Joshua will march for the "best charity out there”
18-year-old Joshua Kirkham will be among 10 Scotty’s Council Members marching in memory of their military parent to raise funds for Scotty’s Little Soldiers this September. Joshua’s dad, LCpl Christopher Bradshaw, served a tour in Afghanistan and was part of the Intelligence Corps regiment. He died in a car accident in 2011 when Joshua was 6 years old.
75 Scotty’s supporters are set to take part in the fundraising event in Henley-on-Thames on September 23rd. Here, Joshua shares why it is so important for him to march for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, the charity for bereaved military children and young people, and how the organisation has supported him since 2014.
Josh on the set of Sky Sports
Remembering my military parent
“LCpl Christopher Bradshaw served a tour in Afghanistan as part of the Intelligence Corps regiment.
The thing I always remember about my Dad was his take on life – he never took it too seriously. He always wanted to make people laugh or even play pranks on people, including me. One of the most memorable games I remember playing with Dad was hide-and-seek, with him taking the hiding part too military. Besides the funny side of my Dad, he also had a massive heart and would be very caring to anybody that needed it. My Dad sadly died in a five-vehicle crash on the A46 in Nottinghamshire in 2011 when I just 6-years-old.”
Josh with some of Scotty's Council
How Scotty’s Little Soldiers has helped me
“Scotty's has many incredible ways of helping children just like myself. Some examples include the holidays Scotty's has been able to give me at their Lodges – I don't think I would been able to have a holiday each year without that support from Scotty's. Another great thing Scotty's has helped with is my mental health and the online support Scotty's were able to give me with Mark their bereavement support worker.”
What can Scotty Members find difficult following the death of a parent
“The main thing I believe that Scotty Members including myself find difficult after the death of a parent is sometimes not having a feeling of safety that comes from a community or a place that supports them. This could make you feel quite lonely and lost. This is why Scotty's is helpful, it can support a child like me through loneliness and feeling lost after a death of a parent.”
Josh at Sky HQ
Why I’m part of The Scotty’s Council
“The role of being on the Springboard Council means a few things to me, it means helping make a change for the better and being a voice for Scotty's. But also, I am given the opportunity to help younger members of Scotty's and act as a mentor for them, which allows older members to support the younger members.”
Scotty’s Council is a small group of Scotty’s beneficiaries who provide a voice for bereaved military children and young adults. The council is made up of 12 Scotty Members (aged 11 – 17) who form the Members Council, and 12 Springboarders (aged 18 – 25) who form the Springboard Council - together they form Scotty’s Council.
The council members meet up throughout the year to provide input into the charity, providing ideas and suggestions on the support they feel bereaved military young people will benefit from the most. Our members are the reason we do what we do, so their opinions are vitally important to how we guide the direction of the charity going forward.
Why I'm taking on Scotty’s March
“The sole reason I wanted to take part in the Scotty's March was to spend time with other Scotty Members and extend the community Scotty's has given me with other members that I now consider friends.”
Scotty’s March is Scotty’s Little Soldiers only in-person fundraising event of 2023. Participants can take on 10km, 25km or 50km and run, walk or jog the distance to raise funds to support bereaved military children and young people. Charity founder Nikki Scott will be taking part with Scotty’s Council Members, some Scotty Members and families of Scotty Members, and Scotty’s supporters.
Why it’s so important to raise funds for Scotty’s Little Soldiers
“I do feel it is so important the charity continues to receive funds because otherwise Scotty's would not be able to support so many wonderful Members that need help to cope with the bereavement of a parent. Scotty's is in my opinion the best charity out there that genuinely helps its members in any walk of life. Whether that is through birthday presents, holidays, support sessions or a Scotty grant. Scotty's covers it all which is such an incredible thing. Without this charity, it would leave a lot of children feeling lost.”
My favourite memories as Member of Scotty’s Little Soldiers
“There are so many memorable moments to choose from throughout my Scotty's journey from joining in 2014. But I can't look past what Scotty's has recently helped me achieve with their Scotty's Super Grant. They covered the cost of my flights to the Philippines so I could volunteer with a charity called PCF on the dumpsite in Tondo Philippines helping to run sport sessions and film theory lectures. In Cavite City, in the Philippines, I was helping run PCF's nutrition programmes and food banks to families in poverty. Without this Scotty’s Super Grant, I would never been able to afford the cost of getting to volunteer in the first place so for that I am incredibly grateful to Scotty's.”
Joshua Kirkham
About Scotty’s Little Soldiers
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting military 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 600 members and 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.
