Useful Defence Statistics
Diane Allen OBE
Author | Defence & Business Transformation Lead | Veteran
APRIL 2025 - PROJECT LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT
I am delighted to announce the research project ‘Building the Bigger Picture: Establishing a dataset to understand ex-service person’s experiences in the UK Armed Forces, and address gendered harms’, in collaboration with the Centre for Military Women’s Research, at Anglia Ruskin University. This project aims to create the largest dataset of veteran’s stories to support large-scale academic research. As part of this project we will invite those who have previously shared their stories via the Forewarned Inbox to add their narrative to this dataset should they wish to. By building this archive dataset, we hope to explore known challenges and drive actionable recommendations for change, to better support both veterans and serving personnel.
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If you have previously shared your story via the Forewarned Inbox, I will be writing to each of you, to share this opportunity for you to get involved in this project, if you wish. I want to take this moment to assure you the research team from the Centre for Military Women’s research do not know who has shared their stories via this inbox, and nothing has or will happen to what you have shared with me automatically and nor will it in the future without your explicit consent. Your right to confidentiality is of upmost importance.
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If you do want to take part, please read the participant information sheet, and contact me to express your interest. I will then follow up to answer any questions and go through the consent process with you.
Taking Part
The participant information sheet, provides more information about the project if you are interested, including how you can get involved should you wish to. There is no obligation to read the attached nor to take part. This project aims to create a dataset of ex-serviceperson’s stories, sometimes referred to as narratives, in order to better understand their experiences, identify common challenges and drive actionable recommendations for change.
I’m afraid the project is unable to accept the stories/narratives from currently serving personnel due to access restrictions – although the University recognises the value that these stories/narratives hold. While this research programme is unable to capture the narratives of serving women and men, I am happy to continue to hold those stories, separately, on my website and will continue to use them to write collated analysis to parliament, as it’s important to get all voices heard (serving and veterans), within UK guidelines.
What is the project asking from me?
The research team are not asking you to undertake a new survey or attend an interview.
If you decided you would like to take part, the first step is to respond to me by email to let me know you are interested or ask any questions you might have. If you’d like to take part at that point, we will go through a quick consent process together. After this, if you are happy then I will share with the research team your original email narrative that you sent to the forewarned inbox having made sure that your name and any personal details are removed. However, there will be the opportunity to remove details from or add to your previous narrative, if you wish. In these cases, I will then share your amended narrative.
I am now part of telling that story...
The Defence Select Committee Inquiry into the experiences of many women and some men, in the Armed Forces continues annually, still finding serious shortcomings. For the first time in 2025 , the review showed areas of 'glacial progress' but with many problems still evident and a more hostile attitude towards victims reporting sexual assaults, due to the new Zero tolerance policy. Early findings suggest the poor service complaints process and ongoing coercion/involvement of the chain of command are the most significant areas of harm.
These annual reviews followed on from MP Sarah Atherton conducting an inquiry, in 2021. Over 4000 women shared their experiences. The Inquiry found severe issues, with progress reviews in 2022 and 2023 showing little progress. The MoD continues to delay responding to the recommendations, blocking necessary changes to legislation. The MoD's continuing denial of an issue contributes to the plunging recruitment and retention numbers in the armed forces.
We are delighted to how now found a partner, in the Centre for Military Women's Research, to conduct further research on the evidence we hold - with appropriate consents. We now have a proper place to tell our experiences and make sure our collective voices continue to be heard.
