Richard Barclay, a local veteran from Nottingham, has been selected to join the Full Circle Expedition – an epic 2,000-nautical-mile adventure around the UK, supporting the recovery, resilience, and reconnection of wounded, injured and sick (WIS) veterans and serving personnel.
The expedition is coordinated by veteran sailing charity Turn to Starboard and delivered in partnership with Invictus Games Birmingham 2027.
Richard was invited to join the expedition to help him re-engage with, and support, other veterans who have suffered physical or mental trauma in the line of duty.
“As a veteran myself, I’ve experienced the challenges of leaving the forces and making a life in the wider world. It can be tough. Through that, I can understand both their lives in the military, and the challenges they have faced outside of it.
“My hope for the expedition was not only to enjoy the wilds of the sea; the camaraderie of the crew; and the spectacular Scottish scenery – but to also give back. To help others who are struggling to find their path.”
Full Circle will see two traditionally rigged tall ships, Spirit of Falmouth and Pellew, crewed by a rotating team of 70 wounded, injured and sick (WIS) veterans sail around the UK. The 12-week expedition sets sail from Falmouth on 17 March 2026, visiting 23 ports across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before returning home in June.
Richard joined the third leg ‘adventure’ of the expedition, sailing from Leith (Edinburgh) to Oban
Throughout the journey, the crew will carry the Invictus Games Flag around the UK, raising it at each port to build momentum towards Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 and its one-year-to-go milestone at the NEC in July 2026.
Founded by Prince Harry in 2014, the Invictus Games is an international adaptive sporting event using the power of sport to support the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.
Richard was born in Germany as his father (a Scotsman from Glasgow) was in the Scots Greys serving with the British Army on the Rhine.
Richard joined the Royal Navy straight from the school when he was 17. “I knew I wanted to be in the military, after experiencing the values my father had in the Army and the sense of community.
“I remember turning up at HMS Raleigh in Devon in 1981 for my basic training and feeling very apprehensive, but also curious and keen to be fully committed to the training. Being at a Naval school beforehand gave me the confidence to help others who may have been struggling on the training, as for most it was the first time they had been away from home.”
Richard then went on to do specialist training as a Weapons Engineering Mechanic Radio (WEMR) at HMS Collingwood in Fareham in Hampshire, which involved fault-finding and repairing the Royal Navy’s radio, radar, sonar and communications equipment.
Richard added; “Halfway through training I made the decision to specialise on submarine electronic systems and after further training in HMS Dolphin, I was sent to HMS Resolution, based in Faslane, Scotland, a Polaris Class submarine forming part of the UK nuclear deterrent.
“I spend 6 months gaining my submariner qualification then served on a number of active patrols, some of which saw us submerged for up to 4 months without surfacing and also trained for secondary roles as a Ships Diver and Medical First Responder.
“I eventually served across two of the Polaris submarines, HMS Resolution and HMS Repulse while based in Faslane, and then on HMS Renown. For the last two years, I served at HMS Neptune in Faslane, in a shore-based role running a small team supporting the deployment of submarine towed arrays and retrieval of torpedoes across the West Coast of Scotland, using specialised tugs and land vehicles. I left in 1989 as an acting PO WEMR.”
Richard found leaving military service difficult. Having to provide 18 months’ notice, he had no idea which jobs would be available when he left.
“Once you are out, you go from having a huge support network, to nothing overnight,” added Richard. “I had no local friends as had never lived in the UK and work colleagues didn’t understand my background, so it was back to square one.
“I was lucky though and did various odd jobs for six months and then with my willingness to relocate, I got a full-time position at a telecommunications company in Nottingham.
“The work ethic that had been drilled into me from the Navy meant I stood out and soon progressed my career, eventually working across many large US companies in mobile networks.”
With his children now grown-up, Richard can dedicate more of his time to doing voluntary work. Richard added; “Having re-qualified as a Emergency Medical Technician with St John Ambulance, I currently work with public events across the UK, many of them military and I also help with the NHS Midlands Critical Care Transfer Service (MCCTS) ambulances around the East and West Midlands.
“When I do find spare time, I have also raised funds for various charities linked to the Royal Navy, through a variety of challenges.”
The voyage is also raising £300,000 to enable Turn to Starboard to purchase a second tall ship, so that the charity can support more veterans facing challenges such as PTSD, physical injury, isolation and loss of confidence. To donate to Full Circle, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/t2sfullcircle
The expedition also forms part of the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 Impact Strategy, creating meaningful recovery opportunities while building national awareness and engagement ahead of the Games.
To follow the expedition on social media, visit www.turntostarboard.co.uk and www.invictusgames2027.org; and follow progress through Instagram (@fullcirclet2s and @Birmingham_2027), TikTok (fullcirclet2s and weareinvictusgames), Facebook (Full Circle T2S and Invictus Games Birmingham 2027), X (@Birmingham2027) and LinkedIn (Turn to Starboard and Invictus Games Birmingham 2027).
Turn to Starboard would like to thank the Invictus Games Foundation, Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, principal partner ATCO and our founding partner AirTanker; and partners – Team Forces, Palo Alto, Forces Support and Just Giving; and official supporters – Aku, Gill, Morrisons, Mustang Survival, NSSLGlobal and SunGod for supporting the Full Circle Expedition.
