News Shopper launches Operation Shoebox campaign
10:19am Wednesday 10th October 2012 in News By Alan Woods
Shoeboxes packaged to be sent in 2011.
Could you brighten Christmas morning for a soldier keeping peace on the other side of the world? Reporter ALAN WOODS introduces News Shopper’s Operation Shoebox campaign.
THIS autumn News Shopper is asking readers to get behind Operation Shoebox UK, which is sending shoeboxes loaded with love to British peace keeping forces serving abroad.
For the first time, our offices in Petts Wood will be used to store the presents before they are posted out to the troops.
To show your support, readers are asked to fill a shoebox with treats they think will put smiles on soldiers' faces and deliver it before November 3.
South east regional director at Operation Shoebox, Ellie Doyle, explained: "A lot of soldiers don’t get presents.
"A lot go from the care system into the army and for that reason they don’t have any family or friends back at home.
"So when the post arrives the guys really look out for their post and when they don’t get any it is a crushing feeling.
"We try to encourage people that don’t have any family to register with us so they do get some post.
"It shows somebody back home cares."
The box should be suitable for a male or female recipient and weigh no more than 1.8kg.
A £2 coin should also be fixed to the lid of the box to contribute towards shipping.
Operation Shoebox volunteers will then check the contents of the boxes before they are shipped abroad - predominantly to Afghanistan this year - in time for December 25.
News Shopper editor Andrew Parkes is urging readers to get behind the campaign.
He said: "I think it’s wonderful we support our troops overseas and I’m very keen for News Shopper readers to back the Operation Shoebox campaign this year."
Since the scheme was launched in 2005, more than 55,000 shoeboxes have been sent to troops around the world.
Top 10 items to include:
- Magazines
- Puzzle books
- Notebooks, pens and pencils
- Small tins of fruit juice
- Dried fruit sachets
- Hot chocolate sachets
- Chewing gum
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Shower gels
- Jelly babies, Starburst chews
Items to avoid:
- Chocolate
- Aerosols
- Alcohol
- Bubble bath
- Adult magazine
A completed shoebox should look something like this:
Deliver the shoeboxes during office hours to:
Mega House, Crest View Drive, Petts Wood, Bromley, BR5 1BD
Comments(7)
Bevangirl
says...
2:19pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Operation shoebox Kent
says...
6:18pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Just to clarify some points, our deadline for Christmas Parcels is the 3rd of November, this early date is to ensure the Parcels we send do not clog up the British Forces Post Office at this busy time. Each year the MOD refers to this problem because many people post off Parcels addressed to 'A Soldier in Afghanistan', these parcels never leave the UK and indeed cause unnecessary work at BFPO. The public are therefore encouraged to use Organisations such as ours. All of our parcels go to a named Soldier who has requested our support.
Operation Shoebox UK works within MOD guidelines.Each parcel is checked and approved before it is sent.We send Parcels out all year long so anyone missing this Christmas deadline can still contribute, their gifts will simply be posted after Christmas.
There are a few drop off points within the News Shopper area, have a look at our website www.operationshoebox
.co.uk to find your local one.Donations can be made online too.
Any businesses or organisations willing to become drop off points or volunteers wishing to help should contact me direct. ellie@operationshoeb
ox.co.uk
All Volunteers will need to pass an application process, including Security checks. Thanks for your interest and lets get some goodies out to our Forces!
Ellie
paulgrest
says...
10:37am Thu 11 Oct 12
thandwellingrbl.co.u
k for more details.
Operation shoebox Kent
says...
10:53am Thu 11 Oct 12
We also send Parcels all year round, so people are welcome to contribute at any time. We run a Specific Christmas Campaign as it lifts the Troops up when they are far from home at this special time.
Just to clarify the 2 pound per box is not compulsory, but actually a suggested donation towards the costs to Operation Shoebox UK, we wouldn't refuse a parcel if it didn't have a donation attached. Indeed the BFPO do ship parcels under 2kg for free, but we run on a very small budget,reliant on donations to cover costs, all of our Co-ordinators and Directors are volunteers, who claim no expenses and infact pay for much of their work out of their own pockets, all donations cover costs such as running our website, wrapping paper, tape, excessive petrol etc.
There are many charities and organisations who send goodie boxes out to Troops, so people must search for the one they find more convenient to support.
paulgrest
says...
12:50pm Fri 12 Oct 12
Simon Bull
says...
9:49am Tue 16 Oct 12
paulgrest wrote:Hello Paul. As I've said to you elsewhere, it's unlikely News Shopper would have ignored the RBL or 'refused' to offer any support. We will cover your appeals or events in the paper as best we can depending on space available and how newsworthy things may be and in the meantime you can also submit news stories to the website yourself using our Fundraising section at newsshopper.co.uk/ne
I think it is shameful that the Newshopper refuses to support the Royal British Legion. They have made several requests to have information put in to the papers, yet those requests are constantly ignored!
ws/community/fundrai
sing
beanie59 says...
2:19pm Wed 10 Oct 12