Joyce was a serving soldier for over 30 years and specialised in Army staff and personnel work. After leaving the Army, she took time to readjust to civilian life. After attending a RBLI Lifeworks training course, funded by our charity, she got her confidence back and found employment with G4S at Farnborough Airport.
Joyce was born in Oban, Scotland, and aspired to join the Army from the age of five. In 1991, she joined the Territorial Army and served in 2nd Battalion 51 Highland Regiment for seven years before joining the Adjutant General’s Corps in 1998. Her subsequent Army career included tours of duty in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kenya, and Oman.
In 2004, during a six-month tour in Iraq Joyce was serving in a forward area with Royal Military Police when she was shot at by insurgents, an incident that left her mentally scarred, though she soon recovered her confidence. After further service in Afghanistan and Northern Ireland, Joyce left the Army as a Corporal in June 2022. Since leaving the Regular Army, Joyce has continued to enjoy working with people and now shares her extensive Army staff and personnel expertise in the Reserves, based at Aldershot. She also enjoys sport, is a committed triathlete and has taken part in Ironman challenges.
Joyce took time to adjust to civilian life; she had difficulty finding a job, which led to financial worries, and she often felt socially isolated and lonely. However, in December 2022 she attended a five-day RBLI Lifeworks course at Aldershot covering CV writing, interviewing and group teamwork, which helped restore her self-confidence. After attending a jobs fair in Aldershot, the training also helped secure a role as a G4S Aviation Security Officer at Farnborough Airport.
Joyce says: “Lifeworks gave me back my confidence by confirming my transferable skills and sense of value. I feel part of the team at G4S and not as isolated as I was when I first left the Army. Without ABF’s funding and support to the Lifeworks course, I would probably be still unemployed.”