Take The Scotty's Pledge

Walking a total of five miles so far, Daniel was proud to do his bit to help support hundreds of bereaved Forces children, who, at such a young age, have already gone through so much.

Scotty’s is a charity that means a lot to Daniel and his family. His parents, Lee, and Mandy Cox have been fundraising for the charity for many years, and as a family they know exactly what it means to the children it supports, particularly in the current climate.

Earlier this year, Daniel’s dad, Lee, a former soldier, raised over £500 for Scotty’s after completing a 300-mile bike ride in honour of his close friend and former comrade, Dave Oates, who passed away earlier this year.

Talking about the importance of Scotty’s, Daniel said: “Scotty’s is such a great charity, and the more people can do to help raise awareness, the more families and children will know about it. What’s happened to the children Scotty’s supports could happen to anyone, so it’s really important that we continue to raise money to make sure the charity is there when they need it.”

Daniel completed his walk with his mum Mandy, taking in his local surroundings and riverside. And even after completing the set five miles, he is determined to do more. Daniel added: “I want to raise even more money so although I’ve now completed the five miles, I’ll keep walking throughout the rest of the month.”

The Hero Walk has been organised by Scotty’s Little Soldiers as part of its ‘November to Remember’ campaign to thank those men and women who have sacrificed their lives to protect our country, as well as helping to raise money to support the children they left behind.

The walk is five miles long and can be completed at any point through the month. As well as remembering our fallen heroes, this year’s walk can also be used as a way of thanking our keyworkers who have worked tirelessly to help us through the global pandemic.

Scotty’s Little Soldiers was founded in 2010 by war widow Nikki Scott, a year after her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, was killed in action. Nikki saw the devastating impact on their two young children and wanted to help others in the same situation.

The charity arranges for bereaved Forces families to go on respite breaks, organises special events, sends presents to the children at extra difficult times of year, offers wellbeing care, as well as educational support and grants. Being part of the Scotty community reminds hundreds of bereaved Forces children they aren’t alone.

In recent months, the charity has had to adapt to the current climate and has been using modern technology to arrange exciting virtual events and activities to engage with its members, ensuring them that in uncertain times such as these they are not alone. They’ve also been providing a high volume of wellbeing support to families who are suffering from enhanced anxiety and other problems due to the current health crisis.

Nikki Scott said: “What an inspiration, we can’t thank Daniel enough for what he’s doing. November is such a poignant month for all our members, and with us in lockdown it’s more important than ever that we’re there for the children, to reassure them that they are not going through this alone. We’ve had a fantastic response to The Hero Walk initiative and it’s because of fundraisers like Daniel that we’re able to continue to offer a high-level of support to bereaved Forces children when they need it the most.”

To donate to Daniel’s fundraising visit https://givepenny.com/daniel_cox_hero_walk

Or to sign up for the Scotty’s Hero Walk visit: https://givepenny.com/event/hero-walk2020