Helping veterans, healing the planet: Why we chose Carma
Beyond the trees, by Steve Clarke, Marketing Manager – Fleetmaxx Solutions
When we talk about planting trees or restoring kelp forests, it’s easy to focus purely on the environmental benefits — and rightly so. Reforestation and marine restoration help rebuild habitats, boost biodiversity, capture carbon, and protect the ecosystems that we all depend upon. Nature genuinely restores us. Time spent outdoors reduces stress, sharpens our minds, and makes us feel better.
But at Fleetmaxx Solutions, we wanted our environmental commitments to go further. We wanted to support a partner whose mission didn’t stop at the roots of a tree or the sway of a kelp bed.
That partner is Carma.
Carma’s work combines climate action with supporting UK veterans — and that’s something we wholeheartedly stand behind. Their mission strengthens nature, strengthens communities, and strengthens the people who have already given so much in service.
Why we chose Carma: environmental action with real social impact
There are countless organisations planting trees.
There are far fewer turning that work into real opportunities for former service men and women.
Carma does both.
Yes, they plant trees across the UK and around the world.
Yes, they restore marine habitats by replanting vital kelp forests.
Yes, they make climate action accessible, measurable, and meaningful for businesses.
But the reason they stood out to us is simple:
Carma helps rebuild lives at the same time as rebuilding nature.
Their work directly supports UK veterans through:
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Employment opportunities in land-based restoration
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Fundraising for veteran charities
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Specialist mental health and wellbeing support
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Community engagement that connects veterans back to nature
Carma employs veterans in its team, and partners closely with two charities that deeply resonate with us:
HighGround
Helping service leavers, veterans and reservists build new careers in:
🟢 Farming
🟢 Forestry
🟢 Conservation
🟢 Horticulture
For every 1,000 trees planted in the UK, Carma donates £400 to HighGround — funded directly through business partners like us.
The Standing Tall Foundation
The Standing Tall Foundation, founded by Andy Reid MBE, STF provides free mental and physical wellbeing support to people from all walks of life, including veterans rebuilding their confidence after service.
Carma also donates 3% of its gross revenues to the Foundation — meaning the more trees we help fund, the more veterans benefit.
This dual-purpose approach — climate action and social impact — aligns perfectly with Fleetmaxx’s values and our desire to support meaningful change.
Veterans at the heart of Carma’s mission
Carma’s team includes veterans who have turned their lived experience into powerful environmental action.
Their Community Engagement & Sustainability Lead, Steve Masters, spent 19 years in the Royal Air Force. His role today blends community outreach, tree-planting coordination, and landowner engagement — driving local environmental projects that veterans can be proud to be part of.
Steve openly shares how working in nature has supported his own mental health journey, describing Carma’s mission as “the perfect fit” because:
“I am also a veteran, and the great work Carma does in involving veterans in nature and providing employment opportunities is something I can personally relate to.”
This human story — of resilience, purpose, and community — is a big part of why working with Carma feels so meaningful for all of us at Fleetmaxx.
Supporting veterans is supporting the planet — and supporting business
More businesses are recognising the value of employing veterans, or aligning with Armed Forces Covenant principles. But many don’t know where to begin.
Our partnership with Carma makes it easy to:
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Support environmental restoration
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Provide opportunities for UK veterans
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Engage staff through tree planting days
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Strengthen ESG commitments with transparent reporting
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Demonstrate real-world climate action to customers
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Create team-building experiences that boost morale
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Show leadership by investing in long-term sustainability
Tree planting days, for example, bring people together in a way that no meeting room ever could. They’re hands-on, rewarding, and deeply fulfilling — because you can literally see the impact you’re making.
Beyond carbon offsetting: why this partnership matters
ESG expectations are evolving. Businesses want environmental action that is:
✔ Measurable
✔ Ethical
✔ Transparent
✔ Socially responsible
✔ Community driven
Carma delivers all of this.
Their projects — from UK woodlands to African reforestation to sea kelp regeneration — create positive environmental change while delivering genuine social value. Their reporting ensures full traceability and credibility. And their veteran-focused impact fund ensures the benefits go far beyond carbon numbers.
For us at Fleetmaxx Solutions, it’s exactly the kind of partnership we want to champion: one that reflects who we are and what we believe in.
A partnership rooted in purpose
Our work with Carma means:
🌳 More trees planted
🌊 More kelp forests restored
🎖 More veterans supported
🤝 More communities strengthened
🌍 More positive climate action
We’re incredibly proud to stand with Carma — not just because the environment needs us, but because UK veterans deserve meaningful opportunities, support, and recognition.
When we say we’re committed to supporting veterans and planting trees, we mean both — equally, and with purpose.
At Fleetmaxx Solutions, that’s the kind of impact we want to help create.
