A couple of my mates knew that I was suffering a little bit and they say, ‘how are you Liz,’ and I [was] like ‘ohh yeah living the dream’ and if they asked a second time, it was sometimes enough to crack the egg shell. I was able to meet several amazing women including Erin Kennedy MBE 🥇 I was also extremely thrilled to welcome my nominees Nicky Roberts (LIO North Wales Police), Liz McConaghy (Chinook crewman, author and public speaker) and Penny Brockman from the Central Beacons mountain rescue team to the lunch. Liz McConaghy, from a small town in County Down, spent a total of seventeen years flying with the RAF's Chinook Fleet.

Deployed twice to Iraq and ten times to Afghanistan, Liz struggled with her mental health feeling detached emotionally and suicidal. That’s the only protection, the rest of the aircraft is just like a big bullet magnet and it’s quite a big target. Flying into war zones to rescue severely wounded soldiers, Liz flew the Boeing CH-47 Chinook – often referred to as the ‘flying ambulance’.

But she also knows the experience almost killed her and wants others in a similar position to know they can get help. Our roster includes athletes, psychologists, celebrities and more, to ensure that audiences of all demographics receive tailored, impactful mental health guidance. Does McConaghy have any words of wisdom for people thinking of following the same kind of career path?

I am so very grateful to Lady Louise Vaughan who entrusted me with the responsibility to be a table host. As an ambassador for mental health, with a focus on PTSD among veterans, I want to emphasise that our struggles need not define us. It was never written in any way to be read by anyone, never mind the whole world, but seemingly everyone has really enjoyed it. The unmistakable thud of a dozen rotor blades from the two RAF Chinooks echoed across the desert and poppy fields as the helicopters barrelled into hostile territory.When asked what her advice would be to a young aspiring pilot, perhaps one who thought ‘there’s no way I can do what Liz does,’ she said : “forget stigma, be brave, be bold and really trust in yourself and be really proud of what you do. Just like anything in our body that breaks, with time, rest and the right people to help you recover, we can mend our broken brains. In 2005, Liz was first deployed to Afghanistan and she’d go on to complete 10 tours as part of the medical helicopter response team providing emergency assistance to wounded personnel. With the support of the veterans' system, McConaghy began her recovery journey, recognising how crucial that support network was to her survival. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average.