Take The Scotty's Pledge

National bereaved British Forces children’s charity, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, has seen its members come together in a virtual party, hosted for free by London events company Sharky and George, to help lift spirits during lockdown.

The party, intended to remind its members that the charity is there to support them through this tough time, was a huge success, and is just one of the many ways the charity is engaging with its members throughout the pandemic.

The children supported by the charity have already, at such a young age, faced the challenge of losing a parent, so for them it’s vital they know in times of uncertainty that Scotty’s is still there for them.

A total of 74 bereaved Forces children across the country participated in the hour-long virtual party hosted on Zoom, and there were smiles all round! The children got involved in a number of games, competitions and exercise routines, and even parents joined in the fun-filled hour.

Commenting on their experience, Angela Martin, mum to 9-year-old Isabelle, said: “It was nice to hear her laughing and running about the place without a care in the world and letting off some steam. I think we can all agree that it has definitely been needed! Thank you Scotty’s and Sharky and George for putting on a brilliant party for the kids - you guys literally are the best! Thank you for always remembering our kids and again, making them smile.”

Another mum said: “I can’t believe how much you’ve brought my son back to being fun and just lovely. The virtual party was the best idea. Thank you so much. He’s been moody, moany and pretty defiant this week. You’ve put him back on top form You’ve put him back on top form.”

Jilly Hargreaves, mum to boys aged 10 and 6, said: “That was honestly my favourite hour of lockdown so far. The boys’ faces from start to finish were full of smiles and laughter.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. We absolutely LOVED it! I had no idea just how much I needed to belly laugh and roll around on the floor, being tickled by the boys. Best prize EVER”

Founded in 2010, Scotty’s Little Soldiers was set up by war widow Nikki Scott after her husband, Corporal Lee Scott was killed in Afghanistan the previous year, leaving behind two young children. The charity does lots of things to support its members, including providing access to the very best health and wellbeing care, offering outstanding development opportunities through a range of activity and educational grants, and Scotty’s helps put smiles back on those brave faces by arranging events, providing respite breaks, posting them birthday and Christmas presents and remembering the anniversary of their parent’s death.

In recent weeks, the charity has had to adapt to the current climate and has been using modern technology and arranging exciting virtual events and activities to engage with its members, ensuring them that in uncertain times such as these they are not alone and giving them support when they need it most. Usually, at this time of year, Scotty’s would be arranging for the families, all grieving for a loved one, to go on respite breaks but sadly these things are not possible at present.

Commenting on the party, Scotty’s Little Soldiers Founder, Nikki Scott said: “The virtual party was a huge success. The kids all had so much fun. It was so nice to see 74 of them come together, even when miles apart, and see so much joy and laughter. I want to say a huge thank you to Sharky and George who made this possible, they were brilliant. They organise our Christmas parties, so we knew they would create a virtual party to remember. They certainly did help the children to smile again!"