** Updates from Agnes and all the SOS Scotland team
are now included on the main Noticeboard Page **
May 2007
Many thanks to the group at Marr College in Troon who do collecting on a rolling basis and decorate boxes. From left to right, Michelle, Ginnie, Kelly, Haylie and Ryan.
April 2007
More Parcels head out to the British Troops in the Gulf!
Reports from the Ayrshire Post and Ayr Advertiser
March 2007
Red Nose Day - 16 Signals Regt - Germany
The following pics are from my recent visit to 16 Sigs at Javelin Barracks, Elmpt on Red Nose Day. The efforts raised a massive £1500!
 Cpl Andy Cornfield arrives on the latest mode of transport!
 Eagle Troop get ready to participate
 John really quite liked his outfit!
 Sheikh Mahoney arrived late!
 Cher lookalike became quite attached to his outfit!
 The officers volunteered for 'wet sponge' ...
 Andy Cornfield in his 'see you jimmy' mode
 Wench and colleagues lined up for egg& Spoon race!
 This lot were sacked befor the end!
 This brave soldier eventually lost his way!!
Socks Appeal Update 2nd March 2007
Sincere thanks to David Woodhouse of Begg Scotland who supplied blankets and scarves for the Afghan Appeal.
Valentine's Day Cards
The Valentine's Cards were donated by Sarah McGilvray from Exeter and her crafter friends who make them. They were in the form of 'ATCs' -Artist Trade Cards- which are samples of their work really for when they go round craft fairs etc. They are beautifully handmade and all the more special because they are, on average, the size of a credit card but with so much attention to detail! The time and effort which goes into each one, particularly the one with the teddy in combats complete with Iraq Medal!!, is tremendous and we can't thank Sarah and her friends highly enough for making this very kind, selfless and much appreciated donation.
Socks Appeal Update 28th January 2007
 
Agnes and George Blackwood, Transport Manager with
charity 'Glasgow the Caring City' loading the van!
Picture this.........THIRTY PACKING CASES, MOST OF THEM DOUBLE THE SIZE OF A SUITCASE!!!!........
that is what is winging it's way to Afghanistan (and Iraq) for the Troops and the children, following our appeal on behalf of the Royal Marines.
I had had a phone call to say they wouldn't be collected until mid-week, so I 'took the foot off the pedal' after the frenetic activity of the last two weeks, thinking I had a bit of breathing space with the appeal closing yesterday, 27th.
However..... I had a call at 12noon today (Sun) to say that they would be collected after all at .....2pm today!!!!
Never has so much parcel tape been applied to so many boxes in so short a time!! I am only thankful that my sister Martha and her husband Ronald had spent yesterday evening helping me to sort and pack everything.
The van arrived at.... 1.15pm and I was still taping and labelling! I literally sealed and labelled the last box as the driver put the second-last box in the van!
 
 
 
The volume of donations, in such a short appeal time, has been overwhelming. I don't know all the contributors personally but those I would like to thank, and for whom I have contact addresses which I have passed on to COs/QMs, are:
West Sound/WestFM without whose help in publicising and accepting donations, we would not have had the response which we did.
Management & Staff, Kyle Centre Ayr, likewise, and for whom no request I make is ever a problem, even at short notice.
Ayrshire Post/Kilmarnock Standard/ Adrossan &Saltcoats Herald/Ayr Advertiser for their coverage.
Martha & Ronald McNicol, my sister and brother-in-law who organised publicity and collections in the North Ayrshire area and made short work of the sorting and packing on Saturday night!
Alex Begg & Co, Knitwear Manufacturers, Ayr, gave a magnificent contribution of blankets, scarves etc.
Lichtenfels Gardens, Morrison Gardens, Logan Drive, Walker Avenue, Millrock/Panrock Court Sheltered Housing Units within the South Ayrshire Council area whose residents' volume of contributions were outstanding despite all being pensioners (and their wardens who did the purchasing for most of them.) The tills of 'Ethel Austin', Superdrug, 'Asda' and 'Tesco' particularly, have certainly recorded healthy returns this week ( no corporate donations have been forthcoming, however!)
Colleagues Anne Robertson, Anne Wilson and Sandra Innes of South Ayrshire Council who encouraged family and friends to contribute with fantastic results.
Isobel Stewart, Prestwick, donated 20 matching chenille scarf & gloves sets and returned the next day with a bag of kiddies' sweatshirts, all new.
