The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom once again played host to Peers and MPs taking part in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS).
Visiting the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre (AFCC), part of the Defence Leadership and Business Group (DLaB), the visit aimed to increase current knowledge and awareness of the pastoral care and welfare support available to armed forces personnel.
In attendance were:
- Stuart Anderson MP
- Baroness Smith of Newnham
- Emma Lewell-Buck MP
- Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
- Ian Roome MP
While on site they were treated to a tour of Beckett House, the Grade II listed building that is the home of AFCC, and Royal Army Chaplains (RACh) Museum, a two-year old eco-friendly building situated just inside the entrance of Beckett Gate.
Through a couple of sessions, delivered by Reverend David Richardson and Reverend Mark Grant-Jones, the topics of ‘Religion and Defence’ and ‘Social and Spiritual Resilience’ were scrutinised. AFCC provide invaluable skills and coping strategies to help service personnel to handle crises of faith while on operation and the AFPS gives parliamentarians a chance to experience training given.
Upon visiting the RACh Museum the visitors were able to get a feel for how Army Chaplains have operated from the earliest times to present day with the help of archive material and historical relics from several centuries.
The visit to Shrivenham forms part of a wider programme of engagement during the yearlong scheme. Peers and MPs are assigned to one of the four front line commands and this group form part of a cohort who will visit UK Strategic Command sites to gain exposure to, and experience of, life in the AF. In doing so it is hoped to develop a deeper understanding of defence and current military issues, which will inform future contribution and participation in debates on defence-related issues
As unrest continues within Europe, discussion on defence matters is set to continue within parliament. Enabling Peers and MPs to get hands-on experiences, such as this, puts them in the mindset of service personnel and, with this experience, better informed decisions can be made.