Scotty’s provides its beneficiaries with support and guidance throughout their childhood and offers a respite, however brief, from the daily ups and downs of coping with the loss of a parent.
Building on Leonardo’s earlier engagement with the charity, including support for fundraising activities and a meeting between a Leonardo delegation and the Scotty’s team at DSEI, Leonardo has now become a member of Scotty’s Business Heroes Club – helping the charity provide support for children and young people, and further strengthening our positive social impact in the UK.
This social impact approach is a core pillar of our UK Social Value Plan, which forms part of the Leonardo Sustainability Plan, and sits alongside our long-standing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant – the pledge to ensure that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
To support further fundraising for Scotty’s, on 20 June 2026, Clive Higgins (Chair & CEO, Leonardo UK Ltd) and Ben Knight (Leonardo’s Head of Sustainability in the UK) took on the ‘Fan Dance’ – the 24km route over Pen Y Fan used as part of UK Special Forces Selection – joined by colleagues from across the UK including John Williamson, Cathy Cojeen, Jake Mayor, Adam Huddleston, Alejandro Meecham-Aviles, and Chris Hunt. Adrian Holt, CEO of Form 1, who support Leonardo’s SME Partnership programme, was also part of the team. Adam Huddleston also finished first in the loadbearing category, carrying a 40lb pack.
Commenting, Clive Higgins said: “We are proud to become a corporate partner of Scotty’s Little Soldiers. The loss of a parent who served in our Armed Forces has a lasting and deeply personal impact on children, with grief resurfacing in different ways throughout their lives. Without the right support, this can affect wellbeing, education and a sense of belonging.
“This partnership reflects Leonardo’s commitment to making a meaningful social impact, supporting bereaved military children while engaging our employees in a cause that truly matters. Together, we can help ensure no military child feels alone in their grief.”
In addition, for every km covered by the Leonardo team that took part in the Fan Dance, another tree will be planted through our partnership with Carma, supporting UK veterans and ecosystems across the UK.
This initiative sits alongside other veterans-focused and social value programmes delivered under the Leonardo Sustainability Plan in the UK.
