The founder of Scotty’s, Nikki Scott, explains how the charity has grown to provide support for the wider bereaved Armed Forces community – and why anyone affected doesn’t have to face it alone.
She says: “When my husband, Corporal Lee Scott, of the Second Royal Tank Regiment, was killed in Afghanistan in 2009, our son Kai was five, and our daughter Brooke was just seven months. As an Army wife, I suddenly found myself trying to navigate a future I had never imagined.
“Alongside grief came the practical realities – supporting the children, making decisions and trying to make sense of a world that had changed overnight. Even with strong support around us, there were experiences that only other military families truly understood.
“My focus was always my children. How would they cope as they grew up? Who would understand the realities of being a child bereaved of a serving parent? Where could they turn when grief resurfaced years later?”
Nikki couldn’t find the support she needed, so she started Scotty’s Little Soldiers.
It began with a simple aim: to make sure bereaved military children and young people had the chance to smile again, rebuild their confidence and know they were not alone.
“Military-connected bereavement is lifelong, and it affects the whole Armed Forces community – not just children,” she explains. Scotty’s now supports anyone affected by military-connected bereavement, across all services. That includes those grieving the death of someone who served – whatever their relationship, cause, or circumstance – and those who serve or have served and are experiencing a bereavement of their own.
The charity provides guidance to help people navigate the entitlements, services and support available to them, including military pensions, compensation, housing entitlements, financial support, benefits, medals, education and employment, alongside emotional and wellbeing support.