Bereaved military children’s Mother’s Day heroes
Mother’s Day can be a very difficult and emotional time for bereaved military children who have experienced the death of their mum. While it’s a special day for them and their family to come together and remember, it can also be a painful reminder of their loss, and it’s not uncommon for bereaved children to feel many mixed and complicated feelings.
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity for bereaved military children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. Some people incorrectly assume all of Scotty’s members have experienced the death of their dad. This not true. Many women are serving personnel or veterans of the British Armed Forces, and this Mother’s Day we would like to honour some of those women and hear how their children choose to remember them.
PO Vicki Goodridge
- Navy
- 1968 - 2023
- Mum to Annabelle (18), Charles (16) and Elizabeth (14)
A bit about our mum
“Our mum was kind, caring and always helpful. She would never have a bad word about anyone. She loved taking us out on long walks with our dog, Lottie.”
How are we spending Mother’s Day?
“We discussed what to do on the day and decided to go to Woolacombe beach, our mum’s favourite beach from her childhood. We’re going to spend the day there and have a fish and chip supper on the beach.”
CPL Joanna Every
- RAF
- 1981 - 2013
- Mum to Joseph (12)
My message to other bereaved military children on Mother’s Day
“If you have a plaque or your mum has a grave you can visit, you could go and visit on Mother’s Day and just enjoy your time with them.”
How I honour my mum on Mother’s Day
“I put flowers on my mother's plaque at RAF Marham.”
Handling emotions on days like Mother’s Day
“I am usually able to handle my emotions as it’s been such a long time, but I still find it quite hard. Especially if it's a school day and we're doing things like making Mother's Day cards. My dad is a great person who will help me if I need it."
PTE Kristy Lambert
- Army
- 1985 - 2020
- Mum to Bella (17)
My Mother’s Day traditions
“I visit my mum’s resting place on Mother’s Day and lay flowers.”
PTE Sarah Blakemore
- Army
- 1978 - 2020
- Mum to Tori (12) and Bradley (11)
A bit about our mum
“Our mum had the biggest loving heart and was so kind to everyone. She always smiled and only ever saw the good in people. She was amazing and we are so proud to be her children. We know she’s extremely proud of us, too, and how positive, brave and strong we have become.”
Our Mother’s Day traditions
“On Mother’s Day we always buy her favourite flowers – white roses and lilies – watch family videos, eat pizza and send a ballon to heaven with a message from us. We cry, we laugh, we remember, we cry again.”
What do we miss about our mum?
“We miss everything about our mum. Her smile, her touch, the smell of her perfume and even that she was always late.”
Our message for other children and young people who find Mother’s Day tough
“We slowly build ourselves up to Mother’s Day, so the day itself is not too stressful or overwhelming for us. Please remember your mum loves you all very much and she is always with you, smiling down and very proud of you.”
SGT Amy Womersley
- RAF
- 1986 - 2020
- Mum to Jackson (14)
My message to children and young people who find Mother’s Day tough
“Do something you like. Not for everyone else, but for you. For me, it’s the gym or eating ice-cream, but for you it might be something else. It’s about finding something for you to make you feel better inside.”
Mother’s Day support
At Scotty’s Little Soldiers, we support our members on Mother’s Day through optional drop-in sessions and one-to-one bereavement support. Beyond Mother’s Day, we also offer the families we support holiday respite breaks to help them have fun, make new memories and remember their loved one, a variety of fun and fulfilling group events throughout the year to help our members get to know each other while honouring their parents, and a support network of hundreds of other bereaved military families who share and understand their experiences.
About Scotty’s
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a military 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, which was set up in 2010, provides support and guidance to hundreds of bereaved military children and young people throughout their childhood.
Scotty’s currently supports over 650 bereaved children and young people. Services offered 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.
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 aren’t getting the support they need but we are here to help.
If you know a bereaved military child who could benefit from Scotty’s Little Soldiers support, visit our Get Support page for more information.