Mary McMinn, Sanquhar, who must have knitted her socks off, judging by the number of scarves and baby jackets that were in her box, not to mention the other items and baby wipes we requested!
Nith Valley Embroidery, Sanquhar, who donated school jumpers, shirts/blouses, sweatshirts for the children and thermal socks, hats and gloves for the troops. Other new items which were not relevant to this appeal have been sent on to the new charity shop run by Childrens' Hospice Association in Helensburgh.
Jim Ross & Ms Leah Lamb, Eglinton Tea Room, Saltcoats operated a collection point and also donated items.
Mr & Mrs D Newton, Saltcoats donated five boxes of gloves, socks etc. Mr Newton is 83yoa and trudged round the shoe shops to get boxes, so it reinforces the maxim that you're never too old to get involved!
Jim Miller, Saltcoats whose wife works in a local shop donated a bumper pack of baby wipes.
Vanni & Jim Cumming, Avanti Cafe, Saltcoats, operated a collection point and donated a full complement of items Cumnock Widows Club donated a box full of hats, gloves, socks and scarves for the troops and the children.
Jonathan Kitchen Sgt in TA Army Cadet Force, Ayr, donated socks and gloves
J Marshall, Saltcoats sent a large jiffy bag full of socks to West Sound to pass on. Kim Hiscock, Cullumpton, Devon, sent socks and is giving up chocolate and magazines and putting the money in a box towards items for the parcels - well done Kim!
Joan (Receptionist at West Sound)
Suzanne Flynn, whose daughter is a Flt Lt in Kandahar
Irene McDonald, Ayr,
Mrs Christine Hillhouse, Monkton
Kirsty Jess, Symington, Ayrshire
Kim Hiscock, Cullumpton, Devon
Tracy Purvis, Harrogate
Mrs Easton, Dalrymple
Staff & Customers, Spar, Forehill, Ayr
Josephine Thomson, Ayr
Jacqueline (RAF Nurse Reservist, Iraq veteran & Josephine's friend)& Her Mum, Kilmarnock.......
all donated a variety of items for the troops and the children in equal measure. There was a high volume of adults/children's nearly new clothing and 3 duvets and 2 quilts which, though not specific to the appeal but in very good, have also been sent. If I haven't mentioned you by name, please forgive my ommission as your donations are not considered any less important, it's just the 'old grey matter' which is fighting exhaustion!
Last but not least a huge "thank you" to the charity
'GLASGOW THE CARING CITY'
who provided the logistic support in getting all the donated goods to HMS Condor, Arbroath for onward transmission to Afghanistan and Iraq.
There have been calls from folks who had items but have missed the deadline. However, 'GTCC' advise that they are willing to help logistically if we have a number of items to go in the future. Therefore, anyone still wishing to contribute can send items to me. Just drop me an e-mail and I will supply details. For people living/visiting Ayr, items can also be handed in to West Sound reception or the Security Staff at the Kyle Centre and they will pass on to me.
"Thank You" doesn't even come close to the appreciation that we feel for the continued support which we receive for our efforts on the troops' behalf. Your efforts help boost their morale immeasurably.
Now, you will forgive me, I hope, as I go and lie down n in a darkened room!!!.....nothing at all to do with the fact that I am nightshift tonight at my paid job!! Until the next time.....
Agnes
Save The Scottish Regiments
Please visit www.savethescottishregiments.co.uk to lend your support to the campaign!
MONDAY 22nd NOVEMBER 2005
Hello and welcome back to the newly updated SOS Scotland page!
Those who visit the message forum regularly will have seen the regular updates from mum and know that we have not been idle over the last year (is it really that long?!!) but for various reasons have not been able to update our page. We're delighted to be able to keep you regularly updated from now on.
A very quick summary to bring you 'up to speed'.......
December '03 - The Great Christmas Pack and Wrap 1 was a huge success as I'm sure you read about on the main pages.
March '04 - A massive parcel drop was sent prior to the discontinuation of freepost. The Sun very kindly donated life size posters and calendars starring their page three girls and we sent one to all the jocks in Iraq at the time and, as you can imagine, the response was very positive!
Summer '04 - Agnes lobbied every MP in the country to support the re-instatement of free parcels. We now have cross party support for the campaign with an early day motion being signed and the question has been raised on more than one occasion at Prime Minister's Questions. Unfortuantely this came up against continued flat refusal, by the Secretary of State for Defence and the Armed Forces Minister, to even acknowledge the validity of the cause far less re-instate the service despite many letters from individual MPs.
