Morale Parcels to the Royal Marines thanks to THL forum

[Grayling 56]

After Dave and Si invited my son and I to your THL on Sunday 7th October, it was a fair old hike from our Wirral home, but what a cracking day we had. We met some top guys, took part in one of the most enjoyable and easy going HFT comps I've shot in a long time. Beautiful weather, lovely scenery, good company, is there more ??

 

Well yes thanks to your forum a whole lot more. To top off a brilliant day, the members of this forum had raised an assounding £1100 for our organisation Treats 4 British Troops to help us fund more morale parcels out to British Troops on operational tours of Afghanistan.

 

Today Cliff Ennis the co founder of T4BT and myself spent £155 of that money on Pot Noodles, Cheddars, Pringles etc etc that eventually filled 31 recycled shoe boxes, these my eldest son, Cliff and myself then filled with the recently bought above mentioned goodies, weighed, wrapped and addressed these 31 boxes to Royal Marines of 40 Commando.

 

Within the next 10 days these morale parcels we reach the above unit and I'm in no doubt make the day for a lot of young squaddies all thanks to this forum members. So guys a sincere thankyou from Cliff and myself. The money you kindly donated will make it possible to send a whole lot more such morale parcels over the next few months.

 

I will happily keep this forum informed (now I'm a member) what other units benefit from your generosity in the near future, we are already planning more parcels out to 40 Commando.

[davyt63 1,845]

hi Gary

nice to see you here and in the future

there are more meets to arrange,and to come to so keep a look out for the one in January.thanks for the post it will mean a lot to the members

 

PS. what a great first post!!

Edited November 12, 2012 by davyt63

[risingfriend 1,042]

Great news mate and as Davy said what a first post and i for one was glad to be a part of the thl meet along with everyone in attendance and donators alike. fantastic way to spend a weekend and some small change for the experience was well worth it. and to know where the funds raised are spent and how is a joy to read. ATB Aaron

[zini 1,939]

FANTASTIC Gary buddy.

 

Being a serving soldier myself who as been on many many operations around the world over the past 22 years, I know just how much these parcels will mean to our service men and women.

 

When your in situations where everyday items are not present, a bag of sweets or a pot noodle means so much more to you that you can ever imagine.

 

Well done for what your doing mate.

 

Si.

[pianoman 3,589]

Hear Hear!

 

At the risk of sounding like an old codger, we never knew anything like this on active operations in my service days and we sometimes wondered if anyone back home gave a toss? Only when you are far from home and in danger does a kind thought and just a bit of proper chocolate, mean so much.

 

It angers me that we need charity to support our soldiers with simple, inexpensive comforts that are as powerful to morale as an effective weapon. But, I'm mighty proud that we have taken an active part in this initiative, been a contributing part of it myself; and see it working in getting these simple pleasures out to front line units.

 

Thank you so much Grayling for what you are doing and keep us all informed how the lads and lasses are!

 

Regards.

Simon

[Daz 7 563]

What a Fantastic Charity

Has a Former soldier We never had this sort of thing in My Day

What creature comforts You took on operations was all You had and when you ran out it was suck it up and bear it.

I Can relate to what it would be like to get things like this when Your stuck in some Shitehole in Harms way and just counting

the Days off till You get out of there.

 

Superb Effort on behalf of Serving and Ex- Serving Armed Forces, This means alot to our Lads and Lasses in Harms way.

 

atvb Daz 7.

Edited November 13, 2012 by Daz 7

[Grayling 56]

Thanks for the replies lads . Once I get the hang of this forum I'll start posting the contents of these bluey's (service letters) ommitting any personal or operational details of course. I am an ex squaddie myself and remember only to well anything from home was eagerly looked forward to and we weren't getting sniped at. Myself and Cliff have built up a good relationship with a lot of the British military units serving in Afghan, to the extent that these units quite often contact us by bluey or sat phone to tell us exactly what they want added to the next delivery. For instance 16 Air Assault Brigades recon force (BRF) asked us to send as much brew kit as poss (tea/ decent coffee/dried milk/sugar plus digestive biscuits (lots of them lol) to dunk ....Sorted.

Whereas 1st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers FSG asked us for Pepperami's, Jaffa Cakes and Ice pops (they'd aquired a freezer ) plus the normal Pringles, Cheddars, powdered chocolate drinks etc...Again sorted. Afterall thats the whole idea, we give our lads at the sharp end exactly what they want, need or just plain feel like .

 

We've been sending these parcels since 2005 now and are up to around the 7500/8500 mark, not quite sure of the exact total . IMHO our frontline troops deserve our thoughts and respect and a bit of time and effort which thanks to you guys we turn into parcels. I always try and steer round the word charity when talking about what we do. In my opinion our lads are not in need of charity, they just need to know the folks back home actually give a toss about them and I think anyone reading this would wholeheartedly agree WE DO CARE A LOT ABOUT THESE YOUNG LADS N LASSES out there in Afghan. You lot have already proved that in no small measure already .

 

We have also raised a substanstial amount of money for the main service charities to help in the treatment of our wounded and aim to carry on raising money for this and our morale parcels for a long time to come. We have always set our sights on being part of the solution and not part of the problem. Its obvious to me that you guys think in exactly the same way .

[Marksman 934]

Good stuff guys, keep up the good work!

 

Darryl