Paul Taylor developed a keen interest in the Army on his paper round during the Falklands War in 1982. He remembers being fascinated by the unfolding events and often sat down to read the latest news on his round.

Paul joined the Army in 1985, selecting the infantry and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers as his Regiment and stayed with them for 26 years. He took part in many military operations and believes that the most important thing he learnt when he was on them was leadership.

He also developed an understanding of the linkage between the military taking part in operations and disaster management and firmly believes that when you are on those type of deployments you are not managing but leading people and it is that skill that he has brought with him to civilian life.

When Paul left the Army, he immediately pursued a career in the outdoors until 2015 when the Nepal earthquake hit. He recalls that it was almost a lightbulb moment for him, and he immediately volunteered to help.

It was here that he saw for the first time the enormous impact that small groups of determined people could make in a post-disaster environment. Since this first deployment, Paul has been on a further 22 humanitarian deployments and sees himself contributing to more in the future. 

He said: “I think the most important thing that the army has taught me that I use in my role day-to-day, is the importance of teamwork and that you achieve very little in isolation. It’s making the most of the people that you have got around you, drawing all that knowledge and experience together and harnessing and steering it towards the completion of the task”.​