Never one to be defeated, Agnes kept up the pressure and last month the Sunday Mail took up the fight on our behalf. Within a fortnight the free postage was reintroduced. Our thanks to Billy Paterson for highlighting the campaign.
We may have won that particular battle but the war is definitely not over, as postal charges (a disgraceful £6.89 per 2kg parcel) will be re-instated after Christmas. Hence,we are continuing the petition for free postage to all service personnel on active operations wherever they may be.... the pages are filling rapidly. If you haven't already done so you can sign online following the links from the main page or you can print the petition and fill those signatures for us!
We continued to write and e-mail our contacts in Iraq and any money we received was used to send them a few treats over the long hot summer.
(Oh and while this was going on I graduated from uni and now I have to work for a living- what's that all about??!!!!!!)
September' 04 - We joined forces with the Scots Guards who took another batch of parcels (265 in total) out to theatre with them when they deployed. The Guards were not allowed to open their's until they reached Iraq and the other recipients were the Black Watch and the Royal Artillery.
Many thanks to Major Garry Spence who coordinated the uplift and delivery. Thanks also to Mrs Sheena Borthwick and staff of West FM in Ayr who hosted the 'parcel handover' and local dignitaries who attended to lend support.
I have to give a mention to the lads who made mum's day by turning up in the various guises the Scots Guards adopt as you'll see in the photos below!
The e-mails and 'blueys' have been flying in, perfectly illustrating how much the parcels are appreciated.
"Dear agnes and heather,
Thankyou very much for the box you sent me recently it was very much appreciated its people like yourselves that make my job worth doing! the goverment says there is no need for free post because of the internet service provided, there is only 2 computers in our camp and 150 bodies trying to use it, free post is a must for all service personnel,no more so than for the blackwatch at the moment they have no way of getting simple things like shower gel,toothpaste etc, well i'll get going now take care ....."
Cause to sign the petition if ever one was needed!
Heather & Agnes xx
THURSDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 2004
Hi folks!
We're working away at the moment to bring this page back up to date and to let you know everything that's been going on over the past few months. Please bear with us and be prepared to be bombarded very shortly! Agnes & Heather
TUESDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2003
Hi folks!
The well-earned rest following the calendar launch hasn’t really happened as the plans have been laid for the next project... more on that in a mo!
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
Now that you have all had a chance to see the photos from launch day, we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Lynne Johnstone who so kindly gave her time and expertise as our official photographer on the day. She has provided us with wonderful memories of the event. We would certainly have struggled to capture half of what Lynne took and knowing she was there to take care of it really took away a lot of the pressure... and the results speak for themselves! Furthermore, Lynne made sure that all the local press featured it and waived her copywrite allowing us to provide the wider press with a piccie of Nell, free of charge, to encourage them to give the calendar coverage.
Karen has been working away on a special memento of the day including a slide show of all the photos and the presentations from the launch. I had a sneak preview last night and it looks brilliant!
So with the calendar launch well and truly wrapped up I was looking forward to relaxing for a second or two... a dangerous (or should I say pointless) thought when mum and Karen are around!
Mum launched straight into preparations for the SOS Scotland Car Boot Sale (see below) and general discussions between the two of them about sending Christmas parcels to the troops has now developed into the ‘Great Christmas Pack & Wrap’ which Karen will have more details about on the main page. It’s going to be a busy couple of months!
CAR BOOT SALE
As I said, preparation is underway for the ‘Support Our Soldiers Car Boot Sale’ on Saturday 1st November in the car park of the John Pollock Centre (Mainholm Academy) Mainholm Road, Ayr. The sale will take place from 9am until 4pm and the gates open at 8am for setting up. The big market and car boot takes place on the Sunday at the racecourse adjacent to the John Pollock Centre so it’s an ideal opportunity for keen ‘car-booters’ - to make a weekend of it! Car spaces are limited to 50 so we really need advanced bookings and payment to secure a pitch. There is an added incentive of a chance to win a meal for two at the Savoy Park Hotel for the holder of the lucky pitch no. drawn from the hat at the end of the day! We have additional space for table - only pitches for those who want to get rid of some ‘excess goods’ but may not have enough to fill a car! (There will be ample parking in the neighbouring school grounds) The cost is £10 for a car and £5 for a table (less than the Sunday market!!) The good news is that the long range weather forecast is looking favourable!
Of course the great news is that the Gulf Heroes calendar will be on sale on the day with opportunity to win a copy signed by Nell!
