• What We Do
  • Charity Partners
  • Get Involved
  • Our Stores
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What We Do

Our Purpose

At Forces Support, we are dedicated to supporting bereaved military families and veterans by raising vital funds through our network of charity shops. Every purchase, donation and volunteer hour helps us continue this essential work.

How We Raise Funds

Funding Support Through Our Charity Shops
  • Every purchase in our shops contributes directly to supporting bereaved military families and veterans.
  • We focus on sustainability, ensuring quality second-hand goods are reused and repurposed.
Find a Shop
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Who We Support

Providing Assistance to Bereaved Military Families and Veterans

  • Forces Support partners with charities that provide emotional and practical support to military families who have lost a loved one.
  • Rather than providing direct support, we ensure funds go to the organisations that can make the biggest impact.
  • Our partner charities offer grants, bereavement support, and specialist services to families in need.
Learn About Our Partners

Our Retail Network & Community Impact

Strengthening Communities Through Retail & Volunteering
  • Our charity shops are more than just fundraising locations – they are community hubs where people can shop, donate, and volunteer.
  • Volunteering with Forces Support is a great way to give back, meet new people, and gain new skills.
  • We work with local communities to ensure ethical retailing, sustainable practices, and meaningful engagement.
Get Involved
A smiling woman, wearing glasses and a black T-shirt that reads "DEFENSE: I was left unsupervised," stands inside a charity shop beside a rack of clothing. She wears a blue lanyard labelled "STAFF" and appears to be an employee. Behind her are neatly arranged garments and wooden furniture, suggesting a well-organised retail environment. The atmosphere is bright and welcoming.
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Meet Our Team

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“The staff, the customers are great, as is the buzz of working in the store. I am new to Forces Support and am really thrilled to be helping the Charity support so many good causes”

Michele Arlett, General Manager

Marianne,

Store Manager, Carterton

Meet Our Forces Support Trustees

Our Trustees work together to develop a clear strategy for Forces Support and ensure that the work we do and goals of the organisation are in line with our vision.

Forces Support Trustees are ultimately responsible in law for the charity, its assets and activities. They form the Council of Trustees, which is the governing body of Forces Support (a not-for-profit limited-liability company).

They are appointed because of their commitment to Forces Support and their experience and skills which enable them to undertake the responsibilities of trusteeship of a charity.

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Ron Spurs
Ron Spurs

Chair of Trustees

Grace Mathews
Grace Mathews

Deputy Chair of Trustees

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Claire Locke
Claire Locke

Trustee

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Toby Morris
Toby Morris

Trustee

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Brendan Kay
Brendan Kay

Trustee

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Philip Murphy
Philip Murphy

Trustee

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Jill Hall 1
Jill Hall

Board Secretary

Meet the Head Office Team Behind Forces Support

Gary Candlish
Colonel (Ret’d) Gary Candlish
Chief Executive Officer
Michele
Michele Arlett
General Manager
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Alison Jones
Administration
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Kelly Pearce
Finance
Lorraine
Lorraine Moore
Human Resources
Jacqui
Jacqui Williams
National Operations
Peter 1
Peter Greenacre
Area Manager North
Ed
Ed Walker
Area Manager South

Volunteers

The Heart of Forces Support

At Forces Support, our volunteers are at the core of everything we do. Their dedication, time, and energy help keep our charity shops running, ensuring we can continue raising funds to support bereaved military families. From sorting donations to assisting customers, every role is vital in making a difference.
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“Our volunteers are the backbone of Forces Support. Their commitment and passion enable us to provide essential funding to bereaved military families and veterans across the UK. We simply couldn’t do it without them.”

Gary Candlish, Chief Executive Officer

Want to Join Our Team?

Becoming a Forces Support volunteer is a rewarding way to give back. Whether you can spare a few hours a week or more, your time makes a real impact.
Get in touch
Ron Spurs

Chair of Trustees

Ron is an experienced leader and manager across both the public and private sectors. After serving in the RAF, he joined the Police Service, enjoying a distinguished career with Thames Valley Police and later the Metropolitan Police Service.

