The RAF Families Federation is pleased to spotlight a new support resource developed by Siobhan Cambridge, a third‑year PhD candidate at the Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research (Anglia Ruskin University).
Siobhan’s research explores the lived experiences of young people growing up in British Armed Forces families, both within the UK and overseas, capturing their perspectives on mobility, identity and the meaning of “home”.
Drawing directly from the words of the young people who took part in her study, Siobhan has created a short, accessible booklet designed to offer:
- Advice from Forces young people to others preparing for a move
- Guidance for families and teachers supporting them
- Reflections on identity, belonging and the impact of mobility
- Messages of reassurance and recognition drawn from their real experiences
This resource does not offer official guidance or policy, nor does it claim to represent every child’s experience. Instead, it provides an opportunity to hear directly from young people themselves; in their own language, from their own lived reality.
Siobhan draws on both academic research and a rich personal connection to military life. She grew up in an Army family, and she currently also works with SSAFA Community Health Overseas as a Children and Young People’s Mental Health Nurse and ADOS-2 assessor supporting Armed Forces families stationed abroad.
SSAFA Community Health Overseas has already adopted the booklet as a supportive resource and plans to share it across all MOD overseas schools.
We believe that amplifying lived experience, especially the voices of young people, enriches the wider support landscape for RAF personnel and families. That is why we’re pleased to share this work with our community.
The booklet has already been adopted as a supportive resource across the British Forces Overseas community and the UK, supporting organisations in health, education, local government and the Armed Forces.
