A veteran who started a first aid business after saving the life of his newly-born daughter has won a prestigious award.
Lee Whitworth, from Richmond, won the service leader of the year category at the inaugural British Ex-Forces in Business Award after launching A&E Harmonious Compliance Training.
Lee left the military in 2015 after a 25-career.
He was inspired to launch the business after delivering his youngest child, who then three weeks later stopped breathing.
The first aid Lee gave her saved her life.
Lee, who served with military bands during his career and is also musical director of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, says he knows first hand the importance of first aid which is why the company uses the slogan Basic First Aid, Saves Lives.
He has thanked his wife Alison and children Cadence and Talisia for understanding the long hours and time away while building the business.
He added: “I am touched that all the time away from the family, the long hours and the amazing enjoyment of training people to save lives, has resulted in A&E Harmonious Compliance Training Ltd and I being awarded service leader of the year.
The finalists for the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards 2018 were whittled down from more than 250 nominations that demonstrated outstanding business achievements enabled by transferable skills gained in the military.
The winners of the awards were revealed on May 17 at the inaugural British Ex-Forces in Business Awards in London’s De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms.
The ceremony was the largest ever celebration of the ex-forces in business community, bringing together top business leaders, companies, military personnel, politicians, journalists and other stakeholders to raise awareness of resettlement issues, encourage the development of ex-forces employment schemes and promote the significant value that military-gained skills can provide to the UK economy if better utilised across the workforce.
