MORE than 150 children who have a parent serving in the British Army came together for a special adventure weekend in Pirbright.
The weekend in June was the fourth summer camp organised by the charity My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures.
The charity aims to help keep the special bond between a soldier and their family by organising activities and providing online resources to help families stay connected. Long deployments and training courses can take a soldier away for up to nine months a year.
Forming new friendships
Charity founder Louise Fetigan said: “It was fantastic to see our little troopers meeting up with others who understood what it’s like to be in an Army family and form friendships that will last after they go home.
“We also witnessed several reunions this year, with families meeting up with old friends after they have all been posted to different parts of the country.”
During the weekend the children got to enjoy a whole range of activities including woodland cookery; Chelsea FC football coaching; survival; orienteering; swimming; circus skills; inflatable assault course; crazy golf; and a dance academy.
Comments from the weekend included: “We all had an amazing time! We learned new survival skills and learned you don’t always need phones and computers to have fun.”
“My girls learnt loads of new skills and realised there not the only children with a parent away and was good to meet other families and make new friends.”
Find out more
This year the charity is launching an appeal to raise funds to open an all-year round adventure centre.
It wants to provide a place where families can go while their soldiers are away, or when they return to help build the family bond once again.
To find out more, visit www.mydaddyisasoldieradventures.org