Nikki Scott, Founder of Scotty’s Little Soldiers, reflects on a year of supporting nearly 800 bereaved military children and young people, strengthening families through connection and community, and driving change so bereaved pupils are better understood and supported.
As we come to the end of the year, December always feels like the right moment to pause and reflect. When I look back on 2025, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride, not just in what Scotty’s has achieved, but in the children, young people and families we’ve had the privilege of supporting, and the strength they show every single day. This year feels particularly poignant as it marks 15 years since Scotty’s began.
Here are my top 10 highlights from this year…
1. We supported more bereaved children and young people than ever before
Throughout 2025, Scotty’s supported almost 800 children and young people. That’s our highest number to date. Each child or young person is navigating life after their military parent has died. Growth like this is never just a statistic, it’s a reminder of the trust families place in us and the importance of long-term, specialist support.
2. We gave families time and space to rebuild through Scotty Breaks
349 bereaved children and parents/carers went away on a Scotty Break. These breaks give families precious time away from everyday pressures, time to reconnect, rebuild and simply be together. I know from my own experiences how powerful that space can be, and how much it helps families feel supported rather than isolated.
3. We sent over 2,000 care packages to help bereaved children and young people feel remembered at difficult times
We know how tough occasions like birthdays, Christmas and the anniversary of a parent’s death can be. We send care packages to our members, so they know we are thinking about them. We are proud to have sent out over 2,000 this year. They might be small packages, but they carry a huge amount of meaning.
4. We brought families together through our biggest events programme yet
In 2025, Scotty’s delivered a Summer and Winter Festival, three regional Scotty’s on Tour events, a virtual party featuring inspirational special guest Zack George, best known as Steel from the TV show Gladiators, a special partnership event at the Tower of London, Remembrance Weekend in London and we invited members and their families to attend a reflective gathering at the National Memorial Arboretum. It was a real mix of events, carefully planned to suit individual needs.
98% of families told us our events improved their sense of belonging, community and communication, and nearly two thirds said they hoped to meet up again with the friends they made. Seeing isolation reduce and friendships form is exactly why events are so important, and I always come away from every event feeling confident we have made a difference to bereaved military families.
5. We gave our members more Scotty Grants than ever before
We gave out 325 Scotty Grants, totalling £68,500, which is a 50% increase on last year. These grants help young people access education and participate in extracurricular activities. From Scotty Allowances and New School Grants, to Driving School Grants, Scotty Super Grants and the launch of our new STRIDES Further Education Grant, every award helps bereaved children and young people move forward with confidence.
6. We launched our ‘Behind The Uniform’ campaign and helped change how schools support bereaved military children
At the beginning of the year, we launched our Behind The Uniform campaign after research showed bereaved military children needed better understanding and support in schools. I am incredibly proud of our Scotty’s Council, who created two powerful animations sharing their lived experiences.
This work has led to us training national exam writers to create death-sensitive exam questions, reaching around two million exams each year. We also partnered with Anglia Ruskin University to launch a new training module for Initial Teacher Training providers, helping future teachers recognise and respond compassionately to bereaved pupils. This is such a huge step forward as we are helping create safer, more understanding education environments for bereaved young people, now and in the future.
7. We saw young people’s voices heard on an international stage
One of my proudest moments this year was being alongside four of our Scotty’s Council members when they travelled to Canada to share pioneering bereavement research on an international stage. Watching them represent bereaved military young people with such confidence and honesty was so moving.
8. We expanded our support to include accredited counselling
This year, we strengthened our services by offering accredited counselling alongside our existing bereavement support, allowing us to help families with more complex needs. As Scotty’s has grown, we’ve seen that while many children and young people benefit from having someone to talk to, a smaller number need specialist help when emotions begin to affect day-to-day life.
Bereavement support offers space to talk and feel understood. Bereavement counselling goes further, providing professional help when feelings become overwhelming. By introducing accredited counselling, we can now make sure families receive the right support at the right time and that no one is left without help when they need it most.
9.We stood alongside families through advocacy
Advocacy remains a vital part of our STRIDES and SUPPORT Programmes. This year, we supported many families in different ways – one example I thought I’d share is when Scotty’s intervened where a family had difficulties getting into an oversubscribed school. The family had relocated and the children were unsettled not being in a school setting. Scotty’s contacted the school and local authority to appeal for the children to be offered a secure place having lived through a traumatic loss. Fortunately, the school has listened to Scotty’s and offered them all places. We have continued to support the family in getting Education Healthcare plans that recognise the impact of their bereavement, gaining them additional support in school. This is just one example of the advocacy we do, and it represents the kind of difference we can make when we stand alongside families.
10.Our impact was recognised with a Soldiering on Award
Scotty’s was honoured to receive the Community Impact Award at the Soldiering on Awards. Following the death of a parent who served, we know that children and young people can feel disconnected from the Forces community. That’s why ensuring they know they are still very much a part of our community is at the heart of everything we do at Scotty’s, so this award really meant a lot.
We wouldn’t have achieved any of this without funding and we are so grateful for all the incredible support we receive, enabling us to help make a difference to the lives of bereaved military families.
As we look ahead to next year, we’re excited to build on what we’ve learned and expand our services to support the wider bereaved military community.
Thank you for being on this journey with us.
Love from,
Nikki
Read more about these highlights in the news section on our website – https://www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk/latest-news
