Mace Raises Over £10,000 for Scotty’s Little Soldiers with Holdfast Challenge at Rutland Water
“We pushed ourselves to the limit to support bereaved military children.”
James Fulton and his team at Mace have gone above and beyond in their recent fundraising efforts, taking on the Mace Holdfast Challenge at Rutland Water on the 10th of July 2024. This wasn't just any fundraising event – it was a day filled with the gruelling physical demands of Royal Navy clearance diver training, both in and out of the water, led by Rob Hinton from Holdfast Elite.
Mace HoldFast Challenge
A Personal Motivation
James, who served in the Army in the early 2000s and now works predominantly in the defence sector, was deeply moved by Scotty's Little Soldiers after attending a "lunch and learn" session led by Nikki Scott, the charity’s founder. “Nikki’s story really hit home for us,” James shares. “As a veteran, I still feel a strong connection to the service community, and it became clear that we had to do something to help.”
Many of James’s colleagues at Mace also have military connections, either through their service or work in the Mace Defence team. This shared connection fuelled their desire to give back to the extended service family by supporting Scotty’s.
Taking on The Challenge
The Mace team didn’t shy away from the physical demands of the Holdfast Challenge, even if their preparation was a little light-hearted. “We completely ignored it until the day,” James admits, “and immediately regretted that decision when the Burpees started.” Despite the initial struggle, the day turned out to be “an epic day of teamwork, collaboration, and physical activity,” as described by James.
The challenge was a true test of endurance, with log carries, ‘in and outs,’ and a series of physically demanding activities. But the team’s determination and spirit saw them through, resulting in an incredible achievement.
A Remarkable Fundraising Success
Through the generosity of their family, friends, and colleagues, the Mace team raised an outstanding £10,118.14, including Gift Aid. The Mace Foundation played a significant role in this success by match-funding the team’s efforts with a donation of £4,550, pushing them over the £10k mark. “We’re absolutely blown away by the generosity,” James says. “Raising this amount for Scotty’s means so much to us, knowing that it will directly support bereaved military children.”
Scotty's Little Soldiers founder, Nikki Scott, said: "Thank you so much to James and the team at Mace for their incredible. They've raised a huge amount of money that will help to make a big difference to the lives of bereaved military children and young people supported by Scotty's."
Encouraging Others to Get Involved
Reflecting on their achievement, James encourages others to consider fundraising for Scotty’s Little Soldiers. “As a small charity, donations like this can have a real impact. If you’re thinking about organising a similar event, my advice is simple – drop your fundraising link into every conversation you have in the months leading up to the event!”
The Mace team’s success is a testament to the power of community and shared purpose. As they hint at future fundraising plans, James leaves us with these three words... “Watch this space…”
If you’ve been inspired by the Mace team’s incredible efforts, find out how you can support Scotty’s Little Soldiers or take on your own fundraising challenge by visiting Scotty’s Little Soldiers.
About Scotty’s Little Soldiers
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting 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.
When a young person joins Scotty’s, they become a member and are supported until their 25th birthday. Whether it be one-to-one bereavement support, a respite break with the family, an opportunity to meet others in a similar situation, or access to extracurricular activities, Scotty’s is always there for its members to ensure they don’t feel alone.
So far this year, Scotty’s has supported over 700 children and young people and services are delivered through three Family Programmes, available to all members:
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.
The SUPPORT Programme looks after emotional health and wellbeing and includes 1:1 bereavement support.
The STRIDES Programme focuses on education and development needs, removes barriers to learning and helps young people gain confidence that can be lost after a bereavement.
Scotty’s has a long-term goal to be supporting over 1,000 bereaved military children and young people annually by 2030.
