Scotty's Members Council assemble for weekend of ideas
The Scotty’s Little Soldiers Members Council came together at Carrow Road Football Stadium in Norwich to discuss their thoughts and opinions about services the charity provides to bereaved military children and young people.
Our Members Council is made up of 12 Scotty Members who meet up throughout the year to discuss what the charity is working on and offer ideas, suggestions and improvements of their own. The council acts as the voice of bereaved military children within the charity, and events like the Scotty’s Council Weekend allow them to express their thoughts on our services openly and honestly. Our members are the reason we do what we do, so their opinions are vitally important to how we guide the direction of the charity going forward.
The Scotty's Members Council at Carrow Road Football Stadium
For 14-year-old Jamie Small, whose dad died in 2016, being part of Scotty’s Council means a great deal:
“I’m proud to be on the Members’ Council because it gives me the ability to help out with events like the Christmas party and be around people who understand what I’ve been through.”
The Members Council Weekend allowed our Members to have a real impact on the charity by proposing new ideas and offering their thoughts and opinions on services currently being developed. They were also able to accumulate volunteering hours which will go towards the Scotty’s Young Volunteer Award Scheme, as well as meet other Council Members who have experienced the death of a military parent – building bonds and reminding them they’re not alone.
Scotty's Council Members, Joshua (left) and Jamie (right)
In addition to helping us make our services the best they can be, our Members Council took part in team building activities, media training and even got a personal tour of the Carrow Road Football Stadium.
Scotty’s Members Council project leader, Lorna, said: “The weekend was really inspirational. We had young people making friends, sharing ideas and giving their thoughts on ways our Scotty Members need support after a bereavement. We also took some time to reflect and remember their parents, which was very poignant. The Council Members have given the Scotty's Team plenty of ideas to think about and work on over the coming months.”
The Council hard at work
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.
Services offered to Scotty’s members include access to child bereavement support, guidance to parents and carers, 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.
The Scotty's Council posing for a photo in the shade
The charity’s founder, Nikki Scott, said: “Everything we do, we do for our Members and Springboarders, which is why it’s so important to us that they have a say in how Scotty’s operates. The Scotty’s Council Weekend was lots of fun and a perfect opportunity to discuss what we’re working on with the young people who will be directly impacted by it. Our Members are always so insightful and I can’t wait to start putting their ideas into action!”
