Armed Forces Day 2026: supporting veterans and the armed forces community at CDW UK

On Saturday 27^th June, we mark Armed Forces Day, an annual moment of recognition and celebration of the dedication, resilience and contribution of serving personnel, and the veterans in our community.

At CDW, our commitment to the Armed Forces community is rooted in year-round action, including partnerships with leading charities, coworker led fundraising and volunteering, as well as the continued impact of our Armed Forces Network (AFN) Business Resource Group.

This work is shaped by the organisations we support and the people behind them. Through partnering with SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity, Help for Heroes, and Team Forces, we continue to deliver and invest in initiatives that make a meaningful difference. These commitments are underpinned by our signing of the Armed Forces Covenant in September 2024, followed by our milestone recognition as a Silver Award Defence Employer in June 2025.

In recent years, our charity partnerships have come to life through a range of impactful initiatives.

Most timely, as we approach Armed Forces Day 2026, is our participation in the 13 Bridges Challenge for SSAFA, a ten-mile trek across central London, held each year on Armed Forces Day itself. The event challenges participants to complete the hike across London’s most iconic bridges and monuments, all whilst raising vital funds for the charity. This incredible event has become a defining moment for our AFN Business Resource Group, with coworkers from across our business taking on the challenge for a number of years.

We have also collaborated with our broader ecosystem for SSAFA, bringing a team of passionate individuals together from CDW and Palo Alto, our Cyber Security partner, to pack care packages for the veterans and serving personnel supported by the charity.

With Help for Heroes, CDW have partnered with Intel and HPI to donate 85 Intel® Core™ Ultra HP devices to support the charity’s AI for Citizens curriculum. This integration of AI directly supports veterans by improving efficiency, enhancing the beneficiary journey and helping the community to build valuable skills and knowledge in AI to support their transition to new career paths following service.

CDW didn’t just donate in this area, we also shared our expertise, providing specialist AI training for Help for Heroes recipients to cut through the complexity and make their development journey that much easier.

Nick Garland, Head of Defence and Secure Government at CDW, is an ambassador for Help for Heroes, representing and promoting the incredible work of the charity, whilst bringing CDW and Help for Heroes even closer in partnership. Nick continues to support their incredible work on an individual level, also participating in the Big Battlefield Bike Ride in both 2024 and 2025, Help for Heroes’ flagship charity bike ride in Normandy, France, commemorating D-Day.

In November 2025, we continued our Bronze Sponsorship of Team Forces, focusing on the wellbeing and development of the UK armed forces community. By investing in sporting opportunities and wellbeing programmes, we continue to enhance the physical fitness, mental resilience, and social connections among service personnel, veterans and their families.

CDW has also proudly collected for the annual Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal during October and November.

This Armed Forces Day, our focus turns once again to action. AFN, family, and friends are set to return to the streets of London to once more embark on the 13 Bridges Challenge in support of SSAFA.

The occasion brings together participants of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, combining visibility, fundraising and community spirit to create a powerful platform of awareness, recognition and support of veterans and their families.

At the centre of this activity is AFN, our Business Resource Group here at CDW that champions inclusion, awareness and diversity, whilst recognising and celebrating the unique experiences and invaluable skills that veterans bring to our workplace.

As we acknowledge the powerful moment of Armed Forces Day, we recognise that our impact is built through collaboration, partnership and shared purpose. From long standing to new charity relationships as well coworker led initiatives and our Armed Forces Network, we are helping to strengthen the support available to serving personnel, veterans and their families.

This day is an important moment to reflect on the importance and impact of this work and continue building momentum. By supporting our charity partners and empowering our people to get involved, CDW remains committed to making a lasting difference to every member of the armed forces community.

Main image ©UK MOD Crown Copyright.