Lt Cdr Laura Robinson MA Royal Navy. Women and Families Policy Lead.
Laura joined the Royal Navy in 2001, at 16 years of age, as an Operator Mechanic (Electronic Warfare) and served in HM Ships ARK ROYAL, INVINCIBLE and LEEDS CASTLE, and as part of an RN support team in RFA FORT GEORGE.
Laura transferred to the Royal Navy Police (RNP) in 2005. As a Leading Hand, she served in the RNP Headquarters (Northern) and HMS CAMPBELTOWN, deploying on OP TELIC in 2007. On promotion to Petty Officer in 2009, she served in the RNP Headquarters (Western) and HMS EDINBURGH, deploying on two consecutive Atlantic Patrol (South) deployments. She was selected for promotion to Master at Arms (MAA) in 2012 and was assigned to the RNP Professional Standards Department.
Laura was selected to commission and joined BRNC in 2013, passing out in February 2014. Her first appointment as an Officer was as the Deputy Officer in Charge of the Royal Navy Police Special Investigations Branch and then as the Deputy Naval Provost Marshal (Eastern). She returned to the RNP Professional Standards Department as the Officer in Charge in 2016. Laura was appointed as the Officer in Charge of Policing and Security at HMS SULTAN in 2017; during this appointment, she represented the RN at the inaugural FVEY Sexual Misconduct Forum, hosted by the Canadian Armed Forces, in Ottawa, Canada.
In 2019, Laura was promoted A/Lt Cdr on appointment as Regional Police Commander (Northern) and was selected for substantive promotion in 2020. Laura held the portfolio as the RNP Strategic lead for Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment, between 2017 and 2022, responsible for force strategy, capability and policy in these crime areas. She attained a Master’s degree in Understanding Domestic and Sexual Violence at the University of Worcester in 2021 and was shortlisted in the Outstanding Contribution Award category at the Women in Defence Awards the same year, for her work as the Domestic Abuse lead.
In 2022, Laura was appointed as the Women and Families policy lead under the Director of People and Training, a role which was established in response to recommendations from the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC) report on the treatment of women in the Armed Forces. Laura has led the modernisation of employment policies and conditions, with a focus on enhancing the experience, retention, and equity of opportunities for servicewomen and families.
Originally from the South Wales Amman Valley, Laura has settled in Lancashire, with her wife Lucy (who serves in the Army), their daughter Caron (1), and their dogs, Benji (Beagle) and Rusty (Hungarian Vizsla). In her spare time, Laura is the proud member of the Board of Trustees for Hourglass, a charity that supports older people who are experiencing or at risk of abuse.