A charity that helps the children of servicemen and women killed in combat has opened a new headquarters in King's Lynn.

The office, near the town's bus station, will provide a base for Scotty's Little Soldiers to help the charity move towards its target of raising hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy three holiday homes in the UK.

The charity was founded by Nikki Scott, 29, in memory of her husband Cpl Lee Scott, who was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2009 and left behind Brooke and Kai, now aged three and seven respectively.

Signage for the new office, plus pop-ups and banners for shows, was provided by East Coast Signs, based in Lynn. The company has also produced a pitch-side advertising board for King's Lynn Town FC, which has provided the space free of charge.

Jon Bocking, of East Coast Signs, said he was proud to be associated with a charity helping children whose lives had been torn apart by war.

'Nikki is doing a fantastic thing by using her own tragic experience to help others in a similar situation,' he said.

'It would have been very easy to just look after her own family, but she has put real energy and commitment into making life a little better for other families in Lee's honour. We're delighted to be able to do a little bit to help.'

Mrs Scott, who lives in Walpole St Andrew, near King's Lynn, said the new office would transform the day-to-day running of the charity which also sends birthday and Christmas presents and arranges special days out for the children.

'We love our new signs and we're incredibly grateful for Jon's help and the generosity of the football club. The support we continue to have from people in the area is amazing,' she added. 'The charity has been running for just over a year now, and it's such a relief to have a proper base where we can get together and plan our activities from.'

Mrs Scott, Kai and Brooke are all actively involved in the charity and recently helped out on a stall in King's Lynn which promoted the charity and raised hundreds of pounds.

The charity is currently pushing to raise �450,000 to buy three homes and maintain them and has so far raised about �70,000. 'Holidays have done my children the world of good,' Mrs Scott said. 'They get you away from the everyday strains of life and we hope by next summer that we will be in a position to buy the first home.

'I think Lee would be delighted and really proud with how much we have achieved in such a short space of time.'

This latest news comes after a King's Lynn fashion shop announced it would be helping the charity by stocking its range of clothing.

Andrew and Sarah Wilson, who own the Ikon store on New Conduit Street, jumped at the chance to sell the Scotty Gear.

'We're thrilled to be able to help out by selling the clothing range in our store,' said Mr Wilson.

'By buying the hoodies and T-shirts people are not only contributing to a fantastic charity but also getting a quality garment.

'There are a lot of charities all vying for attention but this one particularly caught our eye because it helps children come to terms with such a great loss in their lives.'

Mrs Scott told the EDP she was delighted when the shop agreed to stock Scotty's Little Soldiers clothing.

'It's fantastic to have a presence in a well-known local shop and we hope that people will find it a great way to donate to the charity and help put a smile on the faces of these tragic children,' she added.

The mum of two is also gearing up to jump out of a plane and parachute into a field in Wimblington, near March, next month and admits she is not looking forward to it because of her fear of heights.

But she said: 'I am determined to do it because I have quite a few sponsors already and it will hopefully raise a lot of money for Scotty's Little Soldiers.

'I also want to do it because I read so many emails every day from people doing similar things for the charity and I feel it's time I did something myself.'

Cpl Scott, 26, who grew up in King's Lynn, was serving with the 2nd Royal Tank Regt at the time of his death.

People can pop into the new office, the entrance to which is via Old Market Street, or contact the team on 01553 763000.

For more information about the charity go to www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk

david.blackmore@archant.co.uk