Announcing the winner of this year's Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund
We are pleased to announce that Tom Baker, founder of Baker and Burke Caterers, has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund, receiving a £10,000 grant to help expand his growing catering business.
The Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund forms part of Reed in Partnership's commitment to supporting veterans, Service leavers and military families to achieve their goals, whether through employment, skills development or entrepreneurship.
As the provider of the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), delivered on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, Reed in Partnership launched the fund to help veterans turn business ambitions into sustainable enterprises.
Developed in partnership with X-Forces Enterprise, one of our CTP delivery partners and a leading provider of business support to the Armed Forces community, the fund combines funding and expertise to help veteran entrepreneurs grow their businesses and create positive impact within their communities.
“A tremendous boost”
Baker and Burke Caterers delivers catering for corporate events, private celebrations and outdoor gatherings. Since leaving military service, Tom has channelled the discipline, teamwork and attention to detail developed during his career into building a successful business.
The grant will support the development of the company's outdoor catering offer, funding new equipment and improvements to its event setup. The investment will help create a more professional and efficient catering space, increasing capacity and enabling Tom’s business to serve a wider range of events and clients.
Tom Baker, founder of Baker and Burke Caterers, said:
Winning the £10,000 grant is a tremendous boost and comes at an exciting stage for the business. The funding will help us invest in our outdoor event equipment and setup, creating a more professional, well-presented and efficient catering space.
For me, this investment is about building foundations for the future. Alongside the refurbishment of our new premises, developing our outdoor catering capability will help us broaden the events we can support and reach new clients.
Building a small business takes determination, and there is something incredibly motivating about having others recognise its potential. This grant gives us the means to move forward with plans we're passionate about, and the panel's belief in the business makes it even more meaningful.
Dan Lander, CTP Programme Director and member of the panel that selected Tom as this year’s fund recipient, said:
Tom stood out to the judging panel for the experience, passion and careful planning he has brought to Baker and Burke Caterers. His clear vision for sustainable growth, strong understanding of his market and commitment to quality gave us confidence that this investment will help take the business to the next level.
We're delighted to support Tom through the Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund and look forward to seeing Baker and Burke Caterers continue to grow and thrive.
