Army Families Federation tours soldiers’ accommodation

The head of a leading organisation for Army families visited Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) this month, to view the new and improved infrastructure being delivered both behind and outside the wire for the Army Basing Programme (ABP).

Sara Baade, Chief Executive of the Army Families Federation (AFF), and Collette Musgrave, Overseas Director, were invited to Project Allenby/Connaught (PAC) on Tuesday 13 March.  The AFF is the independent voice of Army families, working to improve the quality of life for Service dependants worldwide.

The visitors were hosted by Major General Richard Wardlaw OBE, Director Basing & Infrastructure, and Warren Webster, ABP Programme Manager.  The visit began with a briefing at the Lovell site office, the contractor responsible for delivering 917 Service Families Accommodation (SFA) across SPTA for the ABP.  This included a presentation by Allan Thomson, Chief Executive of Aspire Defence Limited, on Aspire’s delivery of new single living and working accommodation on PAC garrisons.

During the afternoon the visiting party toured various local ABP sites, from the Ashdown Estate in Tidworth, where 322 SFA homes were recently completed, to Kiwi School in Bulford and the construction site of St Michael’s School in Larkhill.  St Michael’s has been relocated from Figheldean and will be adjacent to the new SFA site at Larkhill Garrison.  Pupil numbers at both schools will increase under ABP to cater for Service children relocating to the area, with provision for 150 primary places at Bulford and 420 at Larkhill, alongside a further 60 early years’ places.

A tour of ABP works behind the wire at Larkhill rounded off the tour, including technical buildings and Junior Ranks’ diner, showcasing the variety of assets under construction.

Allan said:

AFF does vital work keeping Army families up to date with latest defence developments.  This was an excellent opportunity to welcome members of their senior team onto site to demonstrate the high standard of accommodation being provided under ABP, both for single soldiers living on garrison and for military families relocating to this area.”

Photo caption: Jeremy Parker, Requirements Manager (DIO), explains the construction work underway at Larkhill (left to right) – Collette Musgrave, AFF Overseas Director; Sara Baade, AFF CE; Allan Thomson, CE ADL; Alan Curtis, Project Manager ADCW; Warren Webster, ABP Programme Manager; Jeremy Parker; Maj Gen Richard Wardlaw OBE, Director Basing & Infrastructure