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ABOUT US

We are passionate about supporting children and young people from armed forces and veteran families to realise their potential and thrive.

It’s something we have been doing for over two-hundred years.

Mental health  Youth participation

We have over two hundred years of experience

We were founded in 1815 to support Scottish children and young people whose parents were killed or experienced life-changing wounds during the Napoleonic Wars. Today, we support children and young people from armed forces and veteran families across Scotland to realise their potential and thrive in lots of different ways.

Our vision

To make Scotland a place where all children & young people from armed forces and veteran families are listened to, their rights are upheld and empowered to realise their potential and thrive.

Our mission

Our mission is to become the sector-leading charity in Scotland that supports children and young people, from armed forces communities. We will embed their lived experience at the heart of everything we do to provide exciting opportunities to get involved to co-produce our services and amplify their voices to inspire meaningful change.

We deliver projects & services that support children & young people

We’ve developed a range of services that help support things like mental health and wellbeing, education and learning and much more. These are built based on listening to the needs of children and young people and research evidence.

We create opportunities to get involved, make friends and be heard

Nobody is better placed than children and young people to be a force for change, and so we build brilliant opportunities to be heard, make new friends and get involved in lots of different, creative ways to amplify lived experience.

We give financial support to children and young people in different ways

Financial assistance is available via a range of different funds that provide support up to the age of 25. This could help young people care for a loved one, pursue aspiration and to gain qualifications at college or university.

We provide advice and support to those supporting children and young people

That’s why we make sure that those who supporting children and young people, like teachers, understand and respond to unique challenges faced through a programme of training, resources, research, and access to our advisory service.

We build sector partnerships to help influence big change

Too often children and young people from Armed Forces and veteran families are not heard, and that’s not right. We amplify lived experience to help influence big decisions in Scotland at local, regional and national levels.

We are a strengths-based organisation

We strive to adopt a co-production approach underpinning all of our work. This means we recognise the unique experiences of children and young people from serving, reservist and veteran families as our most valuable asset and we ensure their voice is at the heart of all our decision-making. By doing so, we share the balance of decision-making with children and young people in the development of our projects and services.a

1815

Our charity was founded by the Highland Society of London in 1815, just four days before the Battle of Waterloo, to help Scottish children and young people whose parents had either died or suffered life-changing wounds during the Napoleonic War. The Caledonian Asylum in Hatton Gardens provided accommodation, basic schooling and vocational trade training to enhance employability.

1828

The Caledonian Asylum moved from Hatton Gardens to Copenhagen Fields in Islington, North London, which provided spacious accommodation and classrooms which was later named The Royal Caledonian School. Having received royal patronage from Queen Victoria in 1852, the school responded to growing calls for support from greater numbers of children and young people affected by the Crimean War (1853-1856).

1897

A new, purpose-built residential school was established in Bushey, Hertfordshire which provided accommodation and schooling for children and young people during both World Wars. Changes made to the education system in 1947 meant children and young people attended local local primary and secondary schools who remained residents and received welfare support at the Royal Caledonian School.

1996

The Royal Caledonian School closed and invested capital from its sale to become a grant-giving charity, called the Royal Caledonian Education Trust. Our charity helped children and young people from Armed Forces and veteran families to realise their potential and thrive, covering costs of learning resources, aspirational trips as well as living and transport costs for students attending college or university.

2010

We evolved to become an educational charity to support educators to better understand and respond to unique challenges faced by children and young people from armed forces and veteran families as well as champion good practice in schools. Much of this work was introduced during the conflict in Afghanistan which led to considerable demand to deliver coordinated support to meet the needs of children and young people.

2016

The Royal Caledonian Education Trust moved to Edinburgh, Scotland to work more directly with children and young people as well as its growing portfolio of partners from civilian and military sectors. During this time, the charity launched new youth participation and policy services to co-produce projects and campaigns to amplify the voice of children and young people from armed forces and veteran families across Scotland.

2022

Since making the move to Scotland, our charity has continued has evolve. We have launched mental health and wellbeing and family support services and expanded our grant-giving programmes. We took the huge step to rebrand our charity, having co-produced a new name, logo and strategic narrative with children and young people, our team, strategic partners and supporters.

