Ray Winstone, Joanna Lumley, and More Join Veterans and Business Leaders to Raise Awareness for Veterans Work Campaign

The Drive Project have recruited actors and celebrities Ray Winstone, Joanna Lumley, Clare Balding, Larry Lamb, Michelle Collins, Hugh Bonneville, Ray Fearon, Olivia Poulet, Nick Knowles, Robert Rinder, Richard Wilson, and Matt Barber to join veterans and business leaders to appear in three short films to raise awareness of the Veterans Work Campaign.

The Drive Project have produced all three short films in which Veterans, actors, celebrities & business leaders all appear to promote the-Veterans Work Campaign and to help change the perception of the word "veteran" that many people have.

In 2016 Deloitte UK, the Officers' Association and Forces in Mind Trust supported by Business in the Community produced the Veterans work report about the benefits to UK businesses of hiring Veterans. Following on from the success of the report, Deloitte UK and the Officers' Association commissioned The Drive Project to "bring to life" this report with the three films. The Veterans Work campaign aims to highlight the value and transferrable skills that veterans can bring to any employer - from small businesses to large corporations with the aim of ensuring that more veterans find employment that will fulfil their potential, which can change the lives of them and their families.

Joanna Lumley: 'I think that people who've served our country- whether land, sea or air, deserve the greatest protection and affection and support that we can possibly give them. The idea that they leave service and then find themselves cut off at a loose end. These are the people you want, they know everything! They can do everything, they're punctual, they're use to hard work, they take responsibility - they are just the people you need.'

Ray Winstone has supported The Drive Project from the very beginning and in 2011 helped encourage recovering Veterans to be part of the West End production "The Two Worlds of Charlie F", with the successful premise of using theatre to help their recovery.

The Drive Project, founded by Alice Driver delivers creative projects, personal development training and inspirational talks that inspire, empower and motivate. They have unlocked the potential of over 350 individuals to overcome their adversities using arts-based projects. Their work has been seen by over 50,000 audience members and nearly two million TV viewers. Alice has been invited to both Downing Street and Buckingham Palace in recognition of her work and has spoken to groups across the globe about her work. From the award-winning West End production "The Two Worlds of Charlie F" in 2011, with a cast of serving wounded, injured and sick Service Personnel, Bravo 22 delivered in partnership with The Royal British Legion which continues to use theatre to help the recovery of Veterans, to "Making Sense," the first initiative using Art to be run at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court, the organisation has used arts-based projects to help, support and unlock the potential of hundreds of Veterans and their families to overcome their adversities.

Bravo 22's newest project delivered in partnership with the Royal British Legion with the support of Theatre Royal, Newcastle is UNSPOKEN, a theatre piece that is a collaboration of over 100 wounded, injured and sick Service personnel, veterans and their families stories. The production will take place on Remembrance Sunday (12th November) at the Theatre Royal Newcastle, and follows the success of 'The Two Worlds of Charlie F', and subsequent projects creating shows across the country including Plymouth, Aylesbury and Newcastle as well as two arts projects in Brighton and Manchester.

The three films are available for all to view via www.veteranswork.org.uk, plus watch some behind-the-scenes footage below!

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