His roles spanned from leading policing in challenging inner-city areas to supporting Counter Terrorist operations and overseeing Corporate Risk Management. He retired at the rank of Superintendent. Since then, Ron has worked for local authorities as a consultant delivering crisis management services. He is also Chair of Witney (2120) Air Cadet Squadron and the Joint Service Cadet and Youth County organisation. He has been President of the Witney Rotary Club on two occasions, and in 2021 was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire.

Grace Mathews

Deputy Chair of Trustees

Grace brings a wealth of experience and compassion to her role as Trustee. She is an experienced solicitor and is currently the senior partner of a local solicitor’s firm. Her specialty is Wills, Trusts and care of vulnerable people and she is a professional Trustee and a Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Grace is the wife of a retired member of the Royal Air Force and so has an excellent understanding of the forces’ life and all that entails. She has also had a career as a nurse spanning some 20 years while bringing up her four sons. During her nursing career she was a staff nurse in Intensive Care in Belfast during the height of the troubles in Ireland where she treated victims of violence and experienced living in a conflict zone.

Claire Locke

Trustee

Claire brings 22 years of experience working in local government, making her an invaluable asset in guiding Forces Support on public sector engagement and compliance. Her knowledge of civic operations and risk management ensures the charity remains accountable and resilient.

With a speciality in Risk, Claire leads the Trustees in this area.

Toby Morris FCMA, CGMA

Trustee

Toby is a Chartered Management Accountant with 25 years of experience in commercial finance. In 2011, he launched a boutique accountancy firm serving dynamic small businesses. He is passionate about the role of SMEs in building thriving local economies and communities.

Toby is a turnaround specialist, mentor, and growth strategist. He also has extensive experience in the charity sector, offering both voluntary and professional financial support to numerous organisations.

As a Chartered Management Accountant, Toby leads the Trustees on Finance, Investment and Audit matters.

Brendan Kay

Trustee

Brendan is a proud British Army Veteran, having served 20 years with operational deployments to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His military career included pivotal roles at Army Headquarters, the Ministry of Defence, and within an Armoured Brigade HQ.

Brendan now owns and operates two successful estate agency businesses in West Oxfordshire. He is also a Trustee of Witney Town Charity and a committed community advocate. When time allows, he enjoys cycling to clear his mind and recharge.

Brendan leads the Trustees on the selection of charity partners.

Philip Murphy

Trustee

Philip is a Chartered General Practice Surveyor with over 20 years of property industry expertise. He is currently a Director at a national private property firm, managing a £400 million UK-wide portfolio. Philip specialises in investment and asset management, with a core focus on retail property – including high streets, shopping centres, and retail parks.

He collaborates closely with regional development agencies, councils, developers, and investors, driving both development and regeneration projects.

Phil leads the Trustees on Commercial Retail Strategy.

Jill Hall

Board Secretary

Jill’s career has centred on supporting small businesses and economic development. She has managed Chambers of Commerce and launched Inspira Consulting, advising local authorities, government departments, and third-sector organisations on business support, governance, and regeneration.

Her work now focuses on evaluation and charity governance. Jill has been involved with Forces Support for over a decade, initially joining for a short consultancy project that turned into a lasting relationship. She has also held many volunteer roles, including school governor and community shop founder, and chaired the Worcestershire LEADER Board (2014–2020).

Jill leads on Board Management, ensuring robust governance and accountability.

Colonel (Ret’d) Gary Candlish

CEO

A Veteran of 30+ years in the British Army, Gary completed a number of senior Staff Officer roles with responsibility for the planning and delivery of Operations in the UK & Overseas. He has significant operational experience with service in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Kosovo, South Sudan and multiple tours in Iraq and  Afghanistan. He has extensive experience working across Whitehall with other Government departments and agencies.

Throughout his career he always found the time to work with various Service Charities, as a Trustee, Advocate or on committees such as Risk and Grants.

