Plymouth Sailor awarded MBE for transforming naval recovery support
Angie Cheal recognised for helping more than 1,000 sailors and Royal Marines rebuild their lives
More than 1,000 sailors and Royal Marines have benefitted from the dedication of Warrant Officer Angie Cheal, whose work supporting injured and unwell personnel has earned her an MBE in the New Year’s Honours.
Based at Devonport Naval Base, Angie has spent the past decade focused on welfare and recovery within the Personnel Support Group and Recovery Headquarters. A former naval photographer, whose images from HMS Ocean during operations in Iraq in 2003 were seen around the world, she later turned her attention to helping colleagues navigate complex recovery journeys.
During the Covid pandemic, Angie identified a serious gap in recovery provision following the loss of external charity support. Taking the initiative, she secured funding from multiple organisations, including the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and Greenwich Hospital, and began delivering recovery courses herself.
Her efforts have since grown into a bespoke recovery programme using adaptive sport and wellbeing activities to support physical rehabilitation, mental health, and a renewed sense of purpose. What started as a single initiative now delivers around 80 recovery courses each year, supported by a dedicated team and funded largely by the Royal Navy.
Alongside this work, Angie has also led specialist retreats for women in the Armed Forces who have experienced child loss, providing safe and supportive spaces for healing and connection.
The citation for her MBE credits her work with having a “direct impact on up to 1,000 people,” significantly improving recovery outcomes and creating a foundation to support many more in the future.
A 51-year-old mother of two from Plymouth, Angie described her time with the recovery team as the most rewarding period of her career. She said:
“I am immensely proud of what we have built; the people who we support are always at the forefront of my mind and I am grateful for the assistance my command has given me over the past five years to see this project become what it is today.
“It is an incredible honour to receive an MBE, and one that I accept with great pride on behalf of my very supportive family and everyone I have worked alongside throughout my career in recovery.”