All the proceeds will be used to buy supplies for the great Christmas Pack & Wrap. Please help us to bring some Christmas cheer to our service personnel separated from their loved ones at a difficult time of year.
DONATIONS
Many thanks this week to Jim Symons of Westsound radio, Mrs Logie of Kilmarnock, Mrs Cairns from Paisley, Lynne Wilson and staff of Troon housing office and Wendy Robertson - mum's colleague - who donated items for the parcels.As always it was very much appreciated and has filled many parcels tonight!
PACK & WRAP
Graeme, Maureen and Yvonne kindly came round to help mum, Maud and I with last week's parcelling and we managed to get lots of 'decanting' done and 50+ parcels packed.
The 'Woo Woos' have returned tonight and are busy packing as I type. Many hands make light work and 55 parcels are now sitting ready for wrapping- such a huge help for mum, Maud and I. These nights are also great fun and the girls and Stephen are already booked for the Christmas Pack & Wrap!
NORTH EAST CONTACT
We are delighted that Wilma Fraser has become our contact in the Aberdeen area. Her son Craig is a Signaller and actually came through basic training with Scott (it's a small world!) If there is anyone in the Aberdeen area who would like to become involved please contact us via e-mail and we will put you in touch with Wilma.
On that subject we would be delighted to hear from anyone who could be an area contact, especially for the Christmas project!
NAMES
If you or a loved one are going out to the gulf in the next deployment please drop us a line with postage details and we can send a Christmas parcel. A large majority of our current contacts will, thankfully, be coming home at the start of November after a long stint out there so we are looking for new names to support!
AND FINALLY...WELL DONE SCOTT!
My bro got a wee promotion yesterday which was a welcome boost - well done bruv!
Until next time... keep smiling :o)
Heather
MONDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2003
Hello everyone! Sorry it has been so long since the last update (again!) We have not stopped over the last four weeks as the plans came together for the calendar launch. The phone has been red-hot and the keyboard hotter!
LIFT-OFF'
The calendar was officially launched with great success last Tuesday (16th September).
Full details of the launch are of course on the Calendar page but I thought I would give a quick
summary, a sneak preview of the photos and a few thank- yous' here!
We are indebted to Nell McAndrew who came all the way up here to Ayr to launch it for us at County Buildings. Her presence was, no doubt, responsible for the good media coverage we received and her support has been invaluable to us.
Not just 'gifted' in the looks department, Nell is a lovely person (some girls have it all!) and a joy to meet - Nicky, Bill, Tommy and Scott certainly enjoyed their day in the limelight with her (I don't think they've come back down to earth yet)!
Tommy and Scott, as the Scottish representatives on the day, were delighted to get to grips (literally) with Nell, on their own, for the local press. I don't think either have washed their hands since!
Then, just when they thought life couldn't get any better...
...they even got to pose with mum too!
Graeme & Maureen Kerr sponsored the 1st of May for their son Douglas. Very coincidentally, Douglas was home from Iraq for two weeks R&R and was able to come to the launch himself to meet Nell- nice timing Douglas!!
THANK YOU
Thanks must go, first of all, to Mr George Thorley, Chief Executive of South Ayrshire Council, who stepped into the breach and provided County Hall as the launch venue when Hollybush House had to withdraw.
Many thanks to our sponsors on the day who helped pull it all together:
The Sun answered mum's pleas for sponsorship of Nell's flight to Glasgow and gave us a good write-up, including an interview with Nell, in the paper. British Airways kindly upgraded Nell's ticket to club-class and provided VIP fast-track services at both ends.
BAe Systems (Prestwick) very kindly provided the food and drink (including champagne toast!) and Valerie and the guys were a huge help in setting up the hall.
Elite Limos of Coylton provided their beautiful stretch limo to transport Nell in style from Glasgow Airport to Ayr and back again. Many thanks to Andrew for his expertise on the day and Christine for the beautiful flowers she prepared for Nell. If you have a special occasion why not travel in style? Contact Elite Limos on 01292 571303 or find them on the net at www.Elite-limos.fsnet.co.uk.
Fraser McIntyre of Mc Cabes bar, Fullarton Street in Ayr sponsored a car to whisk Nell from her home to Heathrow airport and home again at the end of her long day, ensuring Nell avoided the stresses of airport car parks!
The Council Caretakers were a fantastic help in the set-up and clear-up (they seemed to enjoy meeting Nell!) and Aileen and her team of Caterers prepared a lovely buffet.
