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Marathon Men raise over £1,300 for Little Troopers

Two of our fantastic supporters have run miles to help Little Troopers recently. Corporal Si Simms and Captain Michael Spencer have both run Marathons for Little Troopers over the last couple of months and have raised over £1,300 collectively!

Si Simms took on the Greater Manchester Marathon on the 7th April 2018. Si’s three-year-old daughter and 11 month old son struggled when he was posted abroad on deployment with the Royal Air Force. Si’s wife contacted the charity Little Troopers, who sent her a separation pack and arranged a trip to Disney on Ice as part of their Christmas Smiles programme. Si who has served with the RAF for 11 years and completed several operational tours of duty, was so impressed by the charity’s support that he decided he had to give something back.

Si adds “The trip to see Disney on Ice gave my daughter the chance to get some quality 1-2-1 time with her Mum. This is a night she still talks about and it gave her the opportunity to just relax and be happy, instead of worrying about how long I was away for and why home life had changed so much.”

Si Simms completed the Manchester Marathon in 3hr 57 mins. He felt his hamstring go at the 14mile marker and was disappointed not to finish within 3.5hours so now already plans to run again! He adds “There are thousands and thousands of service children in this country who face being apart from their parent(s) for extended periods of time. This is a difficult adjustment period and many struggle to cope. I’m so glad that the funds I have helped to raise will enable Little Troopers to continue to provide vital support to families just like mine. ”

Captain Michael Spencer first learnt of Little Troopers at the beginning of the year when he was deployed with the British Army. Michael’s wife ordered a mini medal from the charity for his daughter Isla. Since then he found out more about the help they offer military kids and he wanted to help.

Michael was lucky enough to get one of the ballot entries for the London Marathon. Michael said “As a serving member of the British Army and father, I know first hand just how much my family sacrifice in support of my service. With frequent home moves and various types of deployments, military children face additional challenges at an already impressionable time. Little Troopers provide that extra level of support and understanding, which is vital to building resilience and maintaining a degree of normalcy for military children.

Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers, said: “We are a small charity with big aspirations to support the thousands of children facing unique daily challenges, due to their parent’s career choice. We were delighted to be able to provide a morale boost to Si and Michael’s family when they were away on operations. To discover that they chose to support us is very humbling. Every penny raised goes towards Little Troopers projects.”

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