We Won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last 6 weeks or so have been a whirlwind since we got the call telling us we had been nominated and were in the running for the Support to the Armed Forces Award at the 2014 Sun Military Awards or 'Millies' as they are known.

It was a lovely experience doing some filming throughout November to create a 4 minute film showcasing the work of My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures and why we exist.

On 10th December 2014 I was invited to 10 Downing Street for a reception with all the other nominees, we had a police escort and three coaches of service personnel and others arrived at lunchtime. It was a great experience and so beautiful inside especially as the Christmas decorations were up!

 



On the evening of 10th December all nominees and guests were taken to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. It was so amazing to walk up the red carpet and the venue was awash with Royalty and celebrities everywhere you looked! After a champagne and canapé reception we were asked to take our seats.
Philip Schofield and Amanda Holden were presenting the evening which was amazing from start to finish, the third award to be announced was Support to the Armed Forces and as soon as they started the film I knew we had won as my daughter was on the huge screen! I cried my eyes out it was so overwhelming and then I had to walk up on stage!!!
Jeremy Clarkson and Mary Berry presented the award to me and they were so delightful and put me at ease before I had to say a few words...I don't even remember what I said now!!!
There were some surprises on stage but I will not spoil it before the show has aired.....you will have to watch on 18th December ITV at 8.30pm.

It was amazing for Little Troopers to get this recognition and I couldn't be prouder to be part of My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures. Don't forget to watch A Night of Heroes on ITV 18th December!

Me & My Soldier Calendar 2015

Throughout September 2014 we were asking for image entries for our Me & My Soldier 2015 calendar, I am always astounded by the volume of entries which increases year on year and the special moments captured that people are willing to share and let others have a peek into their life as a British Army Family.

Entries came in from families based all over the world and judging the competition was such a tough job for myself and the trustees but we eventually decided on 12 images plus a front cover and they are just adorable with a further 27 being too good not to feature so we squeezed them onto the back cover....we just wish every image entered could feature but its just not possible.

Once again when we launched the calendar and the winning images we were really lucky that they featured in many national newspapers, its always a mad dash to the newsagents to buy the papers and I lay them all out and smile, a very proud smile.

So many pre orders have come in for the calendar which has just gone into print and will be ready for dispatch mid November 2014 ready for Christmas presents!

It is so special and I just love that the calendar strikes a cord with so many, I hope you enjoy the images month on month throughout 2015.

Buy your calendar HERE

The reason....

It has been a while since a blogpost, I always think they should come from the heart and my heart has been touched recently; over the months I meet so many families, wonderful people and adorable Little Troopers.....ALL special but sometimes a situation touches me and makes me even more determined to reach as many British Army families as possible.

Increasingly we get turned down for funding, people saying that our cause isn't t worthy or  'sensational' enough but I know that everyone who has leaned on the charity would disagree, its a needed charity, it's one of a kind and it is supporting thousands on very little income. The emails and comments we receive on a daily basis show Little Troopers DO face unique challenges due to their parents serving and they DO require support, resources and recognition especially when a soldier parent is away.

The world is changing, people live differently and everyones situation is individual yet support never seemed adaptable...people divorce, people choose not to marry, people choose to buy their own house, people choose to be unaccompanied, but one thing remains the common thread children have soldiers who serve in the British Army and they are sent away for varying times due to their job.

In the summer we ran an event in Colchester, a lovely lady attended with her two little boys and her story really struck a cord and I tell many people their story because it proves the point I am always trying to make;

They were mid twenties, had a house and two children....one day her partner decided he wanted to join the Army, a decision which she supported, 7 months later he had done training and was in Afghanistan, her life had been turned upside down in a matter of months, it was an alien environment to her, they hadn't managed to move into Army housing and lived miles away from her partners base, she felt isolated and her children needed slowly integrating into their new life. She sought out My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures and here she was at an event miles from home wanting to get support and be part of the My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures Community. I think that day she showed real bravery.

I have followed their journey and received a lovely email this week from the family thanking us for the support, the events, the separation packs they bought, the panto tickets they won....we have helped and eased the pain of the separation for those children and their mummy and given the soldier the knowledge his family was supported. We have achieved our main objective as a charity.

