Gary Seath 2 weeks ago
The Lighthouse Project Project, funded by The Veterans Foundation, delivers mental health services for pupils from armed forces families, who receive board and education at the school, located in Dunblane.
We caught up with Jillian to find out more about her inspirations for applying, her plans and message to pupils, as well as some interesting topics for future team discussions – such as what can make a KitKat either a biscuit or sweet?
“After working for the NHS for several years, I was ready for a new opportunity and saw this post advertised. I was particularly drawn to the focus on children and young people’s lived experiences and co-production, as this is such a key part of developing meaningful support for children and young people.”
“Did you know that Forces Children Scotland is over 50 years older than Canada? It’s amazing to join a charity that has been supporting children and young people for such a long time. I’m also impressed by how the charity has adapted its services over the years to suit the needs of Forces children, such as making sure that their voices are heard and creating projects to deliver mental health support.”
“I have been getting to know the Forces Children Scotland team members one-on-one, as well as reading and learning lots! I recently visited Queen Victoria School to meet some key staff members, and I look forward to spending the next couple of weeks before the December break building relationships with staff and students within the school.”
“I have always known that I wanted to work in mental health with children and young people. I’ve been working with children and young people for roughly 12 years, in various roles including a swimming instructor/lifeguard, a nanny, a summer camp counsellor, and volunteering with Girlguiding Scotland. These roles helped me to develop many essential skills that I use daily as a mental health practitioner, and I enjoyed getting to be creative and playful in these roles.
Since moving to Scotland, I have worked in CAMHS for several years. I have supported children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions, those experiencing more severe mental health challenges, and more general mental wellbeing. I also did a short amount of private work specifically supporting the assessment of neurodevelopmental conditions in children and young people.
I am excited for this new opportunity of working with the pupils at Queen Victoria school. Activities that include exercise and nature, such as hiking, and creativity are important to my wellbeing. Therefore, I try to think about what additional tools we can use to support the holistic wellbeing of a person. For example, my Masters research was on the effect of pets on our mental health during Covid-19. Knowing the benefits of animals on mental health, I would be keen to implement some animal therapy sessions at Queen Victoria School.”
“My hope is to create a safe and non-judgemental space where pupils at Queen Victoria School can feel comfortable coming to speak to me about anything- nothing is too big or too small, and we will figure out any problems together. Working for Forces Children Scotland provides a unique opportunity to be an “outsider” at the school, and I hope that pupils feel able to speak to me about things that they may not speak to other members of school staff about. On the other hand, I am excited to get to know the Queen Victoria pupils and staff and to become part of their school community.
During my interview, I held a focus group with some Queen Victoria pupils who gave me some wonderful ideas about what they’d like to see as part of the Lighthouse Project, which I am looking forward to developing further. As always, working alongside the pupils, such as during one-to-one sessions to tailor them to pupils’ specific needs, and listening to the voices of the pupils more generally, will be a large part of the Lighthouse Project.”
“I moved to Scotland 5 years ago (6 months before the Covid-19 pandemic!), to pursue my Masters in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. There are some larger cultural differences e.g. UK football culture, but mostly it’s the small things that you don’t think about. For example, when I first moved here, I couldn’t find eggs anywhere in the shops because in Canada we refrigerate our eggs in the dairy section.
I was quite confused to find them next to the bread and jam! Getting used to some of the lingo can take a little while too. Confusingly, if referring to “hockey” in Scotland, it always means field hockey, but in Canada, hockey always means ice hockey. I also still have moments when I hear an unfamiliar word or phrase, but I’m always happy to learn! Most recently I learned the term “apple dooking” at Halloween (we would say “bobbing for apples” in Canada).”
“Similar to the infamous “Is a Jaffa Cake a biscuit or a cake?” question, whilst working in Glasgow, a young person told me that they considered a KitKat to be a biscuit, instead of a chocolate bar, as it would be classified in Canada. To my surprise, this was then confirmed by several of my colleagues, even though a biscuit in my mind is a shortbread or a custard cream for example. So, our future team meetings might include philosophical debates such as “Is a KitKat a biscuit?” or “Should a cheese board count as a dessert?” (I say no!).”
Please click the button below, and Jillian will get back to you as soon as possible.
Contact Jillian
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...
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...
We welcome Christina MacDonald to the team, who will lead our Lighthouse Project to support pupils from armed forces and...
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...