A GIRL has starred in BBC's Newsround to highlight the unique struggles of life as a military child.
Lilly Pidsley, 12, moved to Bulford with mum Marie, dad Adam and younger sister Daisy six and a half years ago.
BBC's Newsround team approached Lilly to mark April as the Month of the Military Children after she was handed an award from charity Little Troopers last year.
Marie, a SENCo assistant at Amesbury CE Primary School, said the team was "amazing", adding: "They made Lilly feel very comfortable right at the start. They were talking to her as if they knew her. There was no pressure with anything."
Lilly took Newsround's Emma-Louise Amanshia for a tour round her home camp and discussed the drawbacks of having family in the armed forces.
She told the Journal that making new friends and missing her dad, a colour sergeant in the Five Rifles, when he's away on deployment are the hardest parts of being a military child.
One of her closest friends, who is also a military child, relocated to Cyprus two years ago. Lilly said: “When you move you don’t have those friends anymore.”
Marie said the family have been fortunate enough to stay in Bulford for six and a half years, despite most families relocating every two years as promotions arise, because Adam had taken new jobs in the Five Rifles.
The family were also waiting for Lilly to be diagnosed with autism in 2021 before they thought about relocating, Marie explained.
When the family lived in Caterick, Marie struggled not having a support network as her mum, brother and sister live in Salisbury.
Moving closer to her family has “made a massive difference” especially for Lilly and Daisy when they were younger.
Lilly has found solace in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which learns at Southern Quarter in Amesbury.
Read more: Success for young girl with autism as she transforms through jiu-jitsu
The sport has helped develop Lilly's confidence and has taken her abroad to compete.
Lilly, who holds a grey belt, attended the Zürich Autumn following sponsorship from the Swiss Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Federation on November 5 last year. She emerged successful, winning the ‘Happy Kids’ category.
“Everyone says how she’s a completely different child,” said Marie.
Louise Fetigan, founder of the charity Little Troopers, comments: “At Little Troopers we celebrate military children all year round but it’s been fantastic for Newsround to shine a light on forces children in April - the official month of the military child.
“There are approximately 100,000 children in the UK who have parents serving in the British Armed Forces and it’s important that other children understand how unique their life can be sometimes; moving house and school frequently and being regularly separated for their serving parent.
“A huge thank you to Lilly, our Little Trooper of the Month, for hosting the camera crew and showing them around. We loved seeing you show your Little Troopers medal with pride.”
To watch the episode visit bbc.co.uk/newsround/av/68765614.
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