Gary Seath 2 years ago
We welcome Christina MacDonald to the team, who will lead our Lighthouse Project to support pupils from armed forces and veteran families at Queen Victoria School to better understand and enhance mental health and wellbeing.
We listened to the voice of pupils who expressed a need for specific mental health and wellbeing support services to be established within the school. We responded quickly and received funding from ABF: The Soldiers Charity to make things happen.
Christina will deliver mental health support services within a co-created wellbeing room at Queen Victoria School and will work with pupils to co-produce learning resources to help educators, professionals, and parents to better understand the lives they lead.
We caught up with Christina to find out more about herself, how things are going and what she hopes to achieve through the Lighthouse Project.
“I am passionate about working with young people. To be able to come alongside them, listen to their stories and find out who they are is a real privilege. As a forces child myself, I also know how incredibly valuable it is to have a safe, stable, and non-judgmental space to work through some of life’s changes and challenges.
“As the Wellbeing Worker based at the Lighthouse in Queen Victoria School, I will be able to support some of the young people there. To enable and empower them to face their futures with both hope and confidence is one of the compelling reasons for applying for this exciting new position with Forces Children Scotland.”
“I have worked with young people in several settings over the last 19 years. For the past three years I have successfully managed and developed a small project which involved working with vulnerable young people and adults who have been negatively impacted by parental divorce or separation.
“Creating a safe, non-judgmental, confidential space for someone to recognise the challenges of their current situation, what issues they are facing and then empowering them with certain life skills and tools to cope in a more positive manner has been at the core of the work that I have done. I have developed and written bespoke and adaptable resources to support young people and adults to cope with the various transitions and challenges they faced.
“Additionally, my father was in the Army and, as a child, our family moved every 2-3 years. This has given me a child’s eye perspective of the potential challenges faced by the young people with parents in the forces. This alongside my career history and the skills, perspectives and experiences gained will be incredibly valuable in my role.”
“Things are going well, and it has been an interesting, busy, and exciting time meeting the staff teams at Forces Children Scotland and Queen Victoria School. Meeting the young people that I am going to be working alongside has been one of the biggest highlights so far! The scope of this project and what it hopes to accomplish is incredible and being involved with it in these preliminary stages is also exciting.”
“I hope that we will deliver a welcoming, safe, and non-judgmental place for the young people at Queen Victoria School. A place to figure out the issues and the challenges that they are facing. A place where young people are empowered and helped to face their personal challenges with practical strategies that will help them as individuals. A place where they can grow in self-belief and resilience and are able to discern their own paths, overcome obstacles, and recognise their own self-worth and unique abilities.
“I also hope that it is a place where they can laugh, enjoy discovering more about themselves and their peers, form life-long friendships and help each other.”
Learn more about Forces Children Scotland’s mental health and wellbeing services.
Learn more
Forces Children Scotland joins forces with Troopr Forces Children Scotland, a leading charity dedicated to supporting children and young people...
New Chief Executive Officer for Forces Children Scotland Scotland’s leading charity supporting over 13,000 children and young people from armed...
We are delighted to introduce Jillian Bradfield, our new Wellbeing Worker for the Lighthouse Project at Queen Victoria School. The...
Policy catch-up with Robyn Pattinson Meet Robyn, who is our Policy and Parliamentary Officer at Forces Children Scotland. Robyn tells...
Attend our SCiP Conference Workshop We’re attending the SciP Alliance Conference in Cardiff to present a workshop on Forces Children...
Impact Report 2024 Available Now Download your copy of Forces Children Scotland’s latest impact report. We are making fantastic progress...
Youth Forum Member Presented Medal of Honour Forces Children Scotland Youth Forum member, Isabella Turner (Izzy), was presented with a...
New child-friendly digital deployment pack resource launching soon You may have read about Forces Children Scotland receiving generous funding from...
Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry Response Regarding Queen Victoria School Forces Children Scotland acknowledges the findings published on Tuesday, 22 October...
Greenwich Hospital awards a grant of £103,000 to Forces Children Scotland. The funding supports their continued work with children and...
Accredited CPD Training for Professionals We are committed to ensuring that children and young people from armed forces communities receive...
Mental health and wellbeing: Is it cool to talk about? Gillian Gray, Your Mind Matters Wellbeing Worker for Forces Children...
