Laura joined Reading Force in early 2023 and is already well known in Northern Ireland for getting the community reading together! She is regularly out and about at events and meeting veterans and families. Here she talks about her day-to-day Reading Force life and reflects on her years of experience in a Forces family.
Can you tell us a little bit about your Ambassador role?
I am the Reading Force Ambassador for Northern Ireland. I began my role with Reading Force in April 2023 while I was still living in Germany. I was thrilled when the position became available, as my husband was retiring from the Air Force after 22 years, and we were moving back to my home in Northern Ireland. Having been part of the military community for 18 years and working in Community Support roles in Cyprus and Germany, I wanted to remain connected to that lifestyle. When I saw the opportunity, I applied immediately and was delighted to be appointed as the new Ambassador for Northern Ireland.
Can you give us an example of what a typical day is like for you?
No two days are the same, which is what I love about my role. I might spend my day following up on enquiries, making new enquiries, or working through a list of new books to be sent out to families. I enjoy this because I get to choose a book for each child! On another day, I could be traveling anywhere across Northern Ireland to attend events like mums and tots, coffee mornings, youth club sessions, or family activities. I particularly enjoy doing storytelling sessions for younger children in libraries!
You work with veterans too, can you tell us how and what this involves?
A big part of my job is working closely with veterans and partnering with other veteran organisations. It’s really special here in Northern Ireland because we all look out for one another and our goal is to always put the veteran first. I often attend veteran breakfasts, lunches, events, and roadshows, which I love. At these gatherings, I share what we have to offer and chat about all the great resources available to veterans. Afterwards, I usually get a flurry of people coming up to me, eager to talk, pick out a book, and learn more about our book clubs!
What are your favourite aspects of your job?
I have so many reasons to love my job. First and foremost, I am truly passionate about who we are and what we do. I love our goal of supporting people to read together. I enjoy discussing this with military and veteran families at events, as they sometimes don’t realise how impactful it can be. The positive feedback I receive always brings a smile to my face.
I also value the opportunity to engage with military families here. Many of them are away from their home countries, which allows me to relate to their experiences. Until last year, I hadn’t lived at home for 18 years, and I spent 10 of those years in Europe!
Additionally, when I speak with veterans, I love listening to their stories. I learn so much from them and feel privileged to have those conversations. There are many charities we collaborate with, and I appreciate how we all look out for each other, sharing information about our respective organisations with veterans.
You have achieved a lot in your time working with RF – not least you have just received the Bronze Award for Veteran Group of the Year at the NI Veterans Awards Ireland – well done! Do you have particular ambitions/ideas you would like to see in action?
Thank you. I’m delighted we won the award; it shows how far we have come and that we are being recognised for the fantastic work we do. We have had five book clubs in NI this year so far, my goal for next year is to double that! I also want to make sure we are reaching EVERY military and veteran family in NI. I want to continue visiting and attending as many events as I possibly can!
You are a military spouse, what’s the best and worst part of being in a military family?
I had the most amazing time over the last 18 years. The friendships formed along the way, the opportunities for traveling (my children have been to 18 countries!), and being part of a supportive community have all contributed to this experience. While there are challenges, such as the stress of a spouse being deployed, the difficult times can be particularly hard, whether or not there are children involved. There’s always the worry and, of course, a sense of loneliness. Moving every few years can also be stressful, as you constantly need to start over in a new community and make new friends for both yourself and your children. Despite these challenges, they shape who we are, making us resilient and adaptable to change. This is one of the reasons I’m passionate about promoting our book clubs. Having these clubs available at UK bases and abroad can provide a lifeline for many people.
Thank you for answering these questions!
One last question, can you tell us a little about a book you’ve read recently (children’s or adult) and would you recommend it to the Reading Force community?
I read It Ends with Us and It Starts with Us before the movie came out, and I loved them! I’m a romantic at heart. Without giving away too much, I enjoyed how their journey began in childhood and how Lily made the right decision in the end. My son and I still read together every night before bed; we take turns reading. Currently, we are reading Danny the Champion of the World, and so far, it’s been great! We ended on a cliffhanger last night: Danny was getting worried because his dad hadn’t come home yet, and he was about to get in the car…
Reading Force would like to acknowledge and thank the Northern Ireland National Lottery Community Fund for making this role and work possible.