Thanks to Trevor and Sue King of The Fulford Arms, Fulford Road, York (Scott's local!) who provided sponsorship for the boys to travel up from their barracks in York for their special treat!
Last but by no means least a HUGE thank you to my best friend Kirsty Jack who was up at the crack of dawn to help mum set-up the hall and then staffed the bar making sure everyone had liquid refreshment all day (she was very popular with the boys when they discovered her stash of Miller!).
(It was a great help to me as I didn't have to worry about mum being left alone with the preparations - as I was also up at the crack of dawn to go to an interview in Glasgow - the very last thing I needed that morning! I'm pleased to say that after an anxious few days of waiting - I have a job when I leave uni!)
SALES
So the big 'push' is on now to reach our sales target and all help will be very gratefully received! If there are any businesses in Scotland who would be willing to sell the calendars for us we would be delighted to hear from you. Please also get in touch direct if you are in the Ayrshire area as we can deliver the calendars to you, removing the cost of post and packing.
NOW FOR OTHER NEWS...
PARCELS
There has been a very slight break in parcel wrapping but we compensated by sending double the week before. The donations have not stopped coming in though.
Thanks to West Sound who hosted an interview with mum two weeks ago which resulted in donations coming into their offices from kind-hearted listeners.
We were overwhelmed by a huge donation from the residents of Dean Court in Kilmarnock who had a whip-round and then did a mammoth shop for us! Luckily the 'Woo Woos' will be returning this Friday to help pack it all up.
Mrs Audrey Philips has once again astounded us with a wonderful collection of £145 from her Opportunites in Retirement Group. We use these fantastic donations to purchase the T-shirts and underwear, which have become a favourite in the parcels!
Thank you to Avon who sent us a boxful of their products including much needed suncream. It was very much appreciated.
Gina Pollock kindly gave mum a bag full of goodies for parcels when she went to deliver her calendars.
June Cameron and customers of the Kirkton Inn had a collection in the bar and a wonderful £64 is now in the parcel fund!
MOBILE PHONES
We have heard this week of soldiers receiving mammoth phonebills over in Iraq for use of their mobile phones. It appears to be due to roaming charges for satellite reconnection every time their location moves by 1km. As constant relocation is very obviously a pre-requisite of their job, we feel this is an issue that could and should be addressed and therefore ask anyone with a loved one hit by these charges to get in touch with as much information as possible and we can perhaps make a united representation to the phone companies involved.
THE SCOTTISH SOLDIER
We received this piece from Jane & John MacDonald of Ayr and feel it is appropriate to share. There is certainly a lot contained within which I can identify with as the sister of a young Scottish soldier. Click here.
WELCOME HOME MAUD!
The Whitelaw clan have been on a well deserved holiday in sunny Florida. Even on holiday though, Maud cannot neglect her role as co-chief parcel wrapper.... she has returned home with a bag full of sachets of fruit flavouring for water! (We have been trying to source this for a number of weeks) - well done Maud!
Whilst in the states, they visited Bush Gardens where they were presenting every serviceman and woman to visit the park with a 'patriot' bear. On hearing that Colleen is in the RAF, they promptly presented them with a bear each and Maud has given one to us. It certainly is something to treasure. The Americans really appreciate their service personnel and could teach us Brits a thing or two about respect for our fighting men and women.
AND FINALLY... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMMY!
Tommy celebrated his 23rd birthday at a surprise party on Saturday... and ended up doing an impromptu calendar signing session with Scott.
Honestly, this new-found fame is going to their heads!!
 
Well I think that's more than enough to take in for one week! I'm off to enjoy the last few days of my summer hols... back to uni on Friday :o(
Until next time... keep smiling :o) (even if you are a fellow student!!)
WEDNESDAY 20TH AUGUST 2003
Hi everyone, I have found a spare hour to catch up in amongst the bizz of holding the fort whilst Karen is on holiday and studying for exams!
OPERATION COUNTDOWN - Gulf Heroes Calendar
The countdown is really on now as the final pdf of the calendar has been completed and is with the printers. Agnes is very busy making arrangements for the launch in mid-September but more details will be revealed when Karen returns! Thanks to Emma Silverman for all her help this week.
Many thanks to the Royal Navy Photographic Department who supplied us with superb photos of Navy subjects to include in the calendar. We were spoiled for choice and with only four spaces to fill we had to pick a balanced representation across rank and trade- thank you to everyone who posed and a selection of the photos are shown at the bottom of this page! We are indebted to Commander Pam Heley who made all the necessary arrangements to ensure we would have the photos by our deadline of last Friday. She kept her promise!
