Summer Camp 2015 - the best yet?

18th June and I fall really ill, so ill....the day before the biggest weekend in the calendar for the charity I was absolutely devastated.

Luckily I have the most amazing husband who dosed me up and got me to Pirbright on 19th June ready for the arrival of 300 people who were coming to Summer Camp, the sun was shining down and some of my very good friends came to get us set up and sit on the check in desk welcoming all the families arriving. Summer Camp has begun!

Saturday was a day full of events; Survival, Woodland cookery, Climbing wall, Dance, Craft, Circus skills, Swimming, Football with Chelsea FC Foundation and then rain...the rain came and oh it was a storm! Under cover we were still having fun with Laser Quest, Inflatables, Crazy Golf, Bouldering, Dazzle & Fizz, Cross bow and tin can alley! (which I was particularly bad at!)

I walked back to the site with my husband reflecting on the day so proud to see all the tents pitched, hearing all the Little Troopers talk about their day.

A Little Trooper made my Saturday, Mason came running up to me and he'd made me a loom band bracelet to say thank you for all the fun he'd had, I was so touched....I'm still wearing it now. Those moments make all the hard work worthwhile.

The rain didn't last but the fun did, Sunday was another day of activities with Orienteering and Pop Academy with lots of Little Troopers singing their little hearts out! I always get a little emotional watching the show at the end of a Pop Academy and I did cry a tear or two!

Summer Camp is exactly what I wanted to achieve with setting up the charity, families connecting and spending time together, no electronics just a field and fun all together....new friends and old...one big community.

I hugged so many, chatted so much about the future for Little Troopers and came away thinking it was the best Summer Camp yet......I can not wait for next year our 5th annual camp and I came away feeling a new sense of motivation to continue and fight to ensure the charity remains for all the Little Troopers.

Here's to us sticking together!

Louise xxxxxx

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

2012 kicks off For the Little Troopers at Home....

2nd January 2012 and My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures took some Little Troopers to Chelsea FC for the day! what a day it was....

The training ground of Chelsea FC in Cobham is a fab facility and the coaching staff were truly amazing, we were humbled that they had all volunteered to be involved in the day on a bank holiday too!

The children arrived and were split into four groups they then spent the morning learning and refining their football skills and playing some games, lunch came which was an rather loud time!! Seeing all the kids having such fun was so amazing they went back out after lunch and the Chelsea FC youth team came over and had a kick about with the children....something we hadn't arranged so was a great addition to the day!

The day came to a close and JonJo from the X Factor popped in to give the children their medals, all children were given a Chelsea FC goodie bag and a My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures goodie bag and ALL left with a huge smile!

I have a feeling all the children would have slept well that night and we definately had some little troopers with stiff legs the next day! They should all now be recieving in the post their tshirt as a memory of the day.

Another great day and we hope for many more in 2012, thanks again all for coming and supporting The Little Troopers at Home...we, you, us are making a difference.

Louise & Linda xx