Vale of Glamorgan
Members of this club were asked to participate in a recent project with the Local Authority. The Service children helped to put together a survey to gather the thoughts and views of other children like them from across the Vale of Glamorgan. The information provided will support the LA with evidence on any future funding applications for projects across this part of South Wales. Below are some photos taken from the launch event hosted at the school, parents were invited along to hear about the work their children had produced. A wonderful project, focussing on the importance of Service children pupil voice.
Mrs Bale reflected on their clubs very first session back in 2021, when they ran the 7 week Little Troopers at school wellbeing course.
"All the Service children were very chatty and there were lots of smiles and laughter. Seeing some of them who have never really mixed before talking to each other and working as a team was a joy to watch. Some of the children had not realised that others here had parents in the military. They all asked each other different questions, Where were you born? How many schools have you gone to? How many places have you lived?"
A few of the Service children gave their feedback from the sessions:
BTB said “This will help to build relationships with others that are in the same situation”
AF said “We can now talk to each other if any of us have any problems”
LG said “Please can we all do this every week”
IP said “This is nice to know there are others like me, who have to go through the same things like leaving friends behind and today I have met new friends"
If you would like to learn more about the charity Little Troopers and the resources this club used to get started then please follow this link:
Little Troopers At School - Little Troopers
"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
"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’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
"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
"I've moved seven times in fourteen years."
Lilia
"Now we've got a forever home. I never have to worry about leaving or how long until I am leaving. I feel like I belong here a lot more, that's always great."
Oliver
"In June or July, my Dad is going away quite far. He's in the Army, he's a chef. Having your Dad gone is so sad."
Josie
"I've lived in many places. So, I was born in Cyprus, after that I've been to Germany, then I went to this place called Stafford. Then another place which is Wales."
Dominic
"My Dad, he's in the Army and he works in the Engineers and he goes away on week days and comes back on weekends"
Emily
"Dad often goes away. It is a bit worrying not knowing where your Dad is going. It does worry me and my sister. Yeah, you just never know when he's coming home".
Joe
"My Mum is my parent that is in the Armed Forces. She is a reservist. So when I was younger it was a lot worse, she travelled around a lot. I've lived in the same house my whole life, but she has moved around me. I was in a constant cycle of saying goodbye".
Emma
"For military children they [Mount Street Junior School] do a club called Little Troopers, they've done a Remembrance service, purple up day. We celebrate Holi and Dawali".
Arushi
"Being a military child is hard, but it also gets you a lot of new experiences that I wouldn't have experienced otherwise".
Esme-Jane
Welsh Local Government Association
One Canal Parade
Dumballs Road
Cardiff
CF10 5BF
Designed & built by eInfinity Limited. Hosting & IT management at eInfinity Tech.