As CEO of Forces Support, Gary is responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of the charity.

Michèle Arlett

General Manager

Michèle has a background in retail management, recruitment and HR. During her career she has worked in a variety of business sectors including aviation, security and retail.

Day to day, Michèle leads on all aspects of ensuring the charity’s obligations in terms of store operations, finance, governance and compliance are met. She also uses her expertise to support the National Operations Manager, Area Managers and the Head Office team to ensure that staff and volunteer welfare, and business needs are met.  She is also integral in supporting and strengthening the charity’s position and continued growth and impact. 

Michèle started her Forces Support journey in 2019 as HR Officer before progressing to her current role in 2023. As General Manager, she is responsible for supporting all areas of the charity, working alongside the CEO.

Alison Jones

Administrator

Alison had been working at Forces Support for just over 3 years. She plays a pivotal role in supporting the management and staff in the stores where necessary. Key aspects of her position is processing the shop takings and updating the Management Team with the master takings on a weekly basis. She is also a ‘ninja’ at managing commercial contracts and deals with incoming e-mails and initial telephone contact in the office and other general administrative duties as required.

Kelly Pearce

Finance Clerk

Kelly has been working at Forces Support since August 2023.  Her key role is processing all of the charity’s financial transactions onto the accounting system, including bank reconciliations, supplier invoice processing and payments along with managing our eCommerce accounts.  She also turns her hand to supporting store staff on a daily basis and creates in-house solutions to assist staff in managing data or to enable ease of use and better functionality.

Lorraine Moore

Human Resources

Lorraine is a CIPD qualified HR Generalist and joined Forces Support in January 2025.  Day to day her focus is HR & Compliance Officer. She is a proud Veteran having served in the Women’s Royal Air Force as a Personnel and Administrative Clerk. As part of her role with Forces Support,  she is responsible for the operational delivery of the Human Resources and the Health and Safety function, providing support and guidance to senior managers, staff and volunteers.

Jacqui Williams

National Operations Manager

Jacqui has worked in corporate and retail management for 35+ years. Her adventures have seen her hold positions at Costco Warehouses, delivering Judicial Forensics and in the education sector. Her passion is charity retail, and she spends her time constantly visiting stores to support both the Area Managers, store staff and volunteers in all aspects of delivering a first-rate charity experience. She also leads on the opening of new stores, works closely with projects for bereaved families and Veterans, and maintains Forces Support links with community and volunteer bodies.    

Her Forces Support journey started in 2016 at a retiree volunteer, before progressing to Store Manager, then Area Manager, then to her current role as National Operations Manager. Now, she oversees the management of the Forces Support stores, with the assistance of Area Managers.

Peter Greenacre

Area Manager, Northern & Scotland Stores

Pete has been in retail for 40 years – first starting as a “Saturday Boy” at just 15; and by the time he was in his early twenties – he was a Store Manager. He has worked for various big-name retailers across various sectors, Mens and Ladies branded fashion, sports retails, discount retailers and supermarkets. In his previous positions he has worked across the Yorkshire Region, as well as time in Ireland and the North of England. 

Pete started his Forces Support journey in 2021 as a Store Manager, and was soon promoted to Area Manager. As Area Manager, Pete oversees the smooth operation of stores regarding income, recruitment, Health and Safety, training and compliance.

Ed Walker

Area Manager, Midlands & Southern Stores

Ed has a wealth of experience in the retail and hospitality sector.  He has hotel and pub management experience, followed by a number of years at Costa Coffee running a number of outlets, where his focus was on improving performance and driving profitability. During this period his dedication to operational excellence was recognised with a national retail award. A period as Area Manager at Nespresso followed and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ed followed his heart by moving into the charity sector. He managed three key services at a homeless prevention charity, including homelessness prevention, street outreach, and critical care.

Ed started his Forces Support journey in 2024 as Area Manager. As Area Manager, Ed oversees the smooth operation of stores regarding income, recruitment, Health and Safety, training and compliance.