MORE than 200 Scotty’s Little Soldiers members joined 850 bereaved Armed Forces children at Buckingham Palace in a special garden party event hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

The event saw the grounds of Buckingham Palace turn in to a playground, with children of all ages being treated to fun activities and exclusive appearances from comedian Nina Conti, singer Jess Glynne and Britain’s Got Talent-winning magician and Scotty’s Little Soldiers ambassador Lance Corporal Richard Jones.

Among the 1,800 adults and children in attendance was Scotty’s Little Soldiers founder Nikki Scott and her two children, Kai and Brooke. Nikki lost her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, in Afghanistan in 2009 and witnessed first-hand how losing a parent at such an early age can have an enormous impact on children.

Nikki set up Scotty’s Little Soldiers in 2010 in memory of Lee and with the aim of helping children who have lost a parent while serving in the British Armed Forces smile again. Over the last seven years, the charity has grown to support almost 300 bereaved military children.

Following the Palace event, Nikki said: “It’s incredible what Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have done. They have brought joy and laughter to hundreds of children who have already gone through so much.

“All of the families I spoke to on the day had a fantastic time – this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us all. It was also, for some children, the first time they had met other children going through the same things as them. Both Harry and William lost a parent just like our members so they know exactly what they are going through.”

For more information on Scotty’s Little Soldiers visit www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk

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