Armed Forces Conference 2026
The Bridge for Heroes are thrilled to be running a 3rd annual East of England Armed Forces Conference, as part of their project, Veterans Voice (part of the Thrive Together Programme, funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust). The conference is being held on 23rd April 2026, 9am to 5pm, at Newmarket Racecourses Conference Centre.
Our sector and those working in it are facing significant changes due to restructuring and funding challenges. During the day, we will hear from various speakers about how they are adapting to change to sustain support for the Armed Forces Community. We will also be holding several workshops, sharing ideas and focusing on the collaboration and impacts our work is having across the region.
In order to help us plan numbers and ensure your place, please register for a ticket. As more information about speakers becomes available, you’ll be the first to receive more details.
In 2025, the conference welcomed key speakers from a wide range of organisations working in the Armed Forces community, including:
- Anna Wright, CEO, Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust
- Darren Hickie, Programme Manager, Thrive Together East, The Bridge for Heroes
- Kath Hutton, Armed Forces Support Officer, James Paget University Hospitals NHS FT
- Andrew Taylor, Norfolk Armed Forces Commissioner
- Kate Hinchcliff, Armed Forces & Support Programmes Team Lead, and Sarah Potter, Mental Health and Wellbeing Manager, Suffolk Family Carers
- NHS Op COURAGE Regional Lead East of England
- Stephen Heard, Vice Chair East of England VAPC
- Diane Palmer, Associate Clinical Director - Adults, Keys Group
Our 2025 Armed Forces Conference received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees. Key themes from the feedback included networking, collaboration, professionalism, learning, impact, and enjoyment. Comments from attendees described the conference as “impactful”, “a terrific job of bringing together key stakeholders”, and “a true demonstration of collaboration and shared learning.”
Click here to find out more about the conference, including videos of the speakers and their presentations, photos and workshop findings: Conference 2025