Our team leading the way

Gillian Gray

Your Mind Matters Wellbeing Worker
Gillian is responsible for supporting children and young people to better understand and enhance their mental health and wellbeing through our Your Mind Matters Project. She has over five years of experience working within the third sector providing mental health and wellbeing support to children and adults, and possesses a wealth of experience in suicide intervention. Gillian has a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and Counselling and is passionate about supporting others to talk openly about their emotions and promoting self-help techniques for positive mental wellbeing.

Steven Sweeney

Chief Executive Officer
Steven was a Teacher before combining hobby and career, working at two Football Clubs, setting up and running their Partner Charities. Most recently in the north east, leading Aberdeen FC Community Trust to being named by UEFA as the Best Professional Club in the Community in Europe. Steven was previously CEO at a Third Sector Interface; enabling volunteers, community organisations and social enterprises to deliver transformational change. Steven is also the Convenor of the Board of Directors at Children in Scotland, and is a Board Member at Sport Scotland.

Jillian Bradfield

Lighthouse Project Wellbeing Worker
Originally from Canada, Jillian has lived in Scotland for the past 5 years. Jillian is responsible for the Lighthouse Project, supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils who attend Queen Victoria School. Jillian has a BA (Hons) in Psychology and a MScR in Clinical Psychology. Jillian’s experience includes several years working in CAMHS, supporting children and young people with moderate to severe mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. Jillian is passionate about using a person-centred approach and using a wide variety of tools to help support young people’s mental health in new and creative ways.

Meg Thomas

Deputy CEO and Policy Lead
Meg qualified as a Social Worker in 1993 and has worked in the statutory and voluntary sectors in both Australia and Scotland. She has further qualifications in social services leadership and management and in young people’s leadership and participation. Four years ago, Meg made the move from service delivery to the world of policy and influencing. Meg is passionate about realising children’s rights, particularly through amplifying the voices of children and young people to decision makers.

Chloe Gillespie

Finance Manager and PA to the CEO
Chloe brings considerable knowledge, skills and experience across a broad spectrum of financial control, database, human resources and operational disciplines. Having gained management and administration qualifications, Chloe has worked within retail, hospitality and tourism sectors. Earlier in her career, Chloe coached children in sports such as tennis and skiing, who is passionate in supporting children and young people to realise potential and thrive in confidence.

Judith Blair

Learning and Development Worker
Judith is an educator and military spouse who is passionate about improving experiences and outcomes for children and young people from forces families. With over nine years’ teaching experience across Scotland and Northern Ireland, she has extensive knowledge of supporting children with the unique pressures of life in a military family. Judith has a BA in Politics and Film and Media and a Post Graduate Diploma in Primary Education. She strives to educate professionals and enhance their understanding of the positives and challenges that surround Forces Children across Scotland.
Robyn Pattison

Robyn Pattison

Policy and Parliamentary Officer
Robyn has worked directly with parliamentarians in Westminster and has helped people within a constituency through case-work. Robyn has a wealth of experience volunteering in the third sector such as her voluntary work with international human rights organisations and local charities. Robyn herself grew up in a veteran family, who is passionate about raising awareness of the unique challenges forces children face.

Nina Collins

Youth Participation Manager
Nina previously worked with Fife Young Carers for the last ten years initially in a Development Worker capacity and subsequently progressing to a management role. Nina has a SVQ in Community Development Work and a Diploma in Leadership and Management. She is passionate about empowering children and young people to shape services to ensure they are provided a platform to share their voice, realise their potential and thrive.

James Anderson

Marketing and Communications Consultant
James supports the Marketing and Communications team's work through website content development and analysis, video production and online marketing. He brings 20 years of experience working in the digital space for public, private and third-sector organisations across the globe. He has an MSc in Multimedia & Interactive Systems and supported the promotion of the Armed Forces Covenant work at Edinburgh Napier University in a previous role.

Abigail Rankin

Youth Participation Worker (North of Scotland)
Abigail has been involved in charity-based youth work for over seven years, in community, school, and residential capacities, working to help enable and provide opportunities for young people with varying backgrounds and challenges. She has a BA degree in Theology and a particular interest in holistic pastoral care of young people, seeking to give them a voice and to help instigate positive change.

Gary Seath

Marketing, Communications and Development Manager
Gary brings a wealth of fundraising, marketing, and communications experience, having previously worked at Sight Scotland Veterans, Edinburgh Napier University and Fife College. He has extensive knowledge of the veterans’ sector and is a Reservist within 105 Regiment RA. Gary has gained considerable experience in the development and delivery of academic aspiration and musical education programmes for young people and conducted research with regard to emotional intelligence development in children, through the medium of music.

