SHOEBOX APPEAL: Support our troops in Afghanistan
The Bury Free Press has launched an appeal for readers to support our troops in Afghanistan by filling a shoebox with essential supplies.
We have teamed up with Operation Shoebox to help make sure troops on the frontline do not run out of essential supplies and know that people back home are thinking of them.
The launch of our Shoebox Appeal coincides with three companies of 1st Batallion Royal Anglian Regiment deploying for a tour in Afghanistan – meaning our boys will be on the frontline over Christmas – and they should be among those to receive packages from home.
The Bury Free Press is asking readers to fill shoeboxes with items from a list of essentials which can be hard to get hold of at forward operating bases, in Afghanistan. Among those essentials are teabags, deodorant, toothpaste and Vaseline.
Then, bring your unwrapped shoebox along to the Bury Free Press offices, in King's Road, Bury St Edmunds, by the end of November, where Operation Shoebox local co-ordinators will collect them, weigh them to ensure they are within the 2kg limit and wrap them before sending them to RAF Lyneham to be flown to the frontline.
Jean and Bill Browning, who are co-ordinating the local effort, have so far sent 159 shoeboxes to the war-torn country – but hope our appeal will boost numbers considerably.
Jean said: "I have had some thank you letters back from the soldiers and they are really touching – that is what drives us on."
Operation Shoebox is staffed entirely by volunteers and the boxes are sent to nominated soldiers at forward operating bases for fair distribution. Jean and Bill are currently in the process of making contact with the Royal Anglian Regiment to ensure members of 1st Battalion receive boxes.
- If you would like to help, or for more information, contact Camille Berriman on camille.berriman@buryfreepress.co.uk or 01284 757821.
Alternatively, visit www.buryfreepress.co.uk/shoebox or the Operation Shoebox website at www.operationshoebox.co.uk
Click here to go back to our main news index.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
