Army veteran heads to nature for sponsored sleep out and inspires Scotty member, Scott, to sleep out too!
On Saturday (31st July), retired Army Major, John Bennett from Canterbury, spent a night in the wilderness as part of a sponsored sleep out, to help raise funds for a charity close to the hearts of the Forces community.
John (64) served for 27 years with the Princess of Wales’s Royal regiment (PWRR), spending time in Kazakhstan, Kosovo, France and Germany. Now a welfare officer at the PWRR Association East Kent Branch, John and 29 other veterans, ranging from the ages of 40 to 70, headed outdoors for a sponsored sleep out, to help raise funds for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a national charity which supports children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent in the Armed Forces.
Scott Charlton
Completing the challenge in a wood near Elham, John raised £500, splitting the donations between Scotty’s Little Soldiers and the PWRR Benevolent Fund.
John discussed the reason for choosing Scotty’s Little Soldiers: “One day I was scrolling through Facebook, when an advert for Scotty’s popped up on my feed. To my absolute surprise it featured a photo of a wonderful man named John Charlton, a company sergeant major I previously served with, who passed away in 2012.
“I clicked on Scotty’s page to investigate further, and after more scrolling, I was again shocked to see another photo of a late military colleague, Steve Marsh. I couldn’t believe it. The children of both John and Steve are supported by Scotty’s, and so I instantly knew that I wanted to do something to help the charity.
“The idea of doing a sponsored sleep out came from a lightbulb moment during the night, and when I mentioned it to the PWRR Association, they agreed that raising money for both the PWRR Benevolent Fund and Scotty’s Little Soldiers seemed a perfect fit.”
John Bennett completing the challenge
On hearing about John’s fundraising in memory of her husband, CSM John Charlton, John’s wife Cathy Charlton (51) from Meopham, Kent instantly wanted to get involved.
Her son, Scott (16) has been supported by Scotty’s Little Soldiers since 2017 and has benefited from the support offered by the charity over the last four years. Scott was just six years old when his dad died from Hairy Cell Leukaemia in 2012 and Scotty’s has been integral in helping him through his grief.
Cathy said: “When I heard about John’s fundraising, which came from his connection to my late husband, I was overwhelmed with tears of pride. Unable to take part in the challenge myself due to injury, my son Scott stepped in instead and put up a tent in the garden. Scott and our family dog, Dudley, spent the full night out and raised £50 for Scotty’s.”
“We can’t thank John and the veterans enough; my husband was so proud to serve with them. Their support of Scotty’s means they can be there, in so many ways, for his son. Scotty’s care and support of Scott has been outstanding, they literally think of everything.”
The veterans completed the challenge in a range of locations, including in their gardens, in woods, and even at the top of Dartmoor National Park.
John concluded: “Having spent so many years in the military, I’ve witnessed first-hand what the hardship of experiencing the death of a loved one can do to a family. Many children are falling through the net and missing out on the much-needed support they so desperately deserve. Continued awareness and fundraising are needed to ensure Scotty’s can reach those military children who are eligible for assistance.”
John Bennett
Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which was set up in 2010 by war widow Nikki Scott, offers integral support to children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the Armed Forces.
Nikki saw the devastating impact the death of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, in 2009 had on their two young children and wanted to help others in the same situation.
The charity is currently providing assistance to hundreds of bereaved Forces children and young people around the UK and services offered include guidance to parents and carers, access to professional child bereavement support, 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.
Nikki said: “We want to say a big thank you to John, the PWRR Association East Kent Branch, the 29 veterans and Scott, for their involvement in the sponsored sleep out. It’s down to fundraisers like these that allow Scotty’s to provide emotional support, grants, smiles and confidence to bereaved Forces children and young people who are so deserving.”
