Nikki's February in a Nutshell
Scotty’s Little Soldiers’ founder, Nikki, shares an update on the events of the past month, including preparing Scotty Breaks, searching for talented new people to join the team, launching the OpsZone for our Members and Springboarders, and taking part in our biggest fundraiser of the year, Scotty’s March.
Hello,
Something very exciting happened in February – our 2023 Scotty Breaks went live! For those who don’t know, Scotty Breaks are a chance for our families to get away from the day-to-day and really just focus on making new happy memories together at one of our holiday locations around the UK. I’ll always remember our first family holiday after my husband, Lee, was killed in Afghanistan. Seeing our son, Kai, play in the pool and laugh for the first time since his daddy died is what made me realise how important it is for children to have some time away, and I’m so glad we can offer the same thing to our Members and Springboarders.
We’re hiring!
My children are far from the only ones who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the Armed Forces. So far this year, we have already supported over 600 bereaved military children and young people, which is why we need to expand our team.
We’ve had some great applicants so far, but there are still more opportunities to work for the charity! I think a lot of people don’t realise the variety of roles charities like us offer – from Youth Worker Programme Lead to marketing and fundraising roles like Brand Manager and Corporate Partnerships – there’s a big range of opportunities suited to all kinds of people. Just ask Hayley, Scotty’s Grants and Trusts Fundraiser:
“Working for Scotty’s is like landing a dream job that I never knew existed. I’m able to make a real difference to the lives of the children and young people whose parents served our country – and it’s my job! How wonderful and humbling is that?”
You don’t need to come from a charity background, either. Scotty’s Management Accountant, Nicola, worked in the corporate world before joining the team and her experience in those areas is massively useful:
“The idea of being able to give back whilst doing my job seemed impossible to achieve. It didn’t even occur to me I could have a sustainable income as a non-profit charity accountant… until I found Scotty’s!”
Scotty’s March
In other news, I’ve been stitched up yet again by the team here at Scotty’s. This time, they’ve roped me into taking part in the Scotty’s March on Saturday 23rd September... Luckily, it sounds amazing!
I’m not exactly what you’d call a fitness fanatic, but this is a challenge even I want to be part of. There are multiple distances to choose from and you can walk, jog or run it, meaning almost everyone is able to take part. It’s in Chiltern – which means plenty of hills, nature reserves and forests along the way. My daughter, Brooke, is coming along as well. She loves taking part in Scotty events and we always have a great time raising money for the charity. I think it’s going to have a real community feel... I'm actually looking forward to exercise. What’s happened to me?
If this sounds like your kind of thing, why not sign up now and join me? I always love seeing our supporters get stuck in!
Scotty’s OpsZone
In February, we released a brand-new tool for our families that we’ve been working on behind the scenes for a very long time. Scotty’s OpsZone!
The OpsZone is a brand-new website exclusively for Scotty’s Members and Springboarders. It’s a place they can get support, connect with us, download resources and access all kinds of helpful resources through watching videos, listening to podcasts, reading articles and so much more! We also have stories from other Members to remind them they’re not alone. It’s a really powerful tool and I can’t wait to see how it evolves in the future!
Nikki
