After experiencing significant personal loss, an ABF-funded Lifeworks course gave ex-servicewoman Adele the confidence she needed to recognise her skills and move forward with a renewed sense of purpose.

Adele served for 15 years in the Adjutant General Corps, Staff and Personnel Support branch, reaching the rank of Sergeant. She completed two operational tours of Bosnia and later served in Iraq.

Reflecting on her time in the Army, Adele says, “I enjoyed the Army and the camaraderie, especially the laughs and humour.”

Unfortunately, Adele had to leave the Army due to a sustained spinal injury. Later on, she ended up struggling as she gave up work to care full time for her terminally ill father, providing 24-hour support. The experience was distressing and traumatic. On the day her father died, Adele’s aunt also passed away suddenly. The combined loss had a profound impact on her mental health, leaving her unable to cope with the aftermath and resulting in a nervous breakdown.

“I knew I needed to move forward in my life and did not know how to,” Adele explains.

Recognising she needed support, Adele contacted the Forces Employment Charity, which receives significant funding from ABF. She was encouraged to apply for Lifeworks, a free employment support programme run by Royal British Veterans Enterprise, which provides veterans and family members of those currently serving with the training and guidance they need to find employment outside the Armed Forces. Adele’s place on the course was funded by the ABF.

Adele admits she was extremely anxious at the start of the course. “I contacted Lifeworks as a bag of nerves. I was a broken biscuit before I started.” Through Lifeworks, she began to understand the value of her military experience and the transferable skills she had developed during her Army career. After completing the course, she found herself in a fulfilling role as a volunteer caseworker with an Armed Forces charity.

Adele says: “If it had not been for the ABF’s funding, I would not have attended this worthwhile course, which has built up my confidence and given me a new purpose in life. The Lifeworks course has transformed my life.”