TV presenter Lorraine Kelly joined Father Christmas, service personnel and troopers from Britain’s oldest Army Regiment right this moment to launch the charity uk4u Thanks! Christmas Field marketing campaign.
The venue was the historic headquarters of the Honourable Artillery Firm within the coronary heart of the Metropolis of London.
The charity is sending greater than 18,500 Christmas containers filled with festive cheer to servicemen and ladies proper the world over who’re onerous at work away from their family members.
It consists of personnel on HMS Illustrious, the place they’re helping with the humanitarian effort within the Philippines following Hurricane Haiyan, and people serving in Afghanistan.
The charity may also be sending containers to these personnel recovering in hospitals over the festive interval.
Lorraine led the 15-strong vibrant Firm of Pikemen & Musketeers, full with a Drumbeater and a Fifer, from Bunhilll Row onto the parade floor in entrance of Armoury Home, the historic residence to the Regiment based by Henry VIII.
The ceremonial parade of the Pikemen & Musketeers, who have been dressed of their scarlet and buff uniforms of the seventeenth century, included a presentation of arms and spectacular drum roll to welcome not solely personnel from all three of the Providers, however uk4u Thanks’ very personal Father Christmas, all carrying this 12 months’s Christmas field.
Lorraine mentioned: “It was good to take the salute with the dashing Pikemen and Musketeers right this moment, and I am honoured as soon as once more to offer my help to the uk4u Thanks! Christmas Field attraction. The charity does a fantastic job in ensuring all our Servicemen and ladies away from residence and their households obtain an exquisite field of goodies on Christmas Day”
Defence Minister Anna Soubry mentioned: “This Christmas, as we take pleasure in a particular time of 12 months with our shut family and friends, you will need to keep in mind the hundreds of Armed Forces personnel deployed around the globe working tirelessly on operations away from their family members.
“I’m delighted to help the good work of uk4u Thanks! A donation to the charity by members of the general public helps to make sure a ‘current on behalf of the nation’ to these deployed Servicemen and ladies, as an alternative of sending a “goodwill bundle” this Christmas, which might delay that all-important private mail.”
Reverend (Flight Lieutenant) Paul Collins RAF mentioned: “Christmas is a troublesome time for folks to be away from their family members. Having spent Christmas final 12 months in Afghanistan, the place I helped to distribute the containers to deployed personnel, I witnessed first hand how they carry morale and are eagerly seemed ahead to. Mail from household is so vital at Christmas, however the uk4u containers reminds our navy that their service is appreciated and sacrifice isn’t forgotten by the folks again at residence.”
uk4u Thanks! Director and Trustee Sally Little mentioned: “We’re delighted that Lorraine Kelly is as soon as once more lending us her implausible help for the launch of our Christmas Field marketing campaign. The containers are a good way for all of us to say thanks to our Servicemen and Servicewomen deployed over Christmas, bringing them some festive cheer after they actually need it. I do know from the suggestions we obtain annually that they’re an actual enhance to morale at this particular time and we wish to thank our sponsors and supporters with out whom, we couldn’t ship these containers.”
Members of the general public who need to help the Armed Forces this Christmas are urged to donate to a Service Charity.
Additional data on the work of uk4u Thanks! could be discovered at www.uk4u.org
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