I know that this charity matters and families who make an impression make it worthwhile, all the people we connect with make it worthwhile. Everyone has their own story, their own situation but one thing is certain the community that is growing is supporting everyone with a soldier parent............regardless.

Me and My Soldier

Me and my Soldier is about celebrating special moments between soldiers and their Little Troopers.

Last year I took a photo of my soldier and our Little Trooper, it was such a tender moment I thought many others must have captured these moments in time too, the Me and my Soldier calendar 2013 was a great success I knew it had to run again for our 2014 calendar!

The charity has grown massively the last year and so has the number of people who know about us which equalled hundreds of entries which was so amazing but also meant we needed more months in the year! The images evoke so many feelings and emotions in everyone, military or civilian and I definitely cried some tears. It was so so hard judging and there was quite a few on the deciding panel but the results will be a totally adorable calendar everyone can have on their kitchen wall.

There was so many images we had some great ones for Christmas cards so this year we have Me and my Soldier cards to spread Christmas cheer!

Below I am sharing a few of the images chosen so you can see just how special they are!

Order your 2014 calendar here: 2014 Me and my Soldier Calendar

Order your Christmas Cards here: Me and my Soldier Christmas Cards

1st Place - Me and my Soldier Calendar

2nd Place - Me and my Soldier Calendar

3rd Place - Me and my Soldier

Christmas Card image

Christmas card image

Hohne, Germany. Same Difference, Chelsea FC and lots of Little Troopers!

It had been a long time in the planning but the time was right to take My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures to Germany, the Brigade had deployed on a nine month tour of Afghanistan and we wanted to put a smile on some little faces.

32 Engineer Regiment were fundamental in the weekend happening, without their support it would not have happened. We arranged for Sean and Sarah from Same Difference to run a Pop Academy and Chelsea FC Foundation to come with 7 coaches to run a football day.

The weekend was overwhelming in so many ways, we met so many amazing families, the warmth we were greeted with was touching. We spoke to so many people who agreed the Little Troopers need the support we provide so much and we achieved making over 230 children smile in times that are tough for them with a soldier parent away for so many months.

For me it was a weekend I will never forget, I cried some tears....the charity is growing into something I never dreamed of and to see so many benefitting makes all the hours worthwhile but also the children make me never want to give up, I want to make sure EVERY child with a British Army soldier parent(s) has the opportunity to be supported by us and our events and resources.

On Saturday a little girl come up to me and said 'I really really miss my daddy' I wanted to squeeze her tight, 'I can't bring your daddy home today but I can make sure you have an amazing day' later that day sure enough I saw the little girl skipping out the door. Mission accomplished! She had come in a sad little girl missing her daddy and for one day she forgot her worries.

The entire weekend was a total success with an extra special thank you to 32 Engr Regt who presented us with a very unexpected cheque for E1,600 from the Saturday evenings fundraising Oktoberfest which we were so grateful to receive.

We wish all the soldiers a safe tour and we hope we brought a small positive at the beginning of a long tour and we hope to see all the brave Little Troopers again very soon.

An amazing weekend in the history of My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures, one many will remember for a very long time.

Louise xx

Snowdon Challenge Weekend - April 6th 2013

What a weekend!!!!

It was a rocky road getting the challenge ready, with the adverse weather conditions and changing to a Plan B it really was touch and go if it would go ahead at all. There was so much snow on the mountains there was no way we could have reached the summit.

6 months of planning and organising paid off though and WE DID IT! We successfully completed with many others our Snowdon Challenge 2013!

At this point we must say a huge thank you to Boulder Adventures Claire and Tom were amazing and without them this challenge would not have happened. Thank you so so much.

As a group of 56 (much lower than anticipated due to drops outs at change of challenge) we abseiled 2170m which is the equivalent to the height up and down Snowdon. Every single person completed an abseil or more and our youngest Little Trooper to abseil was just 4 years old, such an achievement for all.

