Support us!
By donating or volunteering with us, you will be supporting children in need whose father or mother has died or sustained life changing injuries while serving as a member of the British Armed Forces or Civilian Forces.
In these unprecedented times, our support also extends to NHS and social care families affected by the coronavirus epidemic.
Download the FCT NHS flyer.


We offer
- Child bereavement counselling
- Group holidays and expeditions
- Social events
- Educational visits
- Educational support
The Forces Children’s Trust (FCT) was founded in 2004 by Mr Denny Wise, after he had heard that an associate’s son, serving in the UK armed forces had been killed, alongside a number of his comrades’ in Basra, Southern Iraq. All those killed had children.
Denny was quick to identify that although counselling plays a fundamental part in the journey of grief, the children inevitably felt very isolated in terms of their bereavement. Such isolation is often magnified when spending time with other families who have not experienced such trauma. The FCT offers all children whose parent has either died, or received life-threatening injuries, the invaluable opportunity to spend time with other children and families who share a similar experience and loss.
Unlike so many other charities, the FCT takes on a family role, there is no expectation for the children to share or discuss their grief, yet the bonds created between the children over time are truly special. Denny has seen for himself the comfort that the children draw from each other through knowing they are not alone; that other children have experienced similar heartache. He states that “I have been privileged, to spend a great deal of time with these children who have been with the charity from a young age and who are now blossoming into adulthood.
What is reassuring is that the charity recognises and acknowledges that although children are generally resilient, their journey through grief is in no way less painful or enduring than that of an adult and so the continued support through to adulthood is key in helping them come to terms with their new life. Although the charity exists for the children, widowed parents also gain immensely from the opportunity to share the struggles and hurdles encountered on the journey of grief with others, and a camaraderie similar to that experienced within the forces quickly emerges”.
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