Gill Charlton, a military spouse and a veteran, served 24 years in the army but swapped service for ceremonies to forge a new career as a celebrant.
Celebrants perform wedding and civil partnership celebration ceremonies, vow renewal ceremonies, naming ceremonies and celebration of life ceremonies.
Her time in the military saw Gill serve in the Royal Signals, Intelligence Corps and Adjutant General’s Corps as part of the Army Welfare Service.
MARKING MILESTONES
She is neurodivergent and has overcome both cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but far from dwelling on the past, she is always on the lookout for opportunities to use her experience to support others through the power of storytelling. In her capacity as a celebrant, the telling of other people’s stories is crucial as she marks the major milestones of life.
Gill’s journey was supported by X-Forces Enterprise (XFE), which provides self-employment training, mentoring and funding for members of the armed forces community.
“I was lucky to have access to training opportunities delivered by XFE,” Gill says. “These provided me with an insight into the fundamentals of small business ownership and connected me with other veterans on similar journeys. This in turn gave me the confidence to go forward with my decision.
“Running my own business gives me flexibility to manage my time around existing family and personal commitments, which is really important to me, particularly with the additional challenges of being a service spouse.”
PERSONALISED CEREMONIES
As a professionally trained, independent celebrant, Gill creates and delivers bespoke, personalised ceremonies.
As she’s not tied to any religion or formal legal requirements, the ceremonies can be as traditional or unique as her clients wish.
Martin Wing, Co-CEO at X-Forces Enterprise, said: “Gillian’s journey is a testament to resilience. At XFE, we are proud to have supported Gill and thousands like her to be their own boss and carve their own path in fulfilling careers, with a broad package of free-to-access support.”
For more on XFE, see armyandyou.co.uk/courses-for-entrepreneurs.