It took from 9am - 4pm of constant abseiling to complete our challenge but no one was going to give up and the cheers when we knew we'd completed it rang throughout the quarry! Everyone so so pleased that together as group we had acheieved what we came to do.


Little Austin 4 years old

Many of the group also completed a 5 mile trek of the Llanberis Lake in addition to the adseil so truely gave their all to the challenge and indeed the cause.

The weekend was about more then an abseil though, so many took so much away from the weekend. It was about being with others who understood, meeting new friends, sharing something truly unique and being part of something none of us will forget in a hurry.

One family really touched my heart on the weekend and I wanted to share why, it encapsulates why we started the charity and why we are so privileged to meet so many British Army families and Little Troopers.

A lovely family of  mum, son and daughter attended our challenge weekend, daddy is in Afghanistan and has been since October 2012. To witness how strongly they were bonded and how supportive they were of each other was utterly heart warming. I was sat on a rock watching the little girl come down her abseil, so bravely at 7 years old and her older brother waiting so proudly at the bottom, he then gallantly ran back up to cheer mum on for her abseil. I was sat in the tranquil sun having a chat with the little girl waiting for her mummy to conquer her challenge 'Mummy' she shouted 'Close your eyes and think of daddy, that will get you down' A tear rolled down my face, it was a moment in time... a Little Trooper who is currently going through a separation from a soldier parent yet being so positive and supportive to others, my lip is currently quivering writing this post, such a special moment I was a part of, one I will never forget and such a inspirationaly brave and strong family. As mummy landed safely at the bottom of the abseil I stood back, the little girl hugged her mummy 'Mummy, Daddy will be so proud, we have so much to tell him now when he gets home in 2 weeks'

Right there in front of me was our reason, our motivation and why we are so passionately working hard for the charity to grow so we can support as many British Army families and Little Troopers as possible.

This challenge raised £3,000 and rising and I know that every single person that attended went home with a smile on their faces, a feeling of achievement and knowing they had been part of something special with others in a similar situation.

Two years on from the first trek and what we have achieved blows my mind but there so much more we want to achieve....join us as we move into our next chapter xxxxx

You can still donate to the Snowdon Challenge here: Donate Here



Louise & Linda after the challenge in Llanberis, Snowdonia



Snowdon Challenge Weekend - You can't predict the weather!

I am writing this blog now we have a Plan B....it may not have been such a cheery post had we not secured a Plan B!

April 6th is our Snowdon Challenge weekend, it has been in the planning for months and months, so many hours has gone into the preparation, so many people are in training, so many Little Troopers have been raising funds and looking forward to this special weekend and suddenly the snow comes and comes and comes in Llanberis. I have never been so obsessed with the Met Office website!

It became quite clear that the weather may not ease up on the mountain and I was sent this YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6RLu-LwRZM OH MY GOODNESS, what are we going to do?! 100 people registered to climb to the summit of Mount Snowdon in less than two weeks and it really doesn't look like it is going to be possible, it would be dangerous in the current conditions to attempt it...but we can't cancel, we wont cancel....there must be an alternative but can we really turn this around in 10days?!

I am not one to give up and I knew that out there would be someone who would help us in our hour of need, I sent an email to a local company called Boulder Adventures http://www.boulderadventures.co.uk/ they saw our email and called me on Easter Sunday....they could help AND it was a fantastic opportunity for us and a real challenge for everyone involved.

So April 6th we will be heading to Snowdonia and a nearby quarry in Llanberis where we will be abseiling, we will continue to abseil the 90ft drop until it equates the height of Mount Snowdon, so we will be climbing the mountain but in a different way to what we had planned!

On a personal level it will be a real challenge, I have abseiled when serving and it really wasn't my favourite thing but both Linda and I are determined to face our fears! Lots of people are ready to take on this new challenge and it makes all the sponsorship worthwhile, it really will test peoples resolve but we are all there for one reason... to support The Little Troopers at Home....

So onwards with this week and we can not wait for the weekend to come, meet lots of new faces from the My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures community and spend some great time with lots of Little Troopers. See you in the next post which will be full of photos from the challenge weekend!

Lots of love until then xxx