Page 106 - AGC Journal 2018

AGC JOURNAL 2018

Life as a Working Mum Escape Rooms

By Corporal Samantha Slater By Corporal Matthew McGarry

After transferring from the Royal Military Police in January 2017 to the Staff The aim of this event was to aid leading, collaborative working and
and Personnel Support Branch, I was assigned into 47 Regiment Royal communications skills amongst participants.
Artillery where I started to settle into routine within 10 Battery.
Hello and Goodbye tyres or scaffolding poles involved. A group photograph as

proof of the visit was mandatory.
Equestrian Association This was an opportunity to wish our Detachment Commander
Captain Shane Mclean well, as he returns to the Royal Army Success
Before I transferred I was heavily involved with Medical Corps. It was also a chance to welcome our new
the Corps Equestrian Association and was keen to Detachment Commander Captain Matt Pritchard. The event was a great success and was especially satisfying
stay involved; and as part of the team in my role when myself, Captain Darren Stevenson , Staff Sergeant David

as Assistant Secretary and Competition Manager. I The Escape Rooms Slack and Private Faith Darby won the day by completing all
fell pregnant and left on maternity leave in October tasks before any other teams. The event rolled nicely in to the
2017. When I left, I knew when I returned to work in evening in Stoke. This was not only a great day to improve
July 2018, there would be a lot of change; this made We arrived at the Escape Rooms in Stoke City centre and we our team cohesion, but a perfect way to say goodbye to an

me nervous. Like most people, I don’t like change. were broken down into small teams of five or six individuals.

From here we were locked into the Escape Rooms. Teams had influential Detachment Commander.
Maternity Leave one hour to complete a variety of puzzles, each one getting
progressively harder. All puzzles had to be completed, in order
to allow you to exit the rooms.
Throughout my maternity leave I continued
competing with the Equestrian Association, I used Complexity
keep in touch days to attend training and events.
Whilst on maternity leave I was selected to ride
with the Army Development Squad. This was big Each of the rooms, were divided into more rooms, which added
achievement for me as I had not long had a baby complexity and variety. The rooms were also themed, these
and my horse (Blue) and I are a new combination. I Jumping in included the Da Vinci Room and Area 51. This activity was

truly believe I could not have achieved this without the Prince of essentially glorified command tasks, but there were no ropes,
the support from members of the Corps team. Wales Cup
There have been so many moments I have wanted at Melton
to give up and have struggled to balance the new Mowbray
mum thing with competing, let alone work.
Back to Work
I returned to work in July 2018. I knew it would be
a change, but when I returned it was like moving
into a completely new unit. We had moved to new Lalbiaktluanga Georgina
buildings and there were lots of new personalities. Lalbiaktluanga, Stedman, Dylan
I also didn’t realise how much you can forget in Darren Stevenson, Agnew, Marcus
the space of nine months (I did blame a lot on baby Faith Darby, Murcott and

brain). My first few weeks in the Battery weren’t David Slack and Matt Pritchard
that bad as I had the support of my junior Lance Matthew McGarry
Corporal Hazel Santry who was very experienced
and helpful. Despite the nine months of skill fade,
it all came back to me and I was soon back up to
speed. The transition back to work wasn’t half as
bad as I had built it up to be in my mind.
Challenges and Achievements

I found it hard to leave my little girl with the child
minder and it was hard getting into an initial
routine at work, let alone squeezing my horse into
the equation too. I am lucky my serving partner is
supportive, but he is also in a very busy assignment
and is rarely home. Squeezing everything into
the day 90% of the time on my own, is hard work.
Saying all that, I do manage and I wouldn’t change
a thing; life can be chaos sometimes but I love
it. My biggest achievement of the year so far is Philip Martin,
jumping at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. It is by Show James Lambley,
far my favourite event on the equestrian calendar Jumping Shane McClean,
and never did I think I would make it there seven at Royal Emmanuel
months after having a baby and whilst still on Windsor Boateng and Harka
Horse Show
maternity leave. Rana Magar

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