Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin, is helping ensure those affected by military-connected bereavement can access the support they need through a multi-year donation to Scotty’s - the military bereavement charity.
The £150,000 donation will support Scotty’s work with bereaved military children, young people and adults, helping them navigate entitlements, build connections with others who understand, access mental health and wellbeing support, and benefit from development opportunities.
Scotty’s supports anyone affected by military-connected bereavement. This includes those grieving the death of someone who served in the British Armed Forces, regardless of their relationship to the person who died or the cause or circumstances of the death. Scotty’s also supports those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces who are experiencing a bereavement of their own.
The donation was inspired by the record-breaking Mission Everest team of Alistair Carns DSO OBE MC MP, Anthony Stazicker CGC, Garth Miller and Kevin Godlington, all former Special Forces personnel, who travelled from London to the summit of Everest and back again within seven days in aid of Scotty’s and other British military charities.
Andy Sloan, Head of Fundraising at Scotty’s, said:
“We’re incredibly grateful to Ken Griffin and Griffin Catalyst for their support for Scotty’s. This multi-year gift means we can plan ahead with confidence and focus on making sure our community gets the very best support we can provide. As we work towards reaching many more people affected by military-connected bereavement, long-term commitments like this help us build for the future and be there for people not just today, but in the years ahead as we know that grief is not linear.”
Scotty’s support is delivered through four programmes, each designed to meet a different need within the bereaved military community:
- The START Programme helps people navigate their entitlements and the wider support available to them with confidence and clarity. This is an active, expert, relationship-based navigation service, with Scotty’s staying alongside individuals for as long as they need support.
- The SMILES Programme gives people the chance to build social connections with others who share an understanding of military bereavement.
- The SUPPORT Programme provides mental health and wellbeing support, including 1:1 support sessions with Scotty’s bereavement counsellors.
- The STRIDES Programme provides development opportunities, including education advocacy and grants. Young adults can also receive mentoring to support their career prospects.
Founded as Scotty’s Little Soldiers in 2010 by Army widow Nikki Scott after her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009, Scotty’s has extended its original mission of supporting bereaved military children and young people to include adults. Children remain at the heart of Scotty’s and continue to receive support through its Scotty’s Little Soldiers service.
For more than 16 years, Scotty’s has combined lived experience with professional expertise, academic research and the voices of the bereaved military community to understand what works, what doesn’t and where there are gaps in support.
Griffin Catalyst’s has made a longstanding commitment to advancing freedom and democracy and supporting service members and their families, both in the US and the UK. This support for Scotty’s reflects the organisation’s dedication to the bereaved military community.
