The Armed Forces are calling on members of the public who wish to show their support this Christmas to do so through Service charities rather than overloading the British Forces Post Office (BFPO) service with unsolicited mail to Afghanistan, Vigilance can report.
It is now 100 days until Christmas and in the run-up to the festive season each year the BFPO receives a high volume of gifts and parcels to be sent on to personnel in operational zones – primarily Afghanistan but also to other countries around the world including Royal Navy ships.
Head of BFPO, Colonel Stephen Heron, said: “Every year we see first-hand the generosity of the British public and though the sentiment is to be welcomed it can cause problems in delivering the mail that matters most – that from servicemen and servicewomen’s families. Getting this post through to them is our absolute priority, particularly at this time of year.
“It is far better for people who want to show their support for our Armed Forces to donate to recognised Service charities who can use their experience to focus their efforts directly on what will be of most benefit to deployed Service personnel.”
While generosity from members of the public is greatly appreciated by personnel deployed abroad, it puts a strain on the BFPO service and causes delays in getting personal Christmas cards and gifts to members of the Armed Forces; which is what the most want to receive.
The public are also asked to bear in mind this year that, with the ongoing redeployment of UK personnel and equipment as security responsibilities are increasingly handed over to the Afghan forces, there will be significantly fewer UK troops in Afghanistan this Christmas compared to previous years.
The Armed Forces are asking the public once again to show their support by making donations to approved charities such as theuk4u-Thanks! Christmas Box Appeal, which works with BFPO to make use of any spare space in the existing supply chain.
The uk4u-Thanks! Christmas Box appeal has sent festive boxes to personnel for seven years ensures a present “on behalf of the nation” is sent at Christmas to every Serviceman and woman working overseas. People can donate to this and other charities now to show their support and appreciation, and are encouraged to do so rather than sending their own gifts by post.
Uk4u-Thanks Director and Trustee Sally Little added: “Christmas is a difficult time for Servicemen and Servicewomen who are serving away from their families on operations. uk4u sends them all a Christmas Box filled with Christmas gifts, with useful and fun items. This year over 18,000 boxes will be sent all over the world, using spare space in military transport, therefore we do not put additional strain on BFPO at Christmas. We know from feedback received that this helps to raise the morale of our troops at Christmas. uk4u would like to thank all our sponsors and members of the public who donate, without whose support we would not be able to send the boxes.”
