Last week, 40 Little troopers joined together for a school’s workshop. The military children from Oxfordshire met in Carterton to celebrate being little troopers with a team from our charity.

The event organised by Oxfordshire County Council, in collaboration with us, bought together children from two schools. The children who have parents serving in the British Armed Forces came from:

• St Kenelm’s CE Primary School near Witney
• St Peter’s CE Primary School in Alvescot.

On the day they took part in an interactive event that was presented online, by TV broadcasters, Katie Thistleton and Frankie Vu. They enjoyed playing games, drawing, movement, mindfulness and other fun activities. All of the activities were designed to encourage the children to explore the unique challenges they sometimes face. These include being separated from a parent due to deployment or military exercise, as well as moving home and school. The children came away with tips and tools to help them better navigate periods of challenge and change at home.

Children who attended the day said:

“Today’s session has helped me learn how to handle nerves.”

“We’ve been drawing pictures of who we miss and then draw a heart about our feelings.”

Louise, our charity founder added: “It’s fantastic to see Oxfordshire County Council being so proactive when it comes to supporting service children in the area. Our aim as a charity is to ensure that all schools recognise the challenges military children face. No matter how many service children they have on roll we want them to be well-equipped and able to provide tailored support to these children whenever they might need it.”

Oxfordshire Council

Councillor John Howson, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services, attended on the day. He commented: “These workshops are designed to encourage service personnel children to share their lived experiences. It is important to ensure they are both recognised and celebrated. I hope the interactive format has strengthened each child’s sense of identity and will help them thrive at school.”

Thank you

The workshop was funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust as part of Oxfordshire County Council’s long-term commitment to supporting service children across the county.