How a Programme for UK Armed Forces Spouses Became an International Model for Transformational Change
Last month in San Diego, something extraordinary happened.
Surrounded by coaching leaders from around the world, I had the honour of receiving the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Coaching Impact Award – Social Impact, Emerging Catalyst for my work creating the UK Armed Forces Spouse Personal Development Programme.
As I stood on that stage, looking out across a room filled with people who believe deeply in the power of human potential, one thought kept coming back to me:
This award belongs just as much to the courageous Armed Forces spouses who have trusted this programme with their stories, their struggles, and their hopes.
This project began as a collaboration between Warwickshire County Council and the Armed Covenant Fund Trust, originally intended for local spouses challenged by the demands of military life. But when Covid forced us to move online, something unexpected – and beautiful – happened:
Applications began arriving from across the world, from Brunei to Cyprus, from Australia to Kenya.
Wherever Armed Forces families were posted, one truth was universal:
Spouses were carrying immense strength, but also immense weight – disrupted careers, constant relocation, isolation, and a sense of losing themselves along the way.
And yet, session after session, we witnessed the same thing:
✨ Confidence returning
✨ Clarity emerging
✨ Goals forming
✨ Barriers dissolving
✨ Futures opening
.As one of our early participants, Rebecca, reflected:
“What surprised me was the speed of change in everyone’s thinking and actions. Everyone on the course spoke of fundamental change to their lives in just 10 weeks.”
Those changes were not just emotional – they were measurable.
Across multiple cohorts, spouses reported statistically significant increases across 12 of 14 well-being and career indicators, including confidence, personal growth, work satisfaction, and feelings of support. (Read more about the results here.)
The moment everything changed
Perhaps the most profound impact has been what happened after funding for the programme ended.
Not wanting such a proven, life-changing programme to simply disappear, I approached our first 60 graduates, to offer them a partnership.
Over a third of them stepped forward – spouses who had experienced deep transformation and wanted to pay it forward.
Together, we imagined something bigger than a 10-week coaching programme.
Something permanent.
Something available 24/7.
Something that allowed spouses to continue supporting one another, long after the structured sessions ended.
And so, the Global Dragonflies Community was born.
What began as a pilot has now become an emerging global network — a ripple of empowerment, compassion, resilience, and possibility.
Graduates supporting graduates.
Women mentoring women.
Spouses lifting one another through transitions, relocations, and reinventions.
This is why the ICF’s recognition feels so meaningful.
More than an award – a recognition of collective courage
The award celebrates not only the professional coaching behind the programme, but the courage of the spouses who showed up – even when exhausted, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin – and allowed themselves to grow.
It also honours the organisations who believed in this vision from the beginning:
- Warwickshire County Council
- The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust
- Army, Naval and RAF Families Federations
- Covenant leads and partners across local authorities
- Countless advocates within the Forces community
As Councillor Edward Harris shared:
“That we have been able to reach an international audience is testament to the quality of the programme and the coaching.”
To me, the heart of this work has always been simple:
When you give people a safe space to be seen, heard, and believed in – their lives change, their families change, and their communities change.
That is the power of coaching.
That is the power of compassion.
And that is what this award truly represents.
Looking ahead: scaling support for spouses everywhere
I am deeply grateful to the International Coaching Federation – not only for this honour, but for recognising the importance of supporting spouses who serve behind the scenes of service life.
These families deserve the world.
And this is only the beginning.
As Your New Wings continues to grow – and as our new Essential and Core programme versions make this support even more accessible – we look forward to reaching even more spouses, in even more countries, who are ready to reclaim their confidence, direction, and joy.
To every spouse who has walked this journey with us: thank you.
Your courage is the reason this programme exists.
Your growth is the reason it continues.
And your stories are the reason this award is now sitting on my desk.
With love, pride, and deep gratitude,
Tina
Founder, Your New Wings
ICF Professional Certified Coach
ICF Coaching Impact Award Winner 2025
P.S. To explore the wider five-year journey that led to this award — including our impact data and the birth of the Global Dragonfly Community — you can read our reflection piece here.
We invite you to visit tina-smith.com to explore more of Tina’s work including training to become a coach