Alumni Profiles from Reaseheath College
From Service to Site: How Reaseheath Building Heroes Alumni Are Building New Futures
These alumni stories showcase the powerful impact of the five-week course, highlighting how it builds not just technical skills, but confidence, purpose, and direction. Whether they’re pursuing new careers in construction, launching their own businesses, or discovering a renewed sense of identity, these veterans are proof that with the right support, anything is possible.
Terry Suckling
After 25 years of service, Terry was weighing up his options between close protection work and a new direction. Although he’d had some hands-on experience in construction in the past, the Building Heroes course opened his eyes to the wide scope of opportunities in construction. He credits the five-week programme with boosting his confidence and giving him clarity about his next step.
“This has been the best five weeks. I’m more confident now, and I’ve even been offered a job starting in September working on HMOs in Chester. I’d absolutely recommend this to anyone transitioning out of service — it’s a no-brainer.”
Terry particularly enjoyed the brickwork and joinery modules, even if rendering wasn’t quite for him.
He believes the course deserves more visibility among resettlement support channels and is a strong advocate for spreading the word.
Nikita Silvera
Still serving in the Royal Signals, Nikita discovered Building Heroes at a career fair in Stafford.Encouraged by positive feedback from past participants, she enrolled to explore the intersection of health and safety and construction. The course helped her see how these disciplines merge in practice and it’s already opening doors.
“We visited a live site at Lovell, and I spoke with a health and safety director there. That’s led to shadowing opportunities across three sites this month. I’d never have known those existed if it weren’t for this course.”
Nikita particularly enjoyed tiling and plans to take a follow-on course. With new contacts in Stafford and an interest in turning this into weekend or freelance work, she’s now exploring both practical and professional opportunities.
Craig Ellis
Formerly part of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, Craig left the military in June and has thrown himself into retraining with enthusiasm. Although he’d always been hands-on, the Building Heroes course gave him the technical tips and confidence to take on bigger projects.
“I’m now building an extension on my house, including dormers, roofing, the lot. Six weeks ago I wasn’t sure I could, but now I’m all in.”
Alex enjoyed every element of the course, especially carpentry and additional practical tasks like patio and decking work. He hopes to move into property development and eventually build his own rental portfolio.
James Martin
James was part of the very first Building Heroes cohort at Reaseheath in 2017. With no prior experience in construction, he initially saw the programme as a leap into the unknown. That leap led him to a rewarding new career.
“After leaving the Army, I had no idea what to do. This course gave me a direction. I started labouring, worked my way up, and eventually became a site manager on major projects like the Commonwealth Games Village and Manchester’s new music venue.”
Now an account manager for a manufacturing company, James credits Building Heroes with putting him on the path to a whole new professional world.
Chris Meachem
Chris served in the Artillery from 1985 to 2007, including deployments toNorthern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq. After years of bouncing between jobs, he discovered Building Heroes in 2018 and joined the programme to renovate his own house. What started as a side project became a turning point.
“It wasn’t just the skills, it was the shared experience with other veterans that really brought me back to myself.The banter, the hands-on work, the respect,it’s something you don’t realise you’ve missed until you get it back.”
Now supporting his partner in international dog grooming competitions and pursuing his passion for golf, Chris still values the course for helping him regain purpose, direction, and confidence. He sees Building Heroes as a lifeline for veterans navigating post-service life.
