4 May 2021

To: ’ Participating Nations (Team Managers, Team Staff, Competitors, Family & Friends) And Sponsors and Supporters of the Invictus Games Foundation and NHS England and NHS Improvement

Invictus Games Foundation ‘Conversation’ – Webinar

‘Learning and Emerging from the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Sport’ Wednesday, 2 June 2021 – 1400-1545 British Summer Time

The Invictus Games Foundation (IGF) is pleased to announce the next iteration of its ‘Conversation’ series as a webinar on Wednesday, 2nd June 2021 between 1400-1545 British Summer Time. Along with a number of other events, it will occur during the ‘Games Week’ when the Invictus Games The Hague 2020 would have taken place in 2021, and will be important in laying out the path to the rescheduled Games during the period 16-22 April 2022.

The IGF is very grateful to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust for enabling this webinar and to the continuing support of Ascot Rehab, the Fisher House Foundation and ISPS Handa.

Scope

The focus for this iteration of the IGF Conversation will be on the work from within IGF’s Influence pillar, as reflected in the schematic below at Figure 1. It will consider the challenges and opportunities which the Invictus community has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the use of sport has helped in addressing them, including maintaining a sense of purpose and being part of a unique community of twenty Participating Nations.

It will seek to share best practice, in how best to emerge from the pandemic as well as build momentum towards the Invictus Games in The Hague in Spring 2022.

It will also reflect on how by sharing the Invictus Spirit during the pandemic, this community has been able to assist and be an inspiration for other organisations with similar values and sense of service.

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Figure 1

Format

The Foundation was very grateful for the constructive and helpful feed-back received following the recent Competitor survey on the IGF Conversation including:

• Maximising the input of the WIS personnel and community including Family and Friends. • Including as much international input including from the Participating Nations, as possible. • Including as much discussion, interaction and practical examples as possible. • Reducing the amount of formal presentations.

The aim will be to introduce as much dialogue and conversation as possible. We are delighted that JJ Chalmers has agreed to be the facilitator for this webinar. JJ is a British television broadcaster and a public speaker. He was injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2011, while serving as a Royal Marine and competed in the inaugural Invictus Games London 2014. JJ’s full bio is enclosed in Appendix 1.

Themes

The webinar will be conducted in three parts:

1. It will first focus on a discussion between the teams and their representatives, competitors and their friends and family on their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role that sport has played in their respective experiences. The aim will be both to share best practice as well as building a sense of common purpose and identity in the Invictus community.

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2. Next, we will consider some of the key psychiatric themes which have emerged on coping with adversity and also then on building back better as we emerge from the pandemic. We are delighted that Professor Neil Greenberg will lead in this part and his bio is also enclosed at Appendix 1.

3. Finally, there will be a discussion and closing panel session, considering how the Invictus Games Foundation has been able to support the National Health Service (NHS) and its workforce in England in addressing some of the difficult moral and psychological experiences it has faced during the pandemic. This support has been built on a series of podcasts which have considered key issues such as Reconnecting with the Family following a difficult deployment; preparing for a second deployment (or COVID-19 surge); the importance of teams and networks; and the power of sport in aiding recovery and rehabilitation. These podcasts which have been shared with the NHS are available here: https://audioboom.com/channels/5030566. We are delighted that Professor Em Wilkinson- Brice will be the principal guest for this part. Her bio is also enclosed at Appendix 1.

Audience

The webinar will once again be of help and use to the WIS community, including competitors, their family and friends, team managers, national staff, experts and national representatives in the field of recovery and rehabilitation.

It is also hoped that it will be of interest to a wider audience including organisations with whom the Invictus Games Foundation is engaged, supporters, donors and sponsors.

Programme

Invictus Games Foundation ‘Conversation’ – Webinar: Wednesday, 2nd June 2021 ‘Learning and Emerging from the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Sport’ Serial Timing (BST) Activity Remarks 1. 1350-1400 Sign-in and Preparation 2. 1400-1410 Welcome and Opening Remarks

• JJ Chalmers and Dominic Reid OBE Facilitator and CEO IGF • Dignitaries and Sponsors 4. 1410-1440 Session One ‘Participating Nations, Teams, Competitors – Family & Friends – the lessons we have learned during the Coronavirus pandemic and the role of sport’ 5. Introduction by Facilitator JJ Chalmers 6. 1415-1440 Discussion facilitated by JJ Chalmers including: Facilitated by JJ • Contributions from the Team Staff of selected Chalmers including Participating Nations. compilation of examples, pre-recorded • Dialogue with Consuella Moore, coach to US video clips and Invictus Team including the value of virtual conversations in person sports and competition. • Dialogue and contributions from selected WIS and their Friends and Families from across the Participating Nations.

