Last weekend we bought 30 military teenagers ‘all together’ for a coastal adventure at Portland Outdoor Centre. The residential was part of our ‘All Together’ programme, which aims to connect young people who have been through similar challenges as part of growing up in the forces community.
Teenagers from all three services, Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force attended the weekend. None of them knew each other when they arrived. They put away their phones and got to know one another while taking part in a range of outdoor activities. They had great fun trying out coastal bushcraft, coasteering, SUPing, raft building, mackerel gutting and kayaking.
Harry (13), one of the young people who took part, commented: “I was looking forward to coming. My Dad went on a deployment for most of last year and I missed him a lot. So, coming here and seeing all these other people who’ve had the exact same experience as me has been really nice and good fun.”
Louise, founder of our charity, said: “Growing up with a parent serving in the British Armed Forces isn’t always easy. It’s especially hard when your parent is away for a long time or you have to move home frequently. Our All Together’ programme is all about recognising these unique challenges and bringing military children together so they can spend time with others who share similar life experiences.
“We’ve run these residential breaks in several places across the country now and we have had such positive feedback. The young people and their parents say it has a real impact on their wellbeing. Thank you to the Portland Outdoor Centre for helping us to bring 30 military teenagers ‘all together’ for a coastal adventure. It’s been a fantastic weekend and I’m sure the teens will remember it for many years to come.”
* Photos by Paul Brewer
The Little Troopers ‘All Together ‘programme has been made possible thanks to generous donations from:
- The Veterans Foundation,
- The Prince of Wales Charitable Fund
- Henry Sale Foundation
- Greenwich Hospital
- HDH Wills,
The ‘All Together’ programme also includes online workshops for under 10s and Adventure days out for 7–13-year-olds.
We are planning a Go-Ape adventure day in the summer, so watch our social media for details.
