Bereaved girl ‘proud’ to march on Remembrance Sunday for RAF father

Lexie Pallett marched with charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which supports hundreds of bereaved military children and young people.

Scotty’s Little Soldiers founder Nikki Scott (left) with Lexie Pallett in Horse Guards Parade after the march past the Cenotaph in the annual Remembrance Sunday service (Sam Hall/PA)

A teenage girl whose father died after serving in the RAF said she was “proud” to march past the Cenotaph to “honour” him on Remembrance Sunday.

Lexie Pallett, 16, marched with the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which supports hundreds of bereaved military children and young people.

Lexie, who also marched in 2022, said: “I’m immensely proud of me being here today, but I’m also proud of the fact that I’m here to honour my dad and honour the things that he did while he was in service.”

Her father Sergeant Oliver Pallett died in 2020 by suicide and Lexie joined the charity two months later.

Throughout her time at Scotty’s, Lexie and her family have been supported through respite breaks, emotional bereavement support, group events and grants to help towards their education and development.

Discussing her experience of the charity, Lexie said: “You also talk about everything else so that’s really nice.

“There’s a sense of family – you don’t have to talk about your loved one if you don’t want to, because everyone knows why you’re there.”

Around 100 people from the charity, including 53 children and young people – many of whom were wearing their parent’s medals – attended the Royal British Legion’s march past the Cenotaph on Sunday.

The children were accompanied by a parent or carer, and the charity said those marching wore a yellow and black scarf to help them “feel united in their grief and part of Scotty’s supportive community”.

Lexie said the Duke of Sussex, who is a global ambassador for Scotty’s, sent the children sweets ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

The charity was set up in 2010 by Army widow Nikki Scott, following the impact of the death of her husband Corporal Lee Scott in Afghanistan in 2009 on their two young children.

Sweets sent by the Duke of Sussex, who is a global ambassador for the charity, to children supported by Scotty’s Little Soldiers (Sam Hall/PA)

Speaking of Harry’s involvement, Ms Scott said: “He’s very much in contact. He sent the children sweets today as well.

“They all have sweets in their pockets from Prince Harry.”

Ms Scott said funding had been a “real challenge” this year and the charity had been unable to put on a winter festival for the children it supports in 2024.

Scotty’s has supported more than 700 bereaved military children and young people so far this year and has a long-term goal to support over 1,000 children annually by 2030.