Seren of the month - July 2025

This month, SSCE Cymru extends a heartfelt thank you to Monmouthshire County Council for hosting this year’s fantastic National Armed Forces Day event. A huge team effort – diolch yn fawr! We were delighted to attend the day alongside many of our wonderful network members.

A special shout-out goes to our Seren’s of the Month: Joe Skidmore (Community & Partnership Development Lead), Karin Spencer (Armed Forces Covenant Liaison Officer for Gwent), and Cllr Peter Strong (Armed Forces Champion), for their ongoing support of SSCE Cymru and Armed Forces Friendly Schools across the county. SSCE Cymru truly appreciates the time and effort that went into this project and thanks everyone involved for championing the voice and visibility of Service children and young people in Wales.

With support from the SSCE-Wales Fund, Monmouthshire identified 130 military-connected Service children and, in preparation for hosting Wales’ National Armed Forces Day 2025 at Caldicot Castle, developed a project to highlight and involve them in the celebrations.

In the lead-up, all Monmouthshire schools received wooden jigsaw pieces to decorate, while schools across Wales were encouraged to join in by printing and designing paper versions. Created by Service children and their peers, these pieces came together to form a striking large-scale artwork unveiled at the event. Running alongside Month of the Military Child, the project supported schools in identifying and better understanding Service children – set against the memorable and fitting backdrop of Caldicot Castle. A wonderful way for the young people to feel included in such a historic day!