Veteran Welfare Past and Present



Overview

‘They that have received any hurt or loss by the wars ought to be liberally provided for, and comfortably maintained all their days, by them that set them forth’, preached the parliamentarian chaplain Robert Ram, in his Soldier’s Catechism of 1644.

This principle, first deeply established during the British Civil Wars, marked the beginning of the state's recognition of its unique obligations to the welfare of its military veterans and war widows. Today this is laid down in the Armed Forces Covenant.

This day school brings the past and present together by exploring the foundations of military welfare in the 17th century, and then comparing it with the experience of veterans and their families after modern conflicts. The day will ask how extensive was welfare provision for wounded veterans and war widows during the 1640s, and how does this compare to today?

The speakers will highlight the challenges that veterans with disabilities and war widows faced then and now, as well as the ways in which they could/can draw upon help and support. We will discuss whether military welfare has been considered an entitlement or a privilege and the ways in which the state makes its granting conditional. We will explore what welfare mechanisms are in place today that was not there during the 1640s, as well as what we might still learn from the seventeenth century.

Please note: this event will close to enrolments at 23:59 BST on 14 May 2025.

Programme details

9.45am:
Registration at Rewley House reception (for in-person attendees)

10am:
Maimed and wounded soldiers during and after the English Civil Wars
Andrew Hopper

11.15am:
Tea/coffee break

11.45am:
Excavating Wellness: The Impact of Heritage-Based Interventions on the Mental Health and Social Reintegration of UK Veterans
Richard 'Dickie' Bennett

1pm:
Lunch break

2pm:
Widowhood and bereavement during and after the English Civil Wars
Andrew Hopper

3.15pm:
Tea/coffee break

3.45pm:
Recompense for loss: contemporary veteran welfare
Martin Bricknell

5pm: 
End of day

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee - in-person attendance (includes tea/coffee) £120.00
Course Fee - virtual attendance £110.00
Baguette Lunch £7.30
Hot Lunch £19.25

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit or are a full-time student in the UK you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees.

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutors

Mr Richard 'Dickie' Bennett

Speaker

Richard “Dickie” Bennett is a researcher and practitioner specialising in heritage-based wellbeing interventions for veterans, with a focus on mental health, recovery, and social reintegration. As Director of Services at Breaking Ground Heritage and a PhD candidate at Solent University, his work explores how archaeological engagement can meaningfully support those transitioning from military to civilian life. He has led pioneering studies with Operation Nightingale, demonstrating measurable improvements in wellbeing through heritage participation. Dickie brings both lived experience and academic insight, making him uniquely placed to speak on the evolving landscape of veterans' welfare.

Prof Andrew Hopper

Speaker and Course Director

Andrew Hopper has been Professor of Local and Social History in the Department for Continuing Education at the University of Oxford since 2021. Previously Andrew taught History at the Universities of East Anglia, Birmingham and Leicester. He is the author of Black Tom: Sir Thomas Fairfax and the English Revolution (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2007), and Turncoats and Renegadoes: Changing Sides during the English Civil Wars (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012). He is the Principal Investigator of the AHRC-funded Civil War Petitions Project and is currently working on his third monograph Widowhood and Bereavement during and after the English Civil Wars for Oxford University Press. Andrew is patron of the Naseby Battlefield Project and chairman of the editorial board of Midland History. He was appointed a Fellow of the Society for Army Historical Research in 2024.

Prof Martin Bricknell

Speaker

Professor Bricknell was appointed as Professor of Conflict, Health and Military Medicine at King’s College London in April 2019 after serving 34 years in the UK Defence Medical Services, culminating as the Surgeon General of the UK Armed Forces. He undertook operational tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Balkans with numerous additional overseas assignments. He was awarded the Companion of the Order of Bath, the Order of St John and the US Bronze Star during his military service. He is an accredited specialist in General Practice, Public Health and Occupational Medicine.

Application

Please use the 'Book' button on this page. Alternatively, please contact us to obtain an application form.

Accommodation

Accommodation is not included in the price, but if you wish to stay with us the night before the course, then please contact our Residential Centre.

Accommodation in Rewley House - all bedrooms are modern, comfortably furnished and each room has tea and coffee making facilities, Freeview television, and Free WiFi and private bath or shower rooms. Please contact our Residential Centre on +44 (0) 1865 270362 or email res-ctr@conted.ox.ac.uk for details of availability and discounted prices. For more information, please see our website: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/accommodation

IT requirements

For those joining us online

We will be using Zoom for the livestreaming of this event. If you’re attending online, you’ll be able to see and hear the speakers, and to submit questions via the Zoom interface. Joining instructions will be sent out prior to the start date. We recommend that you join the session at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start time – just as you might arrive a bit early at our lecture theatre for an in-person event.

Please note that this course will not be recorded.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support