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Service children Clubs and ambassadors
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Clubs and ambassadors

The SSCE Cymru team are passionate about pupil voice. We love to listen to Service children/young people! Listening to you helps us to understand more and ensures that we involve you in any activities we organise and the resources we produce. Your voice is important! We actively encourage educators in Wales to recognise how listening can help us all change things for the better.

Service parent/carer survey (2020).

Experiences that had a positive impact on Service child’s (children’s) wellbeing and educational experience: 60% said making friends.

UNCRC

Article 12 – I have the right to be listened to and be taken seriously.

In my eyes you have hundreds of friends in different places.

What are the aims of Service children ambassadors?

-   Share the experiences of being a Service child
-   Represent Service children in Wales
-   Engage with the SSCE Cymru Network members
-   Celebrate Service children's experiences with the school and local
    community.

 

What are the benefits of being a Service children ambassador?

-   Making new friends
-   Meeting other Service children
-   Sharing experiences of being a Service child
-   Impacting decision making
-   Gaining experience of working with professionals, organisations/
    charities, academics and policy makers.

How do Service children ambassadors support SSCE Cymru?

There are many ways that Service children can support SSCE Cymru activities, depending on the child/young person’s age and interests. Possible activities include:

Participating in activities with members of the SSCE Cymru Network, such as:

-   Month of the Military Child
-   Armed Forces Day
-   Little Troopers podcast.

Participating in the production of SSCE Cymru resources, such as:

-   Films about Service children’s experiences
-   Good practice case studies and films
-   Resources for Service children.

Supporting the delivery of SSCE Cymru events, such as:

-   Service children funding webinars
-   SSCE Cymru Network webinars.

Representing Service children at relevant events/meetings, such as:

-   SCiP Alliance Hub Cymru events
-   MOD Local Authority Partnership (LAP) meetings
-   Local authority action plan meetings
-   SCiP Alliance Thriving Lives Conferences.

The Participation Lead Officer (PLO) will work with any ambassadors who support SSCE Cymru activities, to ensure they feel happy, safe, confident and well-prepared.

What do Service children ambassadors do in the local community?

Service children junior ambassadors

-   Share their experiences of being a Service child
-   Participate in activities to celebrate being a Service child.

Service children senior ambassadors

-   Lead or organise activities to celebrate Service children
-   Represent Service children in their school and linked feeder schools.

Service children lead ambassadors

-   Participate in a nationwide Service children's ambassador group
-   Represent Service children ambassadors
-   Support the development of the Service children ambassadors scheme.

Who can be a Service children ambassador?

Any child or young person who:
1)   has a connection to the Armed Forces and
2)   is currently in education in Wales.

How does a Service child become an ambassador?

Schools can contact SSCECymru@wlga.gov.uk with the following information about any children and young people that are interested in becoming an ambassador:

-   Pupil's name
-   Year group
-   School name
-   Local authority
-   Service child’s connection to the Armed Forces (i.e. Mother is currently
    serving in the RAF)
-   How to contact the ambassador(s) (i.e. through school contact
    xxxx.xxxx@school.gov.uk).

The Participation Lead Officer will then get in touch with the new ambassador, through the school contact, to discuss activities that they can get involved with.

See more case studies here

Service children’s quotes

"As soon as we get used to a house, you get moved - I’ve been to four schools and moved six times."

Aiden

"I lived in Nepal, then we went to Brunei, then Malaysia."

Ashim

"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."

Chloe

"I’m used to moving now and mixing with the children... I’ve done it so many times, it’s just a normal thing now."

Chloe

"It's ok talking over skype and that, but sometimes you just want a hug when Dad is away."

Georgia

"I’ve enjoyed going around to lots of places around the world, it's adventurous and exciting."

Harry

"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."

Ieuan

"My mum got a chalk board and it says how many sleeps on it with chalk, every minute it’s getting closer for him coming home."

Mia

"I don’t want him to get promoted... I want him to get promoted but I don’t want to leave."

Oliver

"I might be going to boarding school so that I don’t change schools every few years."

Ryan

"I've been to seven different schools; I’ve not stayed put in one school long enough."

Shana

"He has been away for six months and he is back for two weeks, then he goes away again."

Sianed

"My parents were in the Army. My mum is a like a nurse and my dad went to the war in Afghanistan. I actually didn’t really know what he was doing so I was like, ‘Cool Dad, go there,’ but then I found out and thought, 'Thank God he came back alive.'"

Sanjog

"He signed off last week, so he will be done by the end of this year. He’s done 24 years. I find that better because he will be around a lot. He likes watching us playing rugby, so he will get to see us more."

Lewis

"I’m going to a new place entirely. They don’t know anything about me and that’s a big restart and that’s really good for me."

Piaras

"I moved to Wales because my dad was posted in the Army. I thought I would get bullied and I was shy when you meet new people, but I made some friends."

Dan