Wounded, injured and sick service personnel take part in the games, which Jaguar Land Rover is partnering with as part of a programme to help ex-service personnel back into work.
Lenton told HR magazine managers at the company have “rolled up their sleeves” to deliver volunteers for the event. The car company was initially due to provide 150 employees to help with the logistics but is now offering more.
“We were oversubscribed for volunteers in the first place so were able to help out,” he said.
“It’s a big commitment of people’s time, but they realise the power of the games to demonstrate the incredible abilities of those who have been injured. Like the Paralympics, it shows people who are not fully able-bodied can do incredible things.”
As well as the games, Jaguar Land Rover has formed partnerships with the Royal Foundation and Ministry of Defence (MoD) to bridge the gap between military and civilian life. This programme extends to people who suffered no injuries during their time in the military. To date the company has hired 101 ex-forces personnel.
Lenton sees a mutual benefit in the arrangement, especially with the crossover in skills between some military roles and manufacturing.
“A lot of military people have great engineering and leadership skills,” Lenton added.
“So at a time when the industry sometimes finds it hard to source those skills, it makes sense to work with people who can provide them.”
The amount of support needed by people coming from the armed forces depends on the individual. “If someone has been away with the military for a long time, just things like finding accommodation for themselves might be something they haven’t had to do in a while – so we offer support in that kind of area,” Lenton said.
