Swindon Trauma Group 15th Annual Conference

Date: Friday 11 September 2026, 09:00 – 17:30

Venue: Kennet Suite, Doubletree by Hilton, Lydiard Fields, Great Western Way, Swindon, SN5 8UZ

Dress: Casual but smart

Cost: £75.00 per delegate | £45.00 for STG members and past STG presenters

How psychology and psychotherapy has developed and changed since the 1960s

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“Man’s inhumanity to man / makes countless thousands mourn!”

— Robert Burns

Programme (subject to change)

About Our Speakers

Emma Kneebone Deputy CEO & Director of Transformation and Strategy, 2wish Upon a Star

Emma has a background in service delivery and since 2005 has developed services within health and social care settings relating to violence against women. Her own experience of loss — her brother Allen was murdered in 2001, when Emma was 16 — shapes her understanding of how tragedy can shatter a family, and the importance of support from family, friends and society in coping with it.

Dr Justin Havens FdA BA BEng MSc PhD MBACP, EMDR Consultant Therapist

Justin was awarded his PhD by Anglia Ruskin University's Veterans and Families Institute for research into brief, powerful self-help interventions for resolving nightmares. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) was discovered by Dr Francine Shapiro in 1987 and has since gained global recognition as a well-researched, evidence-based psychological treatment.

Keith Hilling MA BA

The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St James) is a pilgrimage route dating back to the 9th century. Keith will walk from Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre with his brother Graham this August, through the scenery of northern Spain made famous by the film The Way.

Dr Richard Castle PhD AFBPsS C.Psychol

Richard is a trauma psychologist based in Stroud with a particular interest in the aftermath of disasters and humanitarian aid scenarios. He served in the RAF until 2012, reaching the rank of Group Captain, and led the introduction of mental health awareness training within the RAF — including the first evidence-based Stress Management and Resilience Policy (2009) — as well as a tri-service initiative. He is a survivor of the 1999 Paddington rail disaster, which shaped his interest in trauma, and oversaw the community psychosocial rehabilitation project following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

Lt Col (Retd) Baz Melia MBE Head of Programme, RHQ The Rifles, Peninsula Barracks, Winchester

Baz describes himself as very much a Rifleman, having risen through the ranks from Rifleman to Lieutenant Colonel. The Always a Rifleman Programme provides support to Rifles members — regular soldiers and veterans alike — in the first few hours of a mental health emergency, and substantial support thereafter.

Dining & Practical Information

Evening Dinner

A set 2- or 3-course meal will be served in the 14Twelve Restaurant at 19:30 hrs for delegates, speakers and STG members who wish to stay: £40.00 (two courses) or £42.00 (three courses), including tea or coffee. Please let Swindon Trauma Group know in advance if you wish to dine.

Prize Draws

There will be two draws on the day in aid of Swindon Trauma Group and Swindon Wrens (Association of Wrens). Each draw includes a prize of afternoon tea for two at the Doubletree by Hilton. Tickets are £2.50 each.

Proceeds

Proceeds from the conference, after expenses, will go to Swindon Trauma Group.

Thanks

Swindon Trauma Group wishes to thank all speakers for giving their time free of charge, and the Doubletree by Hilton and Kingston House for their support.

“We will fly, we will fly, we will let go”

— Beth Nielsen Chapman

Swindon Trauma Group wishes everyone a safe journey home.

Reference: bethnielsenchapman.com, regarding the quote at the end of a very moving song.