Month of the Military Child Event in Wiltshire
Friday 24th May 2024
In April 2024 a celebration of children and young people from the Armed Forces community was held in Wiltshire to celebrate and raise awareness of the unique experiences of children whose parents serve in the Armed Forces.
Approximately 60 children from Wiltshire primary and secondary schools met to explore and celebrate what being a service child means to them.
This event was a partnership between Wiltshire Council, the MOD and the national charity Never Such Innocence to celebrate the recent Month of the Military Child.
Children took part in a poetry workshop at Tidworth Garrison Theatre, led by local poet Clive Sanders. Children wrote poems reflecting on their personal experiences. Children were encouraged to enter their poems for the national poetry competition, Life as a Dandelion.
During the event school staff were able to talk with representatives from various support services, including the Council SEND team, about support for families and schools.
During lunch Operation Ice Cream visited the venue providing free ice creams for everyone!
After lunch children performed their poems to guests including Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Cllr Chris Williams, Armed Forces Champion.
Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children's Services said: We have a long and proud association with the military in Wiltshire and have a clear commitment to ensure all our children and young people have the opportunities to excel and thrive. It was a special moment to hear the experiences of our children from Service families and I want to thank everyone involved for making this a great occasion.
A selection of the poems produced on the day can be read here.
