We look forward to welcoming you to the Defence Leadership and Business Group.
The Defence Leadership and Business Group (DLaB) is one of three groups at the Defence Academy. Comprised of three centres, DLaB delivers leadership, business, and spiritual education to the UK and its partner allies. The group collaborates with other organisations in the defence enterprise, government, academia, industry, and international partners to ensure course members are equipped with the skills and networks they need to succeed in business, leadership, and spiritual roles.
In a typical year, DLaB delivers 103 courses across its Armed Forces Chaplaincy, Business Skills, and Defence Leadership Centres.
The Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre has received official accreditation from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) for their modern chaplaincy courses. Find out more about how AFCC equips chaplains for a tri-service environment.
DLaB is supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of Op INTERFLEX. Find out more about their training of Ukrainian chaplains.
We are keen to celebrate our collaborations and partnerships with other nations and organisations, so our Communications Team may reach out to you before, during, or after your visit. We also encourage you to talk about your time here. See some of the options available below:
Photography by the Defence Academy
To mark your visit, our Communications Team may ask to take photos of you while you are here. These photos will be used on the Defence Academy’s and possibly MOD’s website, social media, and internal communications systems to celebrate the visit.
If a photographer is present during your visit, they will make themselves known to you. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let the photographer know. They will be able to anonymise photos (e.g. by only including the backs of heads) or may decide not to cover the visit at all.
You may request copies of the photos taken during your visit if you wish. Due to MOD licensing rules these will need to be attributed to ‘Crown Copyright’.
Taking photos yourself
If agreed with your visit sponsor, you are welcome to take your own photos in the Vincent Centre. However, for security reasons we ask that you do not take photos of classified information, security systems, or people who have not given you their explicit permission to be photographed.
Please note, different areas of Shrivenham Station have different rules surrounding photography. If you visit areas other than DLaB, please check the photography rules with your visit sponsor before taking photos.
Publicising your visit
We encourage you to publicise your visit to DLaB. For security reasons, we ask that you do not post publicly about your visit beforehand. However, once you have left Shrivenham Station, we look forward to seeing your coverage on social media.
To engage with the Defence Academy on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or LinkedIn, please click the links. To request copies of photos or official quotes from Defence Academy representatives, please contact the Communications Team via our contact us form, selecting category 'media enquiry'. They will be happy to assist both before and after your visit.
DLaB are stationed in the Vincent Centre.
Internet access
Guest WiFi is available in most areas of the Group. Phone signal is fair in most areas of the building.
Toilet facilities
Single-gender, gender-neutral, and disabled toilets are available near the foyer of the Vincent Centre.
Coats and bags
There are allocated areas to leave coats and bags. Please note, items are left at their owner’s risk.
Food and drink
In addition to any refreshments your host may have arranged for you, the Grassroots Café is within walking distance of the Vincent Centre. The Café is open to staff, students, and visitors. It offers a range of hot and cold drinks and meals, open-plan seating areas equipped with electrical sockets, and accepts cash and card payment.
