We are delighted that Forces in Mind Trust has awarded funding to this research project exploring how children and young people from armed forces families experience the transition to civilian life.
It’s a privilege to be invited by Brunel University London to contribute to this project and share our expertise in co-production with children and young people. We’ll be facilitating a Youth Advisory Board, ensuring young people’s voices influence the trajectory of this research.
We look forward to working in partnership with University of Portsmouth and Academic Consulting and Education Services (ACCESS). Respecting children’s rights and meaningfully involving young people will lead to better outcomes and greater impact.
If you’re keen to get involved, watch this space – we’ll soon be recruiting for the Youth Advisory Board!
Forces in Mind Trust has awarded £249,645 to a consortium led by the Department of Education at Brunel University of London to fund its commission into children and young people from Armed Forces families. Brunel University of London successfully tendered for the commission in conjunction with the University of Portsmouth, Forces Children Scotland, and Academic Consulting and Education Services (ACCESS).
There are estimated to be over 120,000 children with at least one parent serving in the Armed Forces in the UK. Whilst awareness of the challenges faced by Service personnel during their transition to civilian life is increasing, there is a gap in evidence of the lived experiences of Armed Forces children and young people. Therefore, the project team will study the experiences of children and young people aged 8-21 in the period where their serving parent/carer is making or has recently made the transition out of the Armed Forces. The research is underpinned by these key research questions:
The project will use a co-design approach to ensure that the voice of the children and young people is central in shaping the way the research is designed and conducted, and in the research outcomes and publications.
The 24 month project will begin in September 2025.
Anne Chappell and Ellen McHugh, from Brunel University of London, said
“As a project team that includes Amanda Carr, Liam Satchell, Liz Spruin and Meg Thomas, we are delighted to have been awarded this research funding from FiMT. It provides an exciting opportunity to work innovatively with children and young people to co-design and develop research into their unique experiences at a particular transition point in their family life. The evidence from this research will be used to identify the most appropriate support and provide recommendations for embedding the support in both policy and practice.”
Michelle Alston, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, said
“Children from Armed Forces families often benefit from opportunities and experiences through being part of a military family. However, they also face distinct challenges. While some of those challenges and opportunities are known, there remain significant gaps in our understanding of Service children as they navigate their own transition away from the military community. Therefore, FiMT are proud to be funding this project, which aims to bridge those gaps in knowledge and help drive meaningful change in the support for Service children.