Members of the armed forces, support groups and charities will be attending the Hugh James Military Conference virtually this year, which will focus on the key legal, political, and social issues for the community.
Shadow Defence Secretary, John Healey MP will open the event with a keynote speech, which will focus on representing the forces, veterans, and their families in Parliament. He will discuss the importance of listening to the military community about the changes they want to see happen to make the UK the best country to serve and be a veteran. He will also reflect on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the forces, and what the pandemic might mean for the relationship between the forces and civilian society.
A key area of discussion will be the Overseas Operations Bill and the Armed Forces Bill currently being debated in Parliament, and the legal impact these Bills could have on the Forces, veterans, their families and the charities and service providers who work with them.
Also on the speaking line-up is Nicola Lester, a Consultant in psychological trauma. Nicola specialises in working with traumatic bereavement, and multiple fatality incidents. She has worked with a range of organisations including government departments, the private security industry, and statutory and non-statutory services both in the UK and overseas in Africa, the Middle East, Canada, and Afghanistan.
We will also be joined by Samuel T Reddy, who is one of the co-Founders of Tripotential – a ground-breaking scheme to place BAME military and uniformed veterans into key roles. The not-for-profit business will place individuals into meaningful employment after leaving the armed forces or blue light sector – and develop their leadership potential through training and mentoring. The two co-founders of TriPotential, Samuel T Reddy and Kul Mahay are from BAME and Commonwealth backgrounds, with personal experience of the challenges they want others to overcome.
The event will be hosted by Head of the Hugh James Military team, Simon Ellis. Speaking today, Simon said:
Our Armed Forces operate in challenging circumstances, and need the highest standards of legal, political and social support. This year has been particularly difficult, with a global health and economic emergency compounding the pressures. Important legislation is also working its way through Parliament which will potentially further impact the community. This event will explore what needs to be done to provide the very best level of support to our veterans, serving personnel and their families.
