ABF The Soldiers’ Charity has awarded £10,000 to Scotty’s Little Soldiers, to help hundreds of bereaved Armed Forces children and young people.
Scotty’s Little Soldiers offers relief from the effects of bereavement to children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served with the Armed Forces of The Crown. This support is for military young people of any age, right up until they are 25 years old, and it is delivered through Scotty’s four Family Programmes. Funding from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity will go towards these programmes and help Scotty’s fulfil their promise to enable bereaved Forces children and young people to access the very best emotional health and wellbeing support, have outstanding development opportunities and the chance to smile again.
Each of Scotty’s Family Programmes has a specific purpose:
The SMILES programme is all about fun and engagement and includes activities, gifts and group events, which have the purpose of making bereaved Forces children and young people smile again and reminds them they aren’t alone and are part of a supportive community.
The SUPPORT programme looks after emotional health and wellbeing and includes information and guidance on childhood bereavement for parents and carers, and 1:1 professional bereavement support for children and young people.
The STRIDES programme focuses on the education and development needs of bereaved Forces children and young people. This includes promoting a positive attitude to learning and providing opportunities to develop life skills. It also includes a range of small educational grants.
The SPRINGBOARD programme provides support to young adults ages 18-25 and assists with opportunities to develop their education and learning, build a career and enhance life skills.
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is the Army’s national charity and was formed in 1944, to provide a lifetime of support to soldiers, former soldiers and their families when in need. In the past year, it has helped 60,000 members of the Army family, in 63 countries across the globe, and funded over 40 other charities and organisations to deliver specialist services.
The funding from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity awarded to Scotty’s Little Soldiers will benefit children of those who served with the Army who have sadly lost their life.
Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, says:
“We are delighted to continue to support Scotty’s Little Soldiers with the work that it does. It is really important that we continue to look after children and young people who have experienced the death of a Mum or Dad who served in the British Army. Scotty’s Family Programmes provide the whole package, from emotional wellbeing support, to education and having fun, they provide a lifeline for those who need it. Thank you!”
Nikki Scott, founder of Scotty’s Little Soldiers said:
“The grant we’ve received from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is absolutely phenomenal. We support bereaved Forces children from all services and we are so grateful for this additional help for our Army families.
“Our Family Programmes provide our members with support and guidance throughout their childhood and early adult lives, and offers a respite, however brief, from the daily ups and downs of coping with the death of a parent.
“Without the continued support we receive, so many bereaved Armed Forces children and young people would go without the support and wellbeing they need and deserve. The whole team at Scotty’s would like to say a big thanks to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity for their incredibly generous grant.”
