Veterans' Foundation supporters have helped put smiles on the faces of hundreds of bereaved military children in the lead up to Christmas.
This Summer we awarded the top grant of £ 200,000 in the Veterans' Foundations' new major grants programme to Scotty's Little Soldiers and part of that money helps fund the charity's festive celebrations and also provides Christmas vouchers for the children to spend.
The incredible charity is dedicated to supporting children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
Christmas can be a particularly challenging time for bereaved families, so this year's Scotty's Little Soldiers Virtual Christmas party was a very special one.
Over 280 children took part in the event with Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex as a special guest.
Prince Harry, who is Scotty’s Global Ambassador, joined the festive event held on the 10th December for 30 minutes of fun and connection.
The children and young people enjoyed a series of interactive games, including building towers with cushions and making snowmen out of toilet rolls.
The virtual party was hosted by Sharky and George, expert party and event planners, ensuring the session was filled with laughter and joy.
The Duke shared a special message with the young people. He told them: “It’s okay to feel however you feel at Christmas.
"Some people will be celebrating and happy, other people feel reflective, some people will be sad, and maybe you’ll experience every single one of these emotions and that’s absolutely fine.
"Remember you’ve got each other, you’ve got Scotty’s and you’ve got the people that love you.”
Nikki Scott, who founded Scotty’s in 2010, following the death of her husband Cpl Lee Scott in Afghanistan, said:
“Christmas can be a difficult time for bereaved children and young people, but this event reminded our members that they are part of a community that cares and understands.
“At Scotty’s, we organise a number of in-person events, but having this party virtually meant that it was open to all our members. We even had members who joined from Germany, Thailand and Australia.
"It was incredible to see over 280 young people enjoying themselves and engaging.
"Events, whether in-person or virtual, help remind our members that they aren’t alone.
“Prince Harry has been a massive supporter of Scotty’s for a number of years and having him at our virtual Christmas party made it really special and memorable for our members."
Scotty’s Little Soldiers currently supports more than 730 children from the armed forces community from birth to 25 who have experienced the death of a parent.
The latest £200,000 Veterans' Foundation grant will be awarded over two years, with 50% going to Scotty’s SMILES Programme and an equal amount to support ongoing administrative costs that help to create a sustainable charity.
“This extremely generous grant from the Veterans’ Foundation will make a huge difference to the lives of bereaved military children and young people. The grant is spread over two years, which enables us to plan for the future, and provide the very best support for current and new members," said Nikki.
“As well us funding the SMILES Programme, the fact that 50% of the grant covers core costs, helps us to create a sustainable charity that will be here for years to come.
"We can’t stress enough the importance of future proofing Scotty’s, particularly as the membership continues to grow.
"Thank you so much to the Veterans’ Foundation.”
For more information about Scotty’s Little Soldiers, please visit www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk and you can help support great causes just like SLS, by signing up to play the Veterans' Lottery today:
