Padre Dr Neil Weddell
Head of Non-religious Pastoral Support at Humanist and Non-religious in Defence (Hand) @Humanists UK
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WORK HISTORY
Head of Non-religious Pastoral Support at Humanist and Non-religious in Defence (Hand) @Humanists UK
GB
Officer responsible for creating the necessary conditions to encourage UK MOD to formally introduce non-religious/humanist pastoral support, for the defence personnel who identify as secular in their worldview.
EDUCATION
NATO Defense College
Certificate, NATO CMI/CIMIC HIGHER COMMAND COURSE
Cranfield School of Management
Master of Science (MSc), Project Management
City & Guilds
Level 6 (Graduateship), Leadership and Development
Middlesex University
PgCert Existential and Humanist Pastoral Care, Humanist Pastoral Care
University of Southampton
MA Educational Practice and Innovation, Teaching
University of Lincoln
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Human Resources Development
NATO Defense College
Certificate, NATO CIMIC Staff Worker Course
University of St Andrews
Handa Centre Post Graduate Diploma, Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations
University of Southampton
Post Graduate Certificate in Education, Teaching
University of Southampton
Post Graduate Diploma in Education, Teaching
City St George’s, University of London
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Business Computing Systems
University of Plymouth
MBA, Management/Business
ABOUT PADRE DR NEIL WEDDELL
Dr Neil Weddell is the first Agnostic (Humanist) chaplain appointed within the British Army, bringing grounded pastoral and existential support to service personnel, veterans and their families. In a force where a growing proportion of soldiers identify as non-religious, Neil’s role embodies a practical, human-centred approach to pastoral care that respects diverse worldviews while fostering resilience, purpose and ethical reflection. A career Army officer since 2003, with multiple operational tours including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone (Ebola) and Nigeria, he has served as an instructor, leadership tutor, and cultural adviser before moving into pastoral care work. His experience ranges from helping recruits through the trials of basic training to supporting individuals through loss, transition and existential challenge, drawing on humanist, Stoic and existentialist philosophy alongside his lived understanding of military life. Neil’s appointment reflects a broader evolution in military chaplaincy — one that recognises spiritual and moral support need not be tied to religion, but can be rooted in shared human values, empathy and
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