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7. 1440-1500 Session Two ‘Coping with Adversity and Building Back Better’ 8. Introduction by Facilitator JJ Chalmers 9. 1440-1500 Including: Professor Neil • What is the nature of stressors experienced by Greenberg – consultant frontline employees during the pandemic and academic, occupational what is moral injury? and forensic psychiatrist including • What is the evidence about how to sustain advisor to Academic psychological resilience at work in the face of Department of Military significant adversity? Mental Health, King’s • What principles should govern how staff should College London and be supported during the recovery and building CEO March on Stress back better phase of the pandemic? (www.marchonstress.com) 10. 1500-1525 Session Three ‘Sharing the Invictus Spirit – Support of the Invictus Games foundation to England’s National Health Service (NHS)’ 11. 1500-1525 Discussion facilitated by JJ Chalmers including: Discussion with: • Observations on the partnership which has been • Professor Em built between the NHS and the IGF. Wilkinson-Brice – • Observations on how this partnership has been Deputy Chief of assistance in supporting the NHS workforce People Officer, during the COVID-19 pandemic through the NHS England and Invictus community sharing relevant experiences NHS Improvement with an organisation with common values and commitment to service. And • Steve Lee – Head of Health and Wellbeing, NHS England and NHS Improvement 12. 1530-1545 Closing Panel, Discussion and Concluding Facilitated by JJ Comments Chalmers and including Consuella Moore, Professor Neil Greenberg, Professor Em Wilkinson-Brice, Steve Lee and Air Vice Marshall Rich Withnall (Warrior Care 21st Century Conference)

Registration

The webinar will be conducted on the ReAttendance platform and all attendees will be requested to register in advance for the event. It is requested that the registration process is completed by Wednesday, 26 May 2021. Tickets are free.

To register for the event please follow the below link: https://igfconversation.eventbrite.co.uk

Closer to the event date, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the webinar. 4

Summary

It is very much hoped that this iteration of the ’IGF Conversation’ will be of real interest to the Participating Nations and the wider Invictus community. The principal intent is to consider the key themes and lessons arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, including the role of sport and sharing best practice. Our hope is that we can show that the IGF’s impact and the Invictus Spirit are relevant beyond the Invictus community.

Please do pass the details of this event to your networks and those who might be interested.

We very much look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, 2nd June 2021.

R Smith CBE Operations Director Invictus Games Foundation

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Appendix One: Biographies

JJ Chalmers

JJ Chalmers is a TV Presenter with a remarkable story. The career of the former Royal Marine Commando was cut short after he suffered life-changing injuries following an IED explosion in Afghanistan. After years of rehabilitation, JJ went on to compete in the 2014 Invictus Games where he captained the Trike Cycling team and took home three medals. As a spokesperson for this inaugural Invictus Games JJ got an insight into TV during the publicity rounds and seeking a new and thrilling adventure led JJ to embark on a broadcasting career.

He hit the ground running in 2016 with a Studio Presenter role for the Rio Paralympics and since 2017 has anchored BBC1's coverage of the Invictus Games. JJ has become a key part of the BBC's sports team with highlights including The Commonwealth Games and The London Marathon. As part of the BBC's Ceremonial coverage JJ commentates on The Lord Mayor's Show and considers himself privileged to have been involved in the D Day Memorial programming. Other BBC credits include , BBC Breakfast, Getaways, Wild Escapes, Pilgrimage, The People Remember and the acclaimed documentary for Radio 5 Live From Helmand and Back. Last year saw JJ join the cast of on BBC1 dancing all the way to the Quarter Finals. While 2021 sees JJ present BBC1's Money For Nothing showcasing his crafting and design skills. Plus, he'll be an integral part of the BBC1's Olympic presenter squad and Channel Four's Paralympics coverage this Summer.

JJ is a Patron for Help For Heroes.

Professor Neil Greenberg, Professor of Defence Mental Health BM, BSc, MMedSc, FHEA, MFMLM, DOccMed, MInstLM, MEWI, MFFLM, MD, FRCPsych

Professor Neil Greenberg is a consultant academic, occupational and forensic psychiatrist based at King’s College London. Neil served in the Armed Forces for more than 23 years and has deployed, as a psychiatrist and researcher, to a number of hostile environments including Afghanistan and Iraq. At King’s Neil leads on a number of military mental health projects and is a principal investigator within a nationally funded Health Protection Research unit. He also chairs the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) Special Interest Group in Occupational Psychiatry. Neil has published more than 300 scientific papers and book chapters and has been the Secretary of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the President of the UK Psychological Trauma Society and Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Neil has worked closely with NHSEI, PHE and has published widely on psychological support for healthcare, and other key workers.

Professor Em Wilkinson-Brice Deputy Chief People Officer, NHS England and NHS Improvement

Professor Em Wilkinson-Brice is the Deputy Chief People Officer at NHS England and NHS Improvement. She is responsible for implementation of the NHS People Plan, staff recruitment and retention, workforce planning and supply as well as leading on responding to the workforce challenges

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of COVID-19 and our transition from the pandemic to elective recovery of services.

She first qualified as a nurse in 1992 in Exeter, then worked in Oxford, specialising in cardiology and high dependency care, developing an interest in facilities management which later resulted in Em taking the post of Director of Nursing and Facilities at Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, before coming back to Exeter in July 2010. During her time at the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Trust, Em has undertaken numerous executive roles alongside the Chief Nurse role, including Chief Operating Officer & Deputy Chief Executive, leading on integration across Devon for the STP. In recognition of the close working partnership between the Trust and the 2 local universities, Em was appointed Associate Professor Faculty of Health and Human Sciences at both Exeter and Plymouth Universities. Em has a keen interest in people, health & wellbeing & organisational culture; believing that a treasured workforce creates a culture where patient care is of the highest standard.

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