Sian Woodland

Woody’s Lodge is a tribute to my late fiancé, Paul “Woody” Woodland, who lost his life in 2012 in a Special Boat Service training accident. With the help of incredible people & veteran organisations, Woody’s Lodge came to life in the Autumn of 2016 & has since helped countless veterans in Wales & further afield. These past few years have been an absolute honour building a connection with the veteran community & witnessing firsthand how our services make a palpable difference.
As Co-Founder & Deputy CEO of Woody’s Lodge, I could’ve never dreamed of the life I live today, where tragedy transformed into triumph. The cherry on top is the multiple awards I’ve been honoured with as a role model in the community. But I’d like to acknowledge that none of this would be possible without my magnificent team.
I began my journey with the Armed Forces all the way back in 2001 as a member of the Royal Navy. Here, I travelled the world & did 1 tour of the Gulf Region, where I was awarded my first medal. After serving in the Royal Navy for 5 years, I left in 2006.
I turned to retail & became a retail manager in a number of designer shops, such as Whistles & Ted Baker. At the age of 23, I followed my dream of becoming an Air Hostess.

After Paul’s death, I immersed myself in raising money for military charities. In addition, I moved from working in retail to working for charities until I helped setup Woody’s Lodge in his honour. Raising money, helping veterans, & working for Woody’s Lodge has helped me come to terms with the loss of Paul & realise his death wasn’t in vain.
I am also a mom and carer to my beautiful daughter Sofia who is wonderfully Autistic. When I’m not working or spending time with her, I love cooking and spending time with family.