Naval Children to sail coast of UK on the adventure of a lifetime

We’re delighted to announce that we will once again be offering Naval children the opportunity to sail the UK coast, in partnership with the Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT).

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Four voyages are available for Naval children. For those aged 12-15 there will be three trips, with another expedition planned for children aged 16-25.

Setting sail from, or ending up in, either Portsmouth or Plymouth, the expedition lasts five days before making port.

Aboard one of TSYT’s iconic 72ft Challenger Yachts, the explorers of tomorrow will be involved in all aspects of sailing from ropework and sail handling to helming.

The crew will also learn valuable transferable skills. Working as a team, developing their communication and leadership skills, these young people will come away with the capability to overcome barriers, and excel in their transition to adulthood.

Naval Children’s Charity CEO, Clare Scherer said: “We are delighted to be able to offer more of these voyages to our children and young people again this year. Those that went on the voyages last year had the most amazing time, forging friendships and bonding with their shared backgrounds from Naval families.“

The voyages will be completely subsidised by the NCC. For families that need extra support, grants are available for travel and kit (means tested). We would like to thank The Gosling Foundation, and The Mordaunt Foundation for their financial support.

There are ten positions available on each expedition. To apply, parents will need to fill out an application form; each child will also be required to supply a short statement on why they would like to take part. Places will be allocated based on the information provided on the expression on interest form, taking into account family circumstances, with a particular focus on the young person’s reasons for applying.

This opportunity is open to the child of any parent or guardian who is serving or is a veteran of the Royal Navy, including Royal Marines, WRNS, QARNNS, Reserves and Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Please provide the service details of the parent or guardian when you enquire.

Details of voyages:

Voyage 1: Tuesday 1st August – Saturday 5th August Age 12-15yrs Portsmouth – Plymouth

Voyage 2: Monday 7th August – Friday 11th August Age 12-15yrs Plymouth – Portsmouth

Voyage 3: Monday 16th October – Friday 20th October Age 16-25yrs Portsmouth – Portsmouth

Voyage 4: Monday 23rd October – Friday 27th October Age 12-15yrs Portsmouth – Portsmouth

The closing date for applications for Voyages 1 and 2 is Friday 30th June

The closing date for applications for Voyages 3 and 4 is Friday 15th September

These voyages expand on the success of NCC and TSYT’s maiden expeditions in the summer of 2022.

Two crews sailed the coastline of Scotland on the Challenger yacht. Both sets of young people achieved their Royal Yachting Association (RYA) certificates, with three of our cohort continuing their RYA training with TSYT.

TSYT’s Director of Youth Development and Outdoor Learning, Kirsty French, said:“We are excited to welcome another cohort of young people aboard one of our Challenger yachts as part of our ongoing partnership with the Naval Children’s Charity.

“Our previous NCC voyages during the Round Britain Adventure really enabled the young people to push themselves beyond their comfort zone, learning to work together to overcome shared challenges. We are looking forward to giving even more young people the opportunity to enjoy this truly transformational experience with Tall Ships Youth Trust.”

One parent from last year’s cohort said: “Before his dad left he was a confident, outgoing boy who had a wide friendship group and loved to make people laugh. Sadly over the last few years he had become withdrawn and nervous. What a difference the voyage has made….he has become much more confident and I’ve got my happy, smiling boy who likes to make people laugh back.”

This initiative furthers the NCC’s commitment to giving Naval children, ‘Life Chances’, expanding the reach of the charity to provide for all members of the community, not just those families in need of financial support.

Scherer added: “Much of our support focuses on families in crisis. However, we want our children and young people to not just survive but also to thrive and for our charitable support to repay a dividend to each of our beneficiaries for life.

“To achieve that we aim to offer them opportunities outside the norm, so that their horizons are wide and distant, and help them to appreciate that anything is within their reach. By providing those chances and showing them what could be possible, we aim to unlock the spirit in every child and help them achieve their full potential in life.

