It may have been 16 years since Lee Scott died serving in the military, but the charity set up in his memory continues to do him proud.
Corporal Lee Scott, who died on July 10, 2009, is still being remembered years on through Lynn-based Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which was founded in 2010 by his wife Nikki following his death in Afghanistan.
Deeply affected by the impact on her children, Nikki created Scotty’s with a mission to ensure no bereaved military child ever feels alone or forgotten.
We take a look back at the charity and the time before it was founded in memory of Lee’s death in the late 2000s.
FAMILY LIFE
Nikki, who previously lived in Walpole St Andrew, met Lee when they worked in a bar together in Norfolk, with the pair becoming great friends.
He used to always ask her out on dates, but originally she would say, “Lee, it is never going to happen, you are not my type at all’.
But he was certain that Nikki was the one and that one day he would marry her.
“He used to drive me crazy, telling me this all the time,” she says.
One night at work, Lee told Nikki that he had a date to join the army, which shocked her a little.
She said he was still a little immature and could not stand people telling him what to do, as well as being a “little bit gobby”.
She says: “I can’t see how that is going to last very long, but how wrong was I. Lee was made for the army.”
Each time he came back on leave to their hometown, Nikki saw a change in him. She said he grew up: “He was so positive and had so much passion for what he was doing.
“He was proud to serve his Queen and his country.”
In the many letters sent while Lee was away, he would tell Nikki that he was going to marry her, and after a “strong connection was made”, the pair went on to tie the knot on February 2, 2008, when Lee returned home.
At this point, they were living in army accommodation in Tidworth, where he was based and serving with the Second Royal Tank Regiment. They already had their son Kai – and then in the November, their family was complete with the arrival of daughter Brooke.
“That was such an amazing time in my life. I was so happy,” Nikki says.
“I loved nothing more than just watching Lee with our gorgeous children, such a natural dad, and I loved being in the military lifestyle and the atmosphere of it all.”
However, all of that changed on July 10, 2009, when Nikki received the news that every military wife dreads – “that my Lee had been killed in action while on tour in Afghanistan”.
Her world completely fell apart. Brooke was only seven months old, so would not have had any memories of time with her dad, while Kai was just five.
After finding herself in a dark place after the death, and Kai also suffering from depression, she decided to change that and create something positive out of a heartbreaking situation.
She started to wonder how many other children like Kai have also experienced the death of a parent who served our country and had not been given that chance to smile again.
At that moment, Nikki realised that she not only had to get her own life back on track, but also that “Lee’s memory could live on and his passion for life could inspire people to go on and help children that our fallen heroes have left behind”.
So, on a mission to support bereaved British Forces children and young people, and in her husband’s memory, Scotty’s Little Soldiers was set up.
ABOUT THE CHARITY
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a national charity, based in Lynn, that supports children and young people from birth up until the age of 25, who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the army.
Support is available whether the parent was serving or a veteran at the time of their death, and regardless of the cause – including through illness, accident, suicide, or while on active duty.
Scotty’s also offers pre-bereavement support from the point a parent is given a terminal diagnosis and continues until the young person’s 25th birthday.
The support is delivered through three family programmes:
• The Smiles Programme is about fun and engagement and includes activities, gifts, respite breaks and group events. The aim is for bereaved military children and young people to form friendships, benefit from peer support, heal with their family, and feel part of a supportive community.
• The Support Programme provides emotional and mental health support, including one-to-one pre- and post-bereavement counselling for children and young people and their parent or carer.
It also advocates for bereaved military families to ensure they aren’t left at a disadvantage in accessing services such as housing, pensions, and financial support.
• The Strides Programme supports education and personal development by removing learning barriers, building confidence, and advocating for military children within the education system. It offers small educational grants and provides bereavement resources and training for teachers.
Scotty’s gives bereaved military children and young people a voice and raises awareness of their unique challenges – ensuring their experiences are recognised and their needs met.
Being a member of Scotty’s helps them remain connected to the military community.
SOME SPECIAL EVENTS
The range of events put on by Scotty’s has been astounding – it would be impossible to touch on them all.
In May last year, the charity hosted a heart-warming event in London where 50 children and young people were brought together for a fun-filled afternoon with the charity’s global ambassador, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
In November 2023, 46 members travelled to London in their black and yellow scarves to take part in the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance.
Many of the bereaved children were sporting the medals of their parents, along with a personalised medal of their own, supplied by the charity.
In April 2024, a group of eight young people visited Akshata Murty, wife of then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, at Downing Street to discuss their ideas to make a positive change within the education system.
INTERESTING FACTS
It is estimated that around 2,100 children each year are newly bereaved of a parent who served in the Armed Forces.
So far this year, Scotty’s has supported more than 760 bereaved military children and young people – and has a long-term goal to support more than 1,000 annually by 2030.
Nikki says it is estimated that a child in the UK under 18 is bereaved of a parent every 22 minutes; some of these are serving in our military or missions that go on in secret, under the radar, and unnoticed.
She said that although there are some great military charities in the UK, there is limited support for bereaved British Forces children and young people.
In fact, a survey she conducted told her that 98% felt that support dropped off completely a year following a death in service.
Scotty’s is researching the need for bereavement support within the wider military community and exploring future opportunities to expand its services.
One thing is for sure – Lee Scott’s memory is well and truly living on through the charity.
