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Forces' post can't cope with festive gift bonanza

Alex Scapens
5/12/2007

OVERWHELMING generosity from Stockport residents has seen nearly 6,000 shoeboxes full of festive gifts donated for our armed forces - too many for the Ministry of Defence to cope with.

Only last minute intervention from former members of the Cheshire Regiment means presents given as part of the Stockport Supports Our Troops campaign will definitely be delivered to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan in time for Christmas.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) was to send them out on cargo planes with other supplies, but only after necessary security checks for bombs and inappropriate materials. A huge number of donations from across the country makes this extremely time-consuming.

This meant there was no guarantee the borough’s gifts would be received by December 25 until the First Mercian Batallion - which the Cheshires merged into earlier this year - stepped in to save the day.

Campaign organiser Ken Brotherhood said: “We were beginning to get seriously worried, but members of the batallion stationed in Catterick will collect them and get them through the system.

“It’s very good of them to step in at the last minute. I’ve been on the edge of tears when I’ve seen how generous the response across Stockport has been.

“It’s extremely important for the soldiers to get the presents and it really raises morale when they see such support from home.”

The Stockport campaign closes on Friday (December 7) and it is intended the gifts will go to Royal Marines, the Duke of Lancaster Regiment and the First Mercian Batallion.

A list of army personnel means that many of the shoeboxes, currently stored in an Oldham warehouse, will be sent to Stockport soldiers.

Members of the First Mercian will now ensure security checks are done and all boxes are approved.

Ex-Royal Marine Ken, of Leeside, Heaton Mersey, added: “Our soldiers do such a good job they really deserve these presents.”

A spokesman for the MoD admitted that while all donations would have been sent to troops there was no guarantee this would have been done by Christmas.

And added: “While we are incredibly grateful for the kind offers from around the country, it puts enormous strain on the logistical supply chain, the principle priority of which is to get things like rations, ammunition and medical supplies to troops.”

He said there are MoD approved schemes run by charities that provide boxes of gifts that are pre-approved so do not need checking.

And for people wishing to help, financial donations to these schemes are the MoD’s preferred method.

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