“Our Life Chances programme offers opportunities such as our partnership with the Tall Ships Youth Trust where our Naval young people can go on sponsored voyages experiencing a fantastic adventure as well as enabling them to achieve their RYA Competent Crew Certificate and, if appropriate, contribute towards the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Or the offer from ACE London Irish for budding Rugby players.”

Celebrating during periods of deployment

Separation is part and parcel of military life. Naval families often face longer periods of deployment, resulting in missing landmarks such as Father’s and Mother’s Day or birthdays. Here are some tips for celebrating during periods of separation. Continue reading

Knitting the family: mummy and daddy dolls help children’s wellbeing while parents are on deployment

At Crofton Hammond Infant School in Fareham, Hampshire, the teachers identified a recurring issue, impacting the children’s wellbeing. 

In July 2019, 32% of the school’s pupils were from Armed Forces families, with the majority of those parents serving in the Royal Navy. The staff observed that high numbers of these children were suffering in their parent’s absence, affecting their engagement and learning. 

As per The Children’s Commissioner’s 2018 Kin and County report, primary school children can suffer from ‘sadness, worry and general unease’, due to the short- or long-term deployment of a parent. 

The teachers decided to implement a ‘deployment package’, that would help children adjust to a period of separation. 

Drawing inspiration from our ‘Knit the Family’ initiative, the school decided to create a special set of dolls for each family. 

A proficient knitter created bespoke dolls in the likeness of a child and their parent. Following a successful implementation, the scheme was extended to include civilian children whose parents worked away during the week. 

Many parents reported that the child and doll were inseparable, and that the children were overjoyed to see their doll doppelgängers out on deployment with mummy or daddy. 

Staff observed a positive impact on the pupil’s wellbeing and readiness to learn, while many parents reported a greater sense of community within the school. It has also raised awareness within the children to be sensitive around a peer when their mum or dad is on deployment. 

A Year 1 teacher at Crofton Hammond Infant School said: 

“One child, who found it particularly tricky that her dad worked away Monday to Friday, just pops her ‘Daddy Doll’ in the front of her jumper when she comes to school and consequently, she can cope a lot better, and her learning has really improved.” 

You can read more about the school’s deployment packages by downloading the report. This case study was provided by the Service Children’s Progression Alliance, a charity that strives to improve educational outcomes for children and young people from Armed forces families.   

We’re always on the lookout for knitters to volunteer their skills. We’ve found that a version of mummy or daddy, or the protagonists of our short stories, The Time Rabbit and Time Penguin, can help children struggling with separation profoundly. Please visit the fundraisers & supporters page of our website to find out more.

New book for when mums go away, Henry and the Time Penguin

Our new book is here! Henry and the Time Penguin was written especially for mums who have to go away. You can email us for a free copy at book@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk Remember to give us your name and address and let us know if you want the Henry book for mums going away or the Zoe book for dads going away.

First Annual Meeting Trinity House March 2020

Earlier this year we held our First Annual Meeting as the Naval Children’s Charity and launched our new brand. Several of our families that had received support from us in the past travelled up to join us and shared their stories with those present. We are hugely grateful to them for this and will be sharing the videos of their stories with you all shortly. The Chairman, Alistair Sheppard, and the Chief Executive, Clare Scherer, gave those present an overview of the origins of the charity and our plans for the future.  

Our thanks go to Trinity House for the use of their beautiful building, Chamberlain’s of London for the delicious food and Farr Vinters for the champagne. If you would like to know more about us please do get in touch, we would love to hear from you.

We have been supporting Naval children since 1825, nearly 200 years, when the first orphanages were opened in Portsmouth and Chatham and then as the needs of our children have evolved and developed over the years we have changed and evolved and developed into the Charity we are today. We hope that we are going to continue to develop and make impact into our children’s lives as we go forward. Families come to us for help and we respond quickly and with compassion to their unique challenges so that we can deliver what they need.

If you think we could help you please do get in touch either by using the form on the website or by contacting us directly by email caseworkers@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk or by phone 023 9263 9534

We have created a short video with highlights from our Annual Meeting at Trinity House, March 2020. Click to watch.