I am currently on Easter recess; a time where MPs return from Westminster to work in their constituencies.

I personally enjoy this period immensely, as not only is it nice to spend more time at home in Ipswich, but it is also great opportunity and privilege to do more work in the constituency and meet with even more constituents than normal.

Speaking of working with constituents, this week I had a very interesting meeting with Nigel Siemen. Nigel is the founder of the fantastic organisation Combat2Coffee.

Nigel, who himself served our country in the army for 12 years, set this organisation up, after being diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Whilst on a six-week trauma related course, Nigel realised how much other veterans and serving personnel felt they could open up over a cup of coffee and how in that casual and communal setting of engaging in friendly conversation over a drink, other veterans felt comfortable to discuss their own personal challenges and receive support and advice from each other.

Nigel realised that there was not an adequate support network around these people so in 2018 founded Combat2Coffee, providing essential outreach to veterans and their families through mobile coffee vans. In fact, Nigel introduced the Combat2Coffee project to me at my first ever surgery when I was first elected MP for Ipswich.

At our meeting this week me and Nigel were also joined by former England Captain and Ipswich Town legend Terry Butcher, who was at the helm of the England team during the semi-finals of the 1990 world cup and was also part of the Ipswich side that won the 1981 UEFA cup.

He is just one of the local people who is supporting Nigel’s fantastic organisation.

As we were conversing, the subject of my new All Party Parliamentary Group for Neurodiversity in Defence and National Security came up.

Both Nigel and Terry were very keen to support me. Nigel himself has ADHD and Terry has had experience with a neurodiverse family member who has been in the military and not received adequate support.

In fact, during our discussion, they made me see the role of my new APPG from a slightly different perspective. When establishing my APPG, I thought of it as a vehicle from which to help campaign for easier access into the military and defence, with a special interest in Cyber Security, removing some of the barriers faced by neurodiverse people when applying for the military.

However, Terry and Nigel proposed that it would also be a good idea to look at how support could be tailored to said people whilst they are in the military and potentially once their service has concluded. I think this a great suggestion and has made me see how the scope and remit for my APPG could broaden in the future as it grows.

Both Nigel and Terry have agreed to give evidence to contribute to the APPGs report. The experience of being in the armed forces is very unique and unlike all other careers. It is potentially deeply traumatic for those who put their lives on the line to keep our nation safe.

Therefore, the support package offered for those who serve must be equally unique and tailored to the specific needs and requirements of those within the military. Nigel also informed me of the potential link between those who have ADHD and their increased likelihood of developing PTSD, this further takes the work the group does on neurodiversity in the military into other important territory.

It has been great to work with these two inspirational Ipswich residents, who have not only given me a new angle and insight on work I am doing in Westminster in aid of the neurodiverse who are involved in defence, but also have strengthened and bolstered it going forward.