Faye Sierota

Youth Participation Worker (West)
Faye achieved a first-class BA (Hons) in Primary Education. As a devoted mother of two energetic boys and the wife of a Royal Marine Commando, life is never dull. Scotland has captured the family’s hearts, in putting down roots to find their forever home. Faye has a passion for home transformation and eagerly anticipates her next renovation project. Her love for cooking and pride in her home is matched only by wanderlust, ignited by a memorable stint in Australia. Moreover, Faye’s travels have taken her across America and Africa, culminating in the unforgettable experience of teaching Maasai tribesmen in rural Tanzania.

Ariella Azoulay

Administration and Fundraising Assistant
Ariella helps to manage our administrative processes and Family Support Services, who has spent her professional career honing her administrative skills, and her spare time volunteering to support children and young people in her local area. She spent the pandemic building a freelance business focusing on providing administrative and marketing services to small businesses. A military spouse and mother herself, Ariella has a special interest in the lives of Armed Forces children and young people.

Fiona Barbour-Smith

Trustee

Fiona is a dual qualified lawyer (Scotland and England) and has spent her many years of practice specialising in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and corporate governance work for law firms in Scotland, England and New York. She is also a qualified Pilates instructor and spent several years serving in what was the Territorial Army (now Reserves) during her early legal career. Fiona became a Trustee of Forces Children Scotland in December 2023.

Fiona Jackson

Trustee

Fiona grew up in a military family, her father was serving when she was born and for a large part of her childhood. Fiona was still living at home when her father moved from military to civilian employment. Fiona is retired but previously worked in IT and Local Government Procurement. Fiona holds a PGCM in Management and a MSc in Business Administration (IT) both from university of Central Lancashire. Previously Fiona held a board member position for a community regeneration trust.

Sarah Dickie

Trustee

Sarah brings over 37 years of experience working in the NHS. A Nurse Director (retired) and MBA graduate from Strathclyde University with Board and Integrated Joint Board experience. In her last role, Sarah served as Executive Armed Forces Champion and lead on the Board’s achievement of the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award. As the wife of a serving reservist and grandmother to a force’s child, Sarah is committed to working in collaboration with colleagues to deliver the charity’s corporate strategy, ensuring strategic influence and professional direction to ensure every child and young person from an armed forces community can realise their potential and thrive.

Isla Campbell Lupton

Trustee and Vice Chair

Isla is Head of Fundraising & Communications at Music in Hospitals & Care. She was previously Deputy Head of Fundraising at Poppyscotland where she developed the £2 million learning outreach project #PoppyBud. She has been a committee member of The Institute of Fundraising Scotland since 2008 and currently sits on the Scottish Fundraising Conference committee.

Max Young

Trustee and Co-Chair

Max is a Chartered Accountant, having qualified with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) is 2007 and is based in Edinburgh. Max now specialises in providing financial advice on major transport infrastructure projects across the UK and overseas with a particular specialism in the rail industry. Max joined Forces Children Scotland as Treasurer in April 2021."

Harvey Tilley

Trustee and Co-Chair

Harvey began his career in the British Army as an officer in the Royal Irish Regiment serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone. He has spent the last twenty-plus years working in the public and voluntary sectors. Specifically, this has been in the areas of homelessness, disability, care, grant-giving, and employability. Before taking up post as ILF Scotland’s Chief Operating Officer, the majority of roles he has held during this time have been leading large-scale charitable operations across the UK in such organisations as the Royal British Legion, SSAFA FH, and Business in the Community. Harvey is a keen cyclist and Trustee of Community Veterans Support in Glasgow.

Gordon Rae

Trustee

Gordon is an experienced educator with over twenty-five years experience in both public and independent schools. He is a Vice President of the National Commissioning Board for the Army’s Cadet Forces and has lead youth and adult volunteers in developing leadership.

How can we help

Support for Young People
Support for Parents & Carers
Support for Professionals & Educators
Financial Support
Mental Health & Wellbeing

Latest Reports

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September 30, 2022
Tag: Strategic plans

Strategy 2022-25 | Our New Vision

Download Publication: Strategy 2022-25 | Our New Vision