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Whilst I was lucky enough to get through a running club ballot for the London Marathon, I still wanted to raise money for a very special charity.
Following a recent networking event, I was introduced to Scotty's Little Soldiers and thought this was an ideal platform and event to raise money for such a worthy cause.
Scotty's Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting children and young people, 0-25 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, which was set up in 2010, provides support and guidance to hundreds of bereaved military children and young people throughout their childhood.
When a young person joins Scotty's, they become a member and are supported until their 25th birthday. Whether it be 1:1 bereavement support, a respite break with the family, an opportunity to meet others in a similar situation, or access to extracurricular activities, Scotty's is always there for its members to ensure they don't feel alone.
So far this year, Scotty's has supported over 730 bereaved military children and young people and services are delivered through three Family Programmes, available to all members:
The SMILES Programme is about fun and engagement and includes activities, gifts, respite breaks and group events. The aim is for bereaved military children and young children to form friendships, benefit from peer support, heal with their family and feel part of a supportive community.
The SUPPORT Programme looks after emotional health and wellbeing and includes 1:1 bereavement support.
The STRIDES Programme focuses on education and development needs, removes barriers to learning and helps young people gain confidence that can be lost after a bereavement.
Scotty's estimates that each year 2,100 children are newly bereaved of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. The charity wants to support these children and has a long-term goal of supporting over 1,000 young people annually by 2030.