#Chances4Children: Naval charity launches books to help children missing deployed parents

The Naval Children’s Charity has produced two books aiming to help children struggling with their parents being deployed across the world for between three and nine months at a time.

The charity estimates that 56,000 men and women are currently deployed in the Armed Forces, 15,000 of whom are in the Navy.

It has teamed up with writer and illustrator Sarah McMenemy to produce two books to be shipped out to children free of charge.

Zoe and the Time Rabbit in an original work commissioned in 2018. The story follows Zoe and her emotions when her father has to go away and the help she gets from a magical time rabbit. 

“The book is intended to help any family where a parental figure might be away for an extended period,” a spokeswoman for the charity said.

The Naval Children’s Charity has now commissioned a second book by McMEnemy, Henry and the Time Penguin, to help children whose mum has been deployed. 

“This is particularly important as there are many serving women in the Royal Navy, many of whom are single parents making deployments and absences even harder for the children,”the spokeswoman added.

Clare Scherer, chief executive of the Naval Children’s Charity said: “As the only charity solely dedicated to the needs of the children of our amazing Naval personnel, both serving and veteran, we are delighted to be able to offer this book for mums who have to go away on deployment leaving behind their young children.”

To request a copy of either book families can email book@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk giving their name and address and specifying which book they would like or they can be downloaded from www.navalchildrenscharity.org.uk

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