Christmas can be a difficult time for bereaved military children but Scotty’s Little Soldiers’ annual Christmas party reminds them it’s still okay to smile.
Funded once again by a Veterans’ Foundation grant, this year’s party was held over the 2nd and 3rd of December at Condover Hall in Shropshire, UK, and attended by over 100 bereaved military children and young people.
The event is held in a different location every year and provides Scotty’s members with an opportunity to meet others in the same situation as them and remind them they aren’t alone in their grief.
“My favourite thing about the party was making new friends,” says Scotty Member, Bradley.
“Me and Lokie didn’t know each other before today.”
Lokie, also a Scotty member, adds; “You get to go to the same place and talk to other kids about what’s happened to you as everyone here has been through the same thing. It’s happened to all of us.”
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a tri-service charity dedicated to supporting children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
Inspired by the experience of Army widow Nikki Scott, following the death of her husband Corporal Lee Scott in Afghanistan in 2009, the charity provides support and guidance to hundreds of bereaved military children and young people throughout their childhood.
Services offered to Scotty’s Little Soldiers members include access to child bereavement support, guidance to parents and carers, personal education and learning assistance (including grants), and fun activities such as holiday respite breaks and group events.
These are all designed to remind the children and young people supported by Scotty’s that they are not alone.
The theme of this year’s Scotty Party was Heroes and Villains, and the children and young people were set a challenge after being briefed that villains were trying to ruin Christmas – they had stolen and locked up Father Christmas’s presents!
The members of Scotty’s were tasked with saving Christmas by defeating the villains and the children worked with heroes to complete challenges to find secret codes and release their stolen gifts.
Scotty Members can relate to a lot of fictional superheroes – Spiderman, Batman and Superman were all bereaved. However, not all superheroes wear capes. The children and young people we support all have parents who are heroes, and our members are heroes too. The children were given their own capes at the party to prove it.
Aside from having lots of fun, children also had the opportunity to remember their parent who had died by adding a special heart to Scotty’s message tree. The team from Scotty’s were also on hand to offer emotional support if it was needed.
"I think it’s fantastic,” says Vicky Bovington, mum of Scotty Members, Elizabeth and Isabelle.
“The themes are great, and they keep changing every year. It’s always something new and different and the children love it. We’re 100% coming again next year.”
Their gifts weren’t the only surprise. Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, recorded a special Christmas video message for all the members attending the party.
The video, in which Prince Harry is dressed as Spider-Man, comes less than a month after The Duke wrote our Members and Springboarders a letter showing his support for them at Remembrance.
The special video message, which can be viewed below, was played to members on the morning of the party.
12-year-old Scotty Member, Emily Reynolds, who was seven years old when her dad, Sergeant Antony Reynolds, died in 2018, said: “It’s cool that someone who’s been through the same experience as us is thinking about us."
"He’s not just someone who’s trying to be sympathetic, he actually knows what it’s like to grow up without your parent," she explained.
"My friends think it’s really cool that I get letters and messages from Prince Harry.”
Scotty’s Little Soldiers founder, Nikki, was in no doubt that these Christmas parties are one of the most important events her charity puts on: “Christmas is such a special time, but we are very aware that it can be a difficult and emotional time of year for bereaved young people and their families."
"We have the party to remind our Members they aren’t alone but also to facilitate the opportunity for them to meet and forge friendships," she added.
"It’s always incredible to see our Members get together, have fun and bond over their shared experiences."
And what about the incredible Royal support for the children Scotty's works so hard for?
“It means so much to everyone at Scotty’s to have Prince Harry’s continued support," said Nikki.
"He knows what it’s like to grow up without a parent and understands there are certain times of the year that can be particularly challenging.”
If you know a child or young person who has experienced the death of a parent who served in the British armed forces, they could be eligible for specialist bereavement support from Scotty's Little Soldiers.
Hundreds of bereaved military children still aren’t getting the support they need but Scotty's are here to help and with the support of the Veterans' Foundation, this is one project that is making a real difference to some of the most vulnerable.
If you would like to support Scotty's Little Soldiers, alongside hundreds of other amazing UK-based military charities, please play the Veterans' Lottery.