Charity Launches World Mental Health Day Call to Young People Forces Children Scotland has issued a call on World Mental...
World Mental Health Day is celebrated on 10 October. This year’s theme set by the World Federation of Mental Health...
Join the Conversation: Get involved in our podcast series Are you a young person, aged 12-17, from a serving or...
Youth forum member to receive prestigious medal We are delighted to announce Forces Children Scotland Youth Forum member, Isabella Turner,...
Funding from the Scottish Children’s Lottery has assisted Forces Children Scotland to provide vital financial assistance to armed forces and...
Forces Children Scotland becomes Military Charity Partner for season 2024-25 The partnership supports the charity’s mission of making Scotland a...
Forces Children Scotland joins over one-hundred charities and organisations in signing a letter demanding the Scottish government fulfil its promise...
Ruari Barbour Smith is set to lace up his running shoes to take on the Men’s 10K Edinburgh Event in...
The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government outlines its strategic priorities and legislative agenda for the coming year, focusing on key...
We are delighted to introduce Faye Sierota to our team, who is our new Youth Participation Worker for the West...
We are seeking a compassionate and skilled mental health and wellbeing worker. Deliver face-to-face services for children and young people...
A talented young Fife artist has designed a captivating series of animated characters for Forces Children Scotland’s Children’s Rights Report...
Forces Children Scotland, a leading charity dedicated to supporting children and young people from armed forces communities, has launched a...
We are searching for our next Chief Executive Officer to lead our next exciting chapter. This is a very exciting...
We are delighted to receive a generous grant award from the Army Benevolent Fund. The funding will assist in developing...
Scottish Youth Parliament #SYP81 Representation Rubie and Chloe represented the lived experiences and views of young people from forces communities...
Lucy smashes fundraising target Forces child, Lucy Beck, completes Glasgow Women’s 10K to raise funds for Forces Children Scotland. We...
Press Release For Immediate Release | 20 June 2024. Elgin teen wins national charity mascot design competition The competition...
Press Release For Immediate Release Forces Children Scotland has received MacRobert Trust funding to continue Your Mind Matters – a...
Lucy Beck is taking on the Women’s 10K in Glasgow to raise funds for Forces Children Scotland. Lucy will lace...
Enhance your continual professional development through our free accredited CPD webinars. Did you know that over 13,000 children and young...
Having led the charity for the past three and half years, Laura Falconer announces that she will move on from...
We are proud and honoured to announce that His Majesty, King Charles III, will serve as Patron of Forces Children...
When a parent decides to leave the armed forces it means big changes for their children and young people too....
Forces Children Scotland and Helensburgh and Lomond Carers combined forces for Mental Health Awareness Week. The charities brought local primary...
Mental Health is recognised as one of the biggest challenges children and young people face today. Children and young people...
Forces children’s charity launches big give double donation mission. Forces Children Scotland aims to raise £5000 through a Big Give...
Making the change from military to civilian life A blog from Robyn Pattison, Policy Officer at Forces Children Scotland. Being...
Pupils combine forces with Forces Children Scotland to celebrate Month of the Military Child. Month of the Military Child raises...
Forces Children Scotland encourages military and public communities to come together in Helensburgh to celebrate the unique experiences of children...
Naval and Royal Marine Family Consultation We are working in partnership with the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity, the...
Forces Children Scotland encourages military and public communities to come together to celebrate the unique experiences of children from armed...
Save the date | Double your kindness in May Donate in support of our Kind²Mind match-giving campaign next month. Donations...
Want to help children and young people from armed forces communities to realise their potential and thrive? Deliver life-changing experiences...
Month of the Military Child 2024 Celebration Pack Available Now Month of the Military Child is about recognising, understanding, and...
Attend Forces Children Scotland’s roadshow events in Edinburgh, Helensburgh, and Leuchars in April. Open to anyone in the community, we...
Young Carers Action Day 2024 This year’s theme promotes a fair future for young carers. Young Carers Action Day is...
Military Children’s Charity Launches National Mascot Design Competition Budding young artists from armed forces communities are encouraged to pick up...
Forces Children Scotland’s Youth Forum members announced as award finalists. We are delighted to announce that young people from...
Share your experiences of forces life. Are you from an armed forces or veteran family currently living in Scotland? Brilliant...
