Bereaved military mother and daughter duo raise funds for Scotty’s little soldiers
“Zoe was just two years old when her father died, and from the moment we joined Scotty’s, we’ve experienced unwavering support.”
Mother and daughter duo, Laura Knight (37) and Zoe Templer (12), are continuing their efforts to raise funds for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity for bereaved Armed Forces children and young people, following years of support by the charity.
Zoe and Laura
Laura, whose fiancé, Sargent Adrian Templer, died in June 2010 when their daughter Zoe was just two years old, is raising funds for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a national charity which supports children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the Armed Forces, and has supported Zoe since she joined the charity in 2011.
Laura is donating £1 for every colour-in tablecloth, notebook and craft kit she sells through her independent partnership with Flamingo Paperie. Originally planning to raise funds throughout March, Laura has now extended this and will continue fundraising throughout the whole of 2021, hoping to raise as much money as possible for Scotty’s.
Zoe’s dad, Sargent Adrian Templer, was serving in the Army in 2010 when he tragically died from a biking accident while on his way to work. At the time, Adrian, a vehicle Artificer, was serving with 3 Yorks Warminster and was engaged to be married to Laura. Their daughter, Zoe, was just two years old when he sadly passed away.
Commenting on her fundraising, Laura said: “Being able to fundraise and help Scotty’s continue their vital support feels incredibly important to Zoe and our family. Zoe was just two years old when her father died, and from the moment we joined Scotty’s, we’ve experienced unwavering support.
“Zoe was very young when her father died, and has thankfully coped well as she has grown, but knowing Scotty’s is there for us if that changes is an incredible reassurance. It’s not only the support that they provide which is so helpful, it’s also the small things such as the receiving cards at poignant times of the year, such as the anniversary of her dad’s death, and funding for special trips which Zoe absolutely loved.”
In addition to Laura’s Flamingo Paperie fundraising, her daughter Zoe has also been fundraising for years, recently completing a sponsored silence and Spartan Race, and hopes to gain lots of donations when she’s able to take part in the upcoming Exeter Inflatable 5k.
Zoe spoke of her fundraising: “Scotty’s means so much to me, they’re always there whenever I need them, and knowing there’s lots of other children going through the same thing as me helps a lot when I get sad about my dad. They never forget the special days or the sad ones, like my birthday and Remembrance Day. Seeing the Scotty’s post come through the letterbox always puts a smile on my face.
“Our family will carry on raising money for Scotty’s, and I hope I can do the inflatable race very soon with my stepdad Barry. Last year I raised over £750 by doing a sponsored silence, it was really hard because I like to talk a lot, but I did it!”
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 cannot thank Scotty’s members and fundraisers like Zoe and Laura enough for their continued support over the years. The pair are a constant inspiration, turning a negative into a positive, and doing everything they can to help other children and young people who are also experiencing the death of an Armed Forces loved one. Without supporters like Zoe and Laura we wouldn’t be able to continue our vital work, so for that we’re eternally grateful.”
