Ruby Boots is a service for children and young people during the transition to civvy street, created by young people from the ground up.
They can access one-to-one support with our experienced Project Coordinator or peer support delivered by trained buddies of a similar age who have already been through the transition themselves.
These sessions take place in schools across Edinburgh and Fife, fostering a sense of belonging and community. Our most recent impact report shows how Ruby Boots makes a difference, improving wellbeing and reducing anxiety in young people.
Each session provides a fun and creative outlet, and no two are the same. Children and young people are also invited to shape the development of the project through co-production work, gaining further skills and confidence.
Are you a young person experiencing the transition to civilian life and looking for support and connections? Or are you a parent, carer, or professional?
Download a Ruby Boots Flyer
To join Ruby Boots, or ask any questions about the project, simply get in touch with Heather, Project Coordinator: rubyboots@forceschildrenscotland.org.uk
You can also call or message Heather: 07587 024841
Ruby Boots is a preventative service, so young people don’t need to be visibly struggling to get involved. It’s here for every young person making this transition. And sometimes, children from Forces families can seem fine and still benefit from having someone who understands.
Ruby Boots is generously funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the Veterans’ Foundation.
Here’s a supportive workbook for children and young people living anywhere in Scotland. A new way home can be printed at home and completed by any child or young person experiencing this journey.
This pack was co-produced with children and young people involved with Ruby Boots, reflecting their real experiences and showing what helps them cope.
Get your copyMoving out of the Armed Forces is a significant transition in a young person’s life and can come with many challenging experiences, including:
Ruby Boots is here to help make that transition easier, so children and young people feel less alone.
By getting involved, young people can develop skills and attributes that will help them throughout their lives, including resilience, empathy and self-awareness.
The Ruby Boots Project offers peer-led support, showing children and young people they are not alone and offering numerous other social and emotional benefits during this transition.
Children and young people aged 5-20 who reside in Edinburgh and Fife can access our in-person groups and one-to-one support. To get involved, you must meet one of the following criteria:
For those living elsewhere, you’ll find resources on this page that can help you anytime, anywhere.
If Samantha, Indie and Sereana inspire you, consider joining Ruby Boots or becoming a Buddy for others.
Ruby Boots was created in 2022 by a group of young people at a Forces Children Scotland residential. They talked about how isolating and confusing the transition to civilian life had felt: how sudden it was and how alone they felt in it.
This group described feeling like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, swept up in a tornado into somewhere totally unfamiliar. They told us that what would have helped was having a friend who understood.
That’s how Ruby Boots began, with the name taking inspiration from Dorothy’s slippers!
“Ruby Boots is such a great addition to the support we can offer our Forces young people. Being able to provide them with a little bit of consistency, stability, and support through what can be such an uncertain time in their lives is fantastic. Heather’s passion for the Ruby Boots project shines through as she adapts her sessions carefully to meet the needs of those she works with. She is relatable, understanding, and skilled at creating safe spaces for our pupils; we have had very successful sessions, both small group and one-to-one!”
What teachers say
“Ruby Boots has been a great support for our military children. My three children love the sessions they attend and really enjoy the activities. Heather is so supportive of their own personal needs, and it means a lot to have a place where they can be creative, feel understood, and just be themselves. It really is wonderful.”
What parents say
Do you know what it’s like to make the journey to civvy street? With Ruby Boots, you can use your experiences to help others.
What does a Buddy do?
Do I need to be an expert?
Absolutely not! You don’t need all the answers or have everything figured out. Being a Buddy is about listening, being yourself and helping someone feel understood.
You’ll get support and training to help you feel ready for the role.
Being a buddy can also contribute to DofE awards, Saltire Awards, and more.
If you’re interested in helping other young people whose parents are leaving, or have left, the Armed Forces, we’d love to hear from you.
