Special Forces Veteran follows in his late sister’s footsteps as he completes 400km trek of the Scottish Highlands to help raise money for bereaved Forces children
“My sister dedicated her life to helping children, so I felt compelled to continue what she started”
Former SAS Signaller, Jason Bowen, from Gloucester, doesn’t do anything by halves. The founder of The Special Forces (S.F.) Experience company recently completed a 400km trek of the Scottish Highlands to help raise vital funds for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity that supports hundreds of children and young people across the UK who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the Armed Forces.
As well as raising money for charity, the 49-year-old, who has been an avid hiker since he was a child, decided to take on the challenge in memory, and to commemorate, the amazing work of his late sister, Amanda who passed away in 2019.
“My sister dedicated her life to helping children,” said Jason. “She was such an inspiration to so many people. She was just about to embark on a big project that focused on helping children through dance when she passed away. After she died, I felt compelled to continue what she started and do something that would help children but also help keep her memory alive.
“She was always very proud of my achievements, and I never really got the chance to reciprocate just how proud I was of her. So, this challenge is for her. I wanted to help children in her name, and Scotty’s Little Soldiers seemed like a natural choice.”
Through The S.F. Experience, Jason has helped raise vital funds for Scotty’s over the last few years. The events company, which was founded by Jason in 2013, offers people the opportunity to experience the gruelling UK Special Forces selection process. The company hosts events such as its popular Fan Dance series which includes the infamous SAS selection route and gives participants the opportunity to raise money for charity in the process. Given its military connection, many challenges specify Scotty’s as the preferred charity.
Jason’s challenge, which consisted of walking three different routes - The West Highland Way, East Highland Way and the Speyside Way, took 16 days to complete. He finished it on 22nd July.
As an experienced hiker, Jason said the key to getting through it was making sure he looked after his feet. “I wasn’t racing,” said Jason. “To complete a distance like this it’s all about the feet and body maintenance. You need to make sure you are looking after your feet before they start to hurt otherwise, you’ll never get through it.”
And his efforts have paid off. So far Jason has raised over £1,700 which will all be donated to Scotty’s Little Soldiers, helping the charity continue its vital work.
The charity, which offers integral support to children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the Armed Forces, was set up in 2010 by war widow Nikki Scott.
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.
Jason added: “Scotty’s has always been on my radar; I’ve known about the charity for many years and always keen to help where I can. I have worked a lot with the charity though S.F. Experience and admire the incredible work it does to help those children who have experienced so much at a very young age.”
The charity is currently providing assistance for 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.
Scotty’s founder, Nikki said: “What Jason has done to help raise money for Scotty’s is amazing and I have no doubt that his sister would be incredibly proud of him. S.F. Experience has helped raise a considerable amount of money for Scotty’s over the years and Jason is incredibly passionate about supporting the Forces community. Every penny he raises will go a long way in helping us continue to deliver a high level of support to Forces children and young people at times when they need it the most.”