Forces Children Scotland receives bronze Employer Recognition Scheme Award. Forces Children Scotland was presented the award at a ceremony held...
Forces Children Scotland is delighted to become an Associate Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament. The announcement follows the recent...
Design a mascot for Forces Children Scotland We are looking for budding young artists from armed forces communities to design...
Introducing Chloe Gillespie, our new Finance Manager and PA to the Chief Executive. Chloe will be responsible for managing Forces...
Military children encouraged to share personal stories for Month of the Military Child Campaign Children from armed forces communities have...
Forces Children Scotland supports pupils to better understand and enhance mental health and wellbeing. The charity received generous funding from...
Children’s Mental Health Week’s theme is ‘My Voice Matters’. This year is about empowering children and young people by providing...
Forces Children Help Shape Future Children’s Rights Landscape in Scotland. Forces Children Scotland worked in partnership with Queen Victoria School...
National Storytelling Week | Sharing the Stories of Forces Children. This fantastic annual event is a joyful celebration of the...
A response to the Scottish Veterans Commissioner (SVC) report ‘Community and Relationships: Anything but Uniform’. Forces Children Scotland welcomes the...
Introducing our new Learning and Development Worker, Judith Blair. Judith will lead the rollout of our new learning offer for...
Today has proved very significant regarding children’s rights in Scotland. The Scottish UNCRC (Incorporation) Bill has received Royal Assent &...
Have your say | Help forces families to get ready for Civvy Street finances. We have received funding from the...
Introducing our new Deputy CEO and Policy Lead, Meg Thomas. Meg will lead our exciting policy work, following the release...
Fancy a 5K fundraising experience with a difference later this year? Here’s your chance to enter the ballot for the...
Forces Children Scotland welcomes the Scottish Parliament passing the UNCRC (Incorporation) Bill. The Bill will incorporate the United Nations...
Forces Children Scotland supports Imogen’s international lacrosse success. Imogen received a grant from Forces Children Scotland to help self-fund a...
We are delighted to share news about how generous core funding from the Veterans Foundation has enabled Forces Children Scotland...
Combining forces in the name of children’s rights Forces Children Scotland has combined forces with Together: The Scottish Alliance for...
Are you passionate about education and learning? Want to help educators and professionals enhance understanding and practice to meet the...
Putting lived experience of children and young people at the heart of policy and influencing. Forces Children Scotland welcomed over...
We had a great time visiting Colinton Primary School in Edinburgh, recently. The team worked with a group of primary...
Download our latest Impact Report now! Our mission is simple. We want to become the sector-leading charity that supports children...
Forces Children Scotland gets behind the call to Incorporate the United Nations Convention of Children’s Rights (UNCRC) into Scots law....
QVS Insights Podcast returns with three new episodes. You may remember our hugely successful podcast episodes with S5 pupils from...
Family Support Services receives welcome funding boost The Scottish Children’s Lottery Trust has awarded a generous £5000.00 grant to support...
Forces Children Scotland welcomes the publication of the LGBTQ Independent Veterans Review. Chaired by Lord Etherton, the review recommended that...
Forces child, Natasha, stars in recent Tornado of Change Campaign. Natasha’s role portrayed a pupil starting at a new school,...
Mental health and wellbeing sessions delivered for armed forces community in Helensburgh. Helensburgh is home to 4,800 naval personnel and...
The Veterans Foundation has awarded a generous grant to meet mental health and wellbeing support needs of children and young...
Join our Force for Good for Armed Forces Day Host a fundraising event in support during Armed Forces Week (24-31...
When parents leave the armed forces it can feel like a tornado for children, who have put their lived experience...
Introducing Katy King as Coordinator for our Ruby Boots Project. Katy will lead a new exciting project in Fife which...
Mental Health Awareness Week is focusing on anxiety. You might have heard friends or family describing themselves as anxious, but...
Heather pollock attended the Celebrating Forces Families Awards last month. Having proceeded to finalist in the young people’s award, the...
Gary Seath receives Reservist of the Year award. Gary received the award at the Ex-Forces in Business Awards for his...
The Lighthouse Project provides a guiding light to better understand and enhance mental health and wellbeing at Queen Victoria School....
Three new podcasts available to watch now! QVS Insights is a series of short podcasts delivered by Forces Children Scotland,...
