NAAFI Break

This week I talk to RAF Veteran Lisa Rawlings about succeeding around the old attitudes, that at times are not so old and her move from the RAF to Veteran and Regional Armed Forces Covenant Officer for Gwent?
A one person industry in the support and championing of Veterans in her region, Lisa shared her own experiences that shaped her and built her determination to succeed and her resilience to overcome attitudes.

Always good to have another welsh voice on the NAAFI Break 

The Military Wives Choirs is a registered charity and network of 75 choirs in British military bases across the UK and overseas, bringing women in the military community closer together through singing. With over 2,200 members, the MWC network is tri-service  and any woman with a military connection can join including those currently serving, veterans, mothers, sisters and daughters, empowering women from across the military community. The organisation is also a subsidiary charity of SSAFA.

The first choir held their first rehearsal in April 2010 in Catterick Garrison. It was the idea of two Scots Guards wives who decided, whilst their husbands were deployed in Afghanistan in 2009, to put up posters at the Garrison to actively encourage and look for women interested in singing together, to help support and give the wives a focus whilst their husbands deployed. They engaged a well-known local music teacher and set about putting together a choir made up of wives, girlfriends and servicewomen and so the first choir was formed. A letter was written to choirmaster Gareth Malone looking for help and support with the choir; at that time he was receiving acclaim for his BBC television programme The Choir and felt that this was an idea that could be replicated. 

Find their music on all the usual platforms.

Please like follow comment and share!

This week we talk to Guy Batchelor, Army Veteran, 22 years in the Royal Engineers and now founder of Minerva Elite Performance Ltd offering Masters in Business Adminstration.

Guy, talks with great honesty and reflection on his Army career and the impact on him that carries forward to today. He had a plan, which he was not afraid to change when the realisation came about his new purpose and crucially had the advice and support of his wife, to nudge him to make the move to setting up Minerva Elite Performance. 

A great example of being comfortable with ambiguity, thinking for yourself and finding a balance to work, family and life.

A Open Water swimming Triple Crown holder! Find out what that is, as I didn't know either. It is a great insight into his personal mindset too.

www.minervaeliteperformance.co.uk

Annalisa Wilson is the Head of Social and Community at Persimmon Homes, who in a previous role recruited the power of the military spouse community to answer a crisis in customer relations that went on to win awards.

It’s a great example of tapping into a skilled workforce that is available from the Armed Forces Community.
Oh and how not to dump your future husband! But it all ended happily. 

This week I talk to Andrew Marshall, who has found where his skills and experience from the Army fit in a new career with SAVSIM, a Veteran centric organisation that supports all segments of the conservation spectrum.
www.savsim.org

This week my guests are husband and wife, Dani and Cameron Mackinnon, who are both RAF Veterans and who run the Distant Hills Guest House in Spean Bridge in Scotland. 
They recently appeared on the Channel 4 TV show Four in a Bed and have been on a long journey, from first meeting in the RAF, under challenging circumstances!

This is a story of good people, strength of relationship and finding a new pathway after the RAF.

You can find the TV programme on Catch up and you can check the Distant Hills Guest House at www.distanthillsspeanbridge.co.uk

This week on the NAAFI Break I talk to Scott Briggs, Project Manager with Op Regen, the Volunteering arm of Walking with the Wounded.

A great episode that highlights the parallels and similarities with Rugby and withScott sharing his own families experiences.

This is a call to arms, don’t forget your Service connection, stay in touch and use the support available. 

This week on the NAAFI Break podcast I chat to Caroline Wynn, an expert in 'Human Behaviour and Potential' who helps individuals and teams to improve performance.

Caroline has connections to the RAF, through her son and has coached Veterans in the transition into second careers. 

Her insights and perspectives are a great listen for anyone looking at the changing gear from the Military into a successful second career.

It is important that we challenge ourselves and gain input from a wide range of people, with experience and expertise. Don't just listen to people in your own 'Echo Chamber'.

Stuart Waddington STAR Development UK and Host of the #Leadership What’s on your mind steps in to guest Host this weeks episode where the tables are turned on me!

You will hear how 3 pieces of string and a basketball backboard made lasting impressions on me in my RAF Career and how I have made plenty of mistakes in both my RAF career and my transition planning, so you don’t have to.

I celebrate some of the amazing guests I have had the privilege to share with the listeners and also the lessons I have learned about the transition and myself over the past year.

I hope you enjoy, share and feedback on what you hear.

Thanks for your support with over 4000 listens over the past year, I am not finished yet.

Dominic OSullivan
(Normally )NAAFI Break Host

This week we talk to former RAF Physical Training Instructor and Exercise Rehabilitation Instructor John Grindrod, who now owns Functional Training Company Gym and Academy in Ipswich.

John followed in his fathers footsteps and joined the RAF, having grown up being surrounded by RAF culture.

His personal development and investment in his knowledge and education has driven him to demand high standards that have not(and despite challenges) will not be compromised. His military background and positive outlook have driven him to succeed and survive in the commercial world in spite of the Covid pandemic.

Resilient , adaptable and determined John is a great example of making that gear change from uniform to Veteran.

Please follow and share to anyone with a Forces connection.