Louise awarded MBE in King’s New Year Honours!

We’re incredibly proud to announce that Louise, our founder, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours List. Louise has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her work founding and running our incredible charity.

Louise, a British Army veteran, military spouse of 24 years and devoted mum, founded Little Troopers in 2011 after wanting to support her daughter, who was struggling with the reality of having a parent in the British Armed Forces.

Many military children experience unique challenges, including deployment, separation, and frequent moves to new homes and schools. Recognising this, Louise founded Little Troopers with a clear vision: to ensure that all military children have access to the support they need. Our work focuses on providing resources that help both at home and in school.

Beginning with a fundraising climb on Mount Snowdon in 2011, Louise has dedicated herself to growing the charity from a kitchen-table idea into one of the UK’s most recognised and well-loved military charities. Today, Little Troopers supports thousands of children each year through a broad programme of resources, initiatives and events, all designed to help military children build a sense of belonging and resilience that lasts well beyond childhood.

Louise Fetigan MBE said:

“It’s incredibly humbling to receive this honour. This isn’t just about me it’s about every military child who deserves to feel recognised, understood and celebrated as part of our military community.”

Notable highlights for Louise and the charity include:

• A nationwide Therapy Programme, providing face-to-face therapy sessions for military children

• Little Troopers at School, empowering teachers and schools to better support service children in the classroom

• Little Troopers All Together, including Family Reconnection weekends that help military families carve out quality time together

• The Christmas Smiles campaign, supporting children whose parents are deployed during the Christmas holidays

Louise has often run Little Troopers from her own military quarter, ten different homes over the years. Throughout that time, she has ensured military families always have a place to turn when they need it most. Whether handwriting cards, organising support for children facing deployment or quietly building national programmes behind the scenes, Louise remains closely connected to every family the charity supports.

Trustees of Little Troopers commented:

“Louise’s MBE reflects the personal dedication she has shown to young people across our Armed Forces community over many years. Anyone who has met Louise is struck by her energy, determination and deep care for military children. Her commitment has helped shape a charity that provides genuine, practical support for military families at a grassroots level. We know the entire military community will be delighted to see her recognised with this well-deserved honour.”