Matt Lindley is an exceptional speaker; he is highly engaging and speaks with confidence, clarity and with a relaxed and down to earth quality. He peppers his remarkable and inspirational life story (both tragic and positive) with immensely effective footage from his childhood at school and also his career in the RAF. Whilst his talk focuses on what he so cleverly refers to as the ‘elephant in the room’ (his struggles to come to terms with his sexuality), his talk is utterly relevant to all. He speaks of marginalisation in general and promotes so effectively the huge importance of empathy and inclusivity in every area of society, whether at school or work. He has a remarkable ability to build up a rapport with the pupils in just a few minutes of his talk, ensuring that they relate to him and thus making his talks all the more effective. In particular, he knows how to speak to pupils on their level and uses clever analogies to ensure that they understand how he was feeling as a teenager (analogies such as his ‘stress bucket’, on which the tap was eventually fitted to relieve him of his secret). How Matt managed to captivate a room of 400 without one pupil drifting off is quite extraordinary; the manner in which the pupils were entirely inspired and engaged in his talk was further demonstrated in the willingness of pupils to ask personal and meaningful questions during the Q/A session. Matt was frank and willing to be an open book throughout the talk which only went to enhance the huge effect his talk had on the pupils.
It is no exaggeration to say that Matt’s talk would have been life-changing for many pupils in the audience and will have given many the confidence to pursue their goals or to the courage to ‘come out’ or face their sexuality. Many experienced colleagues told me ‘he was the best speaker they had ever seen in their career’.

On Thursday 4th November we had the pleasure of welcoming Matt Lindley from Propel Performance to talk to our year 7s, year 8s and fourth form. Matt talked through the journey of his life and the challenges that he has faced. Matt joined the RAF straight after university and his career has included flying fighter pilots, flying royalty and prime ministers and working for British Airways, which he still does today. Matt loved his time in the RAF but he was always struggling with a secret that he kept: Matt was gay. It was illegal to be a homosexual in the RAF at the time and he therefore had to conceal the truth from his colleagues and superiors, something that he found incredibly difficult as he could not be himself. He spoke about how RAF pilots are often stereotyped as macho, fearless men who have no problems or weaknesses ever. Matt’s speech was wonderfully personal and eye-opening about the difficulties and challenges that he faced throughout his career in the RAF. A major turning point for Matt was when he was ‘outed’ by some colleagues and he had to confide in his superior officer that he was gay. The superior officer’s reaction was exactly what Matt needed at that time. He listened to Matt’s struggles and all he cared about was Matt’s welfare and mental health. He provided the care and support that Matt needed. It was inspirational to hear that this act of support and listening to Matt’s issues changed Matt’s thinking and gave him the confidence and ability to be true to himself. That empathy and support gave him a new lease of life.
Matt’s ability to open up about the complex issues of identity, discrimination, stereotypes, LGBTQ+ issues and mental health, particularly to such a young age group, was fantastic and the personal nature of the talk made it really hit home. The talk demonstrated to us all the importance of discussing these issues openly and ensuring that we are supportive to those around us.

Last week, the Lower School was visited by ex-RAF pilot Matt Lindley. He discussed how diversity and being “different” from everyone else was not really accepted in society and in Matt’s case he had to struggle with being gay in the RAF, at a time where people would make rude jokes and comments on television and gay wouldn’t be allowed to join the military. Matt had always dreamed of becoming a pilot and he wasn’t going to let his sexual identity get in the way of his childhood dream’s. He piloted many planes in the RAF including the hawk! So Matt had no choice but to cover up his sexual identity. Matt told us how keeping such a huge part of his identity secret and standing by while his comrades were being rude about other LGBTQ+ people and the whole idea of homosexuality had deeply affected his mental health. By the time Matt finally got “outed” by his comrades that he was gay, the law had changed and gay people were allowed in the Air Force. This didn’t stop the discrimination and rude jokes coming from even his friends in the Air Force. So Matt went to his boss. He understood and empathised with Matt and helped him to get back on his feet. Later Matt took part in a pride march as well as piloting royals and the PM! This talk inspired us how no matter what your gender or sexuality is, you can always achieve your dreams and that we should celebrate diversity Overall, an uplifting talk.

"Matt's session was fantastic with great feedback from attendees. Really enjoyed it, thank you."