TV Presenter and school pupil join together to promote forces charity

TV Presenter and school pupil join together to promote forces charity
A Giggleswick School pupil features alongside author, adventurer and TV presenter Levison Wood in a new short film promoting the work of charity Children of Heroes. Emily Guy, who is in Year 9, was asked to take part in the film by the charity to help it promote its work to potential donors. Emily’s story in the video was produced and filmed on location at the school near Settle in Yorkshire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The charity helps educate and mentor the children of fallen servicemen and women. Levison Wood is one of the charity’s patrons having served as an Army Officer in the British Parachute Regiment, fighting against Taliban insurgents in Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul in 2008. He has since gone on to become a successful author and TV presenter working with the National Geographic, Animal Planet, Channel 4 and the BBC.

Emily lost her father, who was serving in Iraq, just days before she was born. The charity now helps to fund Emily’s place at the school. The film demonstrates every person’s need for a support network and highlights why it is important for children and young people to have consistency in their education.

Emily’s mother, Helen Guy, who lives in Skipton with Emily and her brother Henry, said of Emily’s connection to the charity

Children of Heroes enables Emily to attend Giggleswick School and without their help this would not be possible. The charity recognises that the children of our fallen servicemen and women sadly miss out, significantly, in many ways due to the lack of that parent in their lives. Both myself and the Trustees of Children of Heroes believe that one of the ways we can compensate those children for their loss is to provide them with a first class, outstanding education. In addition the charity provides teenagers with a selection of mentors to ensure that they have an abundance of appropriate advice, experiences and opportunities to take them successfully into their adult lives. The children of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice deserve this.

Co – founded by Zain Naqi and Will Mauder-Taylor, the charity has a discreet approach to charitable fundraising in order to protect the families with whom they work. There are no paid employees and all funds raised go to the charitable cause.

The school has other strong links to the military. Its own Combined Cadet Force includes one of only 18 Royal Marine detachments in the UK.

Will Mauder – Taylor said of his time spent making the film at Giggleswick School

It has been a pleasure working with Emily and meeting staff and pupils here. It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of the camera and be your authentic self, bearing all to an unseen audience. I hope Emily’s father would rest safe in the knowledge that his son and daughter will flourish in such an environment before in time deciding where to wander their own paths in life. It is also my hope that the film encourages more people to engage with Children of Heroes and the discreet work we do to give those who have suffered such a bereavement, as a result of a parent’s sacrifice, a simple leg-up in life.

The film can be viewed on the School’s website and social media account as well as on Children of Heroes’ Vimeo account https://vimeo.com/169549132 . To donate online to the charity visit www.childrenofheroescharity.com