It’s not every day you get to step inside one of the UK’s most advanced scientific facilities and walk the beam arc at Diamond Light Source, located at the heart of Harwell Campus.
We were offered this rare glimpse behind the scenes at one of the UK’s most advanced scientific facilities during an event organised by Diamond for South East Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.
Diamond was awarded Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award in 2023 and, as TALA is also a proud member of the scheme and a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant since 2019, we were invited too.
Diamond Light Source is the only facility of its kind in the UK, providing industrial and academic communities with access to state-of-the-art analytical tools.
Shaped like a giant ring, it operates as a powerful microscope, accelerating electrons to near light speeds and producing light 10 billion times brighter than the Sun. This extraordinary capability enables scientists to study everything from fossils and steel to jet engines, vaccines and viruses.
During our visit, we toured the facility and walked down the beam arc while the site was in shutdown – a rare opportunity to see the inner workings up close. The pioneering work at Diamond, funded by the UK government and the Wellcome Trust, keeps the UK at the forefront of scientific research and innovation.
Thank you to the Diamond team and South East RFCA for a fascinating event, and for demonstrating one of the many ways that organisations can support our armed forces community.
