VSC hosts a Christmas Party for the UK's Army Children

Media: My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures Christmas Party

Date: Dec 2011

MY DADDY IS A SOLDIER ADVENTURES CHRISTMAS PARTY
A charity event for the UK’s Army children

 

A charity founded by two army mums to help soldiers children cope with one of their parents spending months away from home, is about to make this Christmas a really happy one for almost 200 youngsters.

 My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures charity was the brainchild of mothers, Louise and Linda, who found that their own children found it hard to cope when their dads were deployed overseas.

“Our children would get stressed and anxious and we decided to take their mind off things with a trek up Snowdonia to raise cash for back in March. It was so successful we decided to set up a charity for other children affected in the same way. The aim of the charity is to support young children and their families by giving them a focus. We wanted to create a second family where children missing their mums and dads could talk to others in the same situation.  Our ultimate goal is to open a residential adventure centre which will be open to all British Army children with a parent away,” says Linda.

The Victory Services Club will be hosting a Christmas Party organised by the charity on Wednesday 21st December.  The party will be a haven of delights for the army children with face painters, children’s entertainers, dance star party, party food, Santa handing out presents donated from Harrods and even a nail bar for the mothers to enjoy some pampering! The aim of an event like this is to bring the fun back in to a tough period such as Christmas, when many mums and dads are away, and to let the children enjoy themselves with others who are in the same situation.

The party will certainly bring serving parents and their kids closer. British Forces Broadcasting Services (BFBS), the radio and TV station for the armed forces, will be recording Christmas messages from children to their deployed parents which will broadcast on air.

“Lots of companies have been willing to donate their products to make this Christmas a bit brighter for the kids. Harrods have donated 30 boxes of gifts, a packaging company are giving us bags for goodies to take home and there has even been an offer for some reindeer to make a surprise appearance. It’s comforting to know that even in times of financial crisis, we can still count on the goodwill of others and  supporters of the armed forces to make Christmas time fun again for Army kids and their families,” says Linda.