A YEAR four pupil in Torfaen has set up a new club at his school for fellow pupils who have parents in the Armed Forces.
Gregor Allan is a pupil at New Inn Primary School and came up with the idea for the club – called The Little Troopers – after supporting his five-year-old sister Isla when their dad, who is in the Royal Air Force, was on tour overseas.
Gregor has also been recognised by the military children’s charity Little Troopers – who named him Little Trooper of the Month for April.
The Little Troopers club at New Inn Primary school with Royal Welsh regimental goat Shenkin IV and Goat Major Sgt Mark Jackson
As part of the celebrations for Gregor and Armed Forces Week, New Inn Primary School was visited by the Forces Fitness team for a workshop and also received a visit from the Royal Welsh regimental goat Shenkin IV and Goat Major Sgt Mark Jackson.
All the pupils were involved in the activities and the military children in the Little Troopers club were picked as captains for the tasks.
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Gregor said: “The military children were picked to be team captains. I felt proud to lead a team like my dad. Working as a team was fun, we kept going as we didn’t want to let our team down.”
Royal Welsh regimental goat Shenkin IV and Goat Major Sgt Mark Jackson with Gregor and Isla Allan at New In Primary School
Faith Lees, a year three pupil who is also one of the 10 pupils in the Little Troopers Club, said: “It was the best day ever! I’m so proud of my daddy and now my friends know all about the army and we had fun working as a little army.”
The school now hopes to be named an Armed Forces Friendly School by SSCE Cymru – who supports service children in education.
Ceri Knight, a teaching assistant at the school who helps to run the Little Troopers club, said: “Our first meeting was really heart-warming. They talked with such pride about being part of a military family and agreed that it was great to be able to chat to someone who understood that a parent might be away for important dates, such as birthdays, Christmas or even parents’ evenings.
“The children have decided to have regular meetings and their next challenge is to design and complete their own assault course and we will celebrate the end of term with a picnic.”
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