SMILES Programme
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 people to form friendships, benefit from peer support, heal with their family and feel part of a supportive community.
For example, Scotty Breaks intentionally create opportunities for families to come together, bond, make new memories and talk to one another. Respite breaks facilitate family cohesion and it works. In 2024, nearly twice as many families considered themselves to be in ‘a good place’ as a family, after a respite break. Families who identified as not doing well also halved.
But for many children it’s the little things- cards and gifts on birthdays and anniversaries – that is all that is needed for them to feel seen and supported. Our SMILES Programme provides different services to meet each unique child’s needs!
If you know a child or young person who has experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces, please get in touch.
Case Studies
How Scotty's helped me cope with the death of my military dad
21-year-old Steven Murphy was just three when his dad, bomb disposal expert Lance Corporal John Murphy, died by suicide.
Steven has no memories of his dad, but the emotions he felt during and after his father’s death have stayed with him as he has grown up, shaping the young man he has become.
Here, Steven shares the challenges he’s overcome after the death of his dad, and how support from Scotty’s Little Soldiers, the charity for bereaved military children, changed his life.
Bereaved military teenager’s Caribbean adventure in memory of his Mum and Dad
By the time he was 15 years old, Scotty Member Callum had experienced the devastating death of both his parents. In 2010, his dad, Sgt Steven Darbyshire of the Royal Marines, was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan. 12 years later, in 2022, his mum, Kate Darbyshire, tragically died from cancer.
Callum, now 17, has endured huge hardship for someone so young, but with the help of his brother Ryan and his Grandma and Grandad, along with the support and opportunities offered by Scotty’s Little Soldiers, the charity for bereaved military children, he has been able to do some truly incredible things.
With the help of Scotty’s Allowance, a yearly grant offered to all our members for extracurricular activities, Callum recently got to spend an unforgettable 17 days in Jamaica, where he taught rugby to disadvantaged children, took part in a rugby sevens tournament and even competed against the Jamaican under 19’s national team.
