memorial Arboretum to the Menin Gate, Belgium. This was a particular highlight of the year as we paid many respects to the fallen during the Great War and had the honour to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate during the Last Post Ceremony. 

Our other source of income is from the sale of our merchandise and applying for grants. 

As we look ahead to what will be our 5th year operating as a CIC, we have not seen any reduction in the requirement for our support. We will continue for as long as we feel that we are contributing to the communities of people that we help. 

To continue support to families we believe building relationships with other CIC’s, Charities and Businesses. We can then all collectively help to relieve the burden of struggle. We recognise that Family is an important influence in a child’s life. From their first moments of life, children depend on parents and family to protect them and provide for their needs. When this is not possible, we hope to be able to help support. Since our formation in 2019 we have helped to support over 400 people and families.

To find out more about Hidden Warriors CIC please visit our website. www.hiddenwarriors.co.uk