Parliamentary round up for March 2023 We were delighted to see the Scottish Parliament has been busy with questions and...
Campaign creatively explores challenges faced when a parent decides to leave the armed forces. Forces Children Scotland will launch an...
Month of the Military Child has begun! Month of the Military Child is about coming together to recognise and better...
We congratulate Humza Yousaf, who has been appointed First Minister of Scotland. Forces Children Scotland looks forward to working with...
Malcolm Noble will take on an epic 100-mile Pyrenees fundraising trek. Malcolm has completed many incredible fundraising challenges during his...
Introducing Gillian Gray as Wellbeing Worker for our Your Mind Matters Project. Gillian will lead the face-to-face strand of the...
This week we celebrate Young Carers Action Day This annual event raises awareness of young carers and the incredible contribution...
Letter to SNP Leadership says the time is now for making rights real. Forces Children Scotland has put its signature...
Forces Children Scotland has worked with Queen Victoria School to co-produce a series of podcasts, funded by the Armed Forces...
As Children’s Mental Health Week draws to a close, we celebrate our success in co-developing a new mental health and...
Are you passionate about supporting the Armed Forces Community? Now is the perfect time to join Forces Children Scotland as...
We are delighted to introduce Robyn Pattison as our new Policy and Parliamentary Officer for Forces Children Scotland. Robyn will...
Human beings thrive in communities, and this connection is vital for our well-being, and our survival. Healthy connections with family,...
Christmas can present unique challenges for young people from armed forces families. The holiday season is here, which is often...
Forces Children Scotland warmly welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to prioritise the eradication of child poverty in its 2023-24 budget....
We’ve turned an idea from young people into an exciting new service! Forces Children Scotland has received funding from the...
Join our force for good through Kiltwalk 2023 Kiltwalk is Scotland’s favourite mass participation walking event where you can raise...
We are delighted to announce that we have received generous funding from the Veterans Foundation. The core grant received will...
We are delighted to introduce Katie Westwood as our new Learning and Development Worker for Forces Children Scotland. Katie will...
Help support growing numbers of armed forces and veteran families facing financial crisis this Christmas. We all face significant financial...
Young people visited the Scottish Parliament to meet Deputy Presiding Officer, Annabelle Ewing MSP earlier this month, to share their...
The government has launched the first ever UK-wide survey, for veterans and their families. Over the next 12 weeks, veterans...
Support children and young people from armed forces & veteran families to better understand and overcome challenges to mental health...
Forces Children Scotland is working in partnership with Skills Development Scotland for Scottish Careers Week (07-11 November 2022), which is...
Forces Children Scotland is working in partnership with Skills Development Scotland for Scottish Careers Week (07-11 November 2022), which is...
We continue to support children & young people from serving, reservist & veteran families across Scotland during so much unprecedented...
Forces Children Scotland has today (18 October 2022) launched a new holistic support service to help families leaving the armed...
This year, the Scottish Government was due to review its ten-year Mental Health Strategy. In light of the impact of...
Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay With everything that is happening around us right now, it can be easy to feel powerless, but...
Forces Children Scotland Chairperson, Malcolm Noble, has written and published a short history book that reflects on a historic voyage...
Hearing from our veteran community within the United Kingdom is vital and that is why the government will launch the...
Malcolm Noble has announced he will step down as Chairperson in December 2022. Working as a school headmaster in London,...
Forces Children Scotland will deliver an interactive workshop at the Children in Scotland Annual Conference in November, to present a...
We have received the fantastic news that Sophie Khairallah has been selected for the National Junior Academy run by Scottish...
We are excited to welcome Ariella Azoulay to the team, who will help manage our administrative processes and Family Support...
We are deeply saddened to have learned of the passing of our Patron, Her Majesty, The Queen. Her Majesty has...
Forces Children Scotland has co-produced a new mental health and wellbeing digital platform with and for children and young people...
Forces Children Scotland has co-produced a new strategy with children and young people from armed forces and veteran families, who...
Young Carers from serving, reservist and veteran families have launched a campaign in Fife schools to raise awareness and encourage...
Forces Children Scotland’s Patron Her Majesty The Queen, becomes the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70...
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week’s theme is isolation and loneliness. It can be difficult when we feel lonely, and...
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme is ‘loneliness’ and Forces Children Scotland is committed to ensure no child or...