Take The Scotty's Pledge

Anglia Ruskin University’s Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research (VFI) is launching a new research project in partnership with Scotty’s Little Soldiers to examine how being part of a military-specific charity shapes a bereaved child or young person’s sense of identity.

Funded by the Centre of Excellence for Equity in Uniformed Public Services (CEEUPS) at Anglia Ruskin University, the £25,000 study will be conducted using a co-created qualitative descriptive approach. Researchers will work closely with members of Scotty’s Council, a group of Scotty’s beneficiaries aged 12-25 with lived experience of military bereavement. Scotty’s Council provides a voice for bereaved military children and young adults, offering insights that help shape the charity’s support services and future direction.

On Saturday 29th March 2025, 11 members of Scotty’s Council attended Anglia Ruskin University’s Chelmsford campus, where the research process officially commenced. The session took place in a new research space for veterans and families, which recently opened following an £11.3 million investment.

The research will focus on several key areas, including:

• The perspectives of bereaved military children and young people on being part of Scotty’s Little Soldiers.
• How being part of Scotty’s supports the development of their identity after the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
• The role Scotty’s has in supporting bereaved military children and young people.
• Identifying additional services that military and civilian support organisations could offer to help bereaved children and young people.
• Inform further exploratory work regarding the support needed for bereaved children and young people across the wider uniformed public services sector.

Rachel Scott, Head of Service at Scotty’s Little Soldiers, said of the project: “We are very excited that the Veterans and Families Institute at Anglia Ruskin University is conducting this research. It is great to have that independent academic analysis done – it will help us understand not only the impact we are having on the identities of our young people currently but also help inform what we do going forward to keep growing that impact.”

Dr. Faye Acton, the lead researcher on the project, from the Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research at Anglia Ruskin University, added: “This research will provide an essential evidence base on how bereaved military children form their identity and find community within a charity like Scotty’s Little Soldiers. By working closely with the Scotty’s

Council, we can better understand the real-life impact of these support networks and highlight their importance in the lives of young people navigating bereavement.”

The study is due to be completed by late summer, with expected outputs including a detailed research report, academic journal articles, and recommendations to inform future support strategies for bereaved military children. The findings will contribute to a growing body of research on the impact of childhood bereavement in military families and inform further exploratory work regarding the support needed for bereaved children and young people across the wider uniformed public services sector.

Scotty’s has already supported over 730 bereaved military children and young people in 2025, providing them with access to bereavement support, outstanding development opportunities and the chance to smile again. The charity estimates that approximately 2,100 children experience the death of a British Armed Forces parent each year* and has a long-term goal of reaching 1,000 annually by 2030.