The photoshoot was a great success and thank you to Tommy and Colleen who gave up a day of their leave to travel all the way down to Leeds with us (they even survived mum's driving....just!!) Thanks to the other guys and girl(incl Scott) who came across from York and RAF Leeming as well.
Thank you to the very generous sponsors who came forward North of the Border, full details are on the sponsors page but we would personally like to thank:
SolAyr Double Glazing, Ayr
The Kirkton Inn, Dalrymple
JS Geddes, Design Partnership, Kilmarnock
Poole Dick Associates, Ayr & Glasgow
Kylemark Embroidery, Ayr
Thanks also to Mrs Jean Waters who very kindly sent a personal donation.
TROOP PARCELS
We were pleased and relieved to get 5 sack fulls of parcels despatched to the gulf this week after a small lull due to calendar production activities and Scott's little 'adventure'!
Scott, recuperating from a nasty road accident, was finally collared into helping with the parcels and here's the proof that he did actually help me to the Post Office!
(Thanks again to the poor postmaster at Burns Statue Sq who was engulfed by five sacks at 5pm on a Saturday afternoon!)
Of course, there wouldn't have been any parcels if it wasn't for the continued generosity of local people. A big thank you this week to the kind hearted of staff of Ayr Hospital Pharmacy, who not only looked after me during my summer work placement but also donated a huge box of supplies for the troops.
We also collected yet another box full of goodies from Mainholm Stores today and are indebted to Jim Caird and his customers for all their support.
WELCOME HOME!
A big welcome home to all personnel on board HMS Marlborough and HMS Liverpool who docked last Friday at Portsmouth, the last ships to return.
As mentioned, many posed for our calendar shots and here are a couple but the final calendar shots are a closely guarded secret!
 
I think that's us up to date! Keep checking for details of the big launch, coming soon!
Until next time.......keep smiling :o)
THURSDAY 24TH JULY 2003
Hi everyone, this is just a quick update so you know we are still here!!
OPERATION COUNTDOWN
The calendar has really taken off so it's really busy and everyone is pulling together to make the ideas a reality-see the main page for all the news on that front (and see below for some test shots!) . Any businesses north of the border who would like to dig deep please contact us direct via our new e-mail on the 'contact us' page. We are particularly hoping for support from Ayrshire businesses as Hollybush House is a local establishment although it is open to servicemen and women nationwide.
Thanks to Iain Wilson at West FM and Alan Campbell at the Ayrshire Post for highlighting what is now known as Operation Countdown this week!
TROOP PARCELS
Continued thanks to everyone who has donated parcel fillers- I promise more detail in the next update.
We have had several e-mails and letters direct from the gulf this week with new names included so the parcel effort goes on! We have heard some worrying reports this week of troops being hospitalised with severe dehydration and heat stroke out there- not surprising in the 60 C heat- so understandably stress is high and morale is low therefore the parcels are more important than ever.
So Mum and Maud were packing again this week! My friend Kirsty came to visit and it wasn't long before she was 'roped in' too -thanks Kirsty for all your help!
A big thank you to Janice & Tommy who wrapped and labelled all the parcels on Wednesday.
Tommy even returned on Thursday to help mum take them to the Post Office- what a star!
Thank you again to the girls at New Look and Priceless in Ayr who are keeping all the shoe boxes for us- we couldn't do it without them!
CHAS
In Scott's absence, I presented the troops' donation of just over $150 to Mr Ronald
Mc Nicol of the Children's Hospice Association Scotland. A nice boost to their ongoing appeal to build the second children's hospice, Robyn House, on the banks of Loch Lomond.
WELCOME HOME!
This week Tommy Graham and John Slattery have returned home to Ayr. Welcome home boys- 'might see you in the club de mar for a pint while you're home!! (mine's a double!)
They were no sooner in the door than we had them posing for their calendar test shot.....
Also a big welcome home to all the naval personnel who returned to Faslane last Friday.
Colleen was presented with her Gulf War 2 medal at RAF Lossiemouth today- well done Colleen!
Sorry, it's a very quick summary this week, promise we'll have lots more to say next time!
Until next time..........Keep Smiling :o) A & Hx
WEDNESDAY 2ND JULY 2003
It's been a busy couple of weeks...
Send a Smile
There has been a flurry of activity in the final few days of the send a smile appeal.
Thanks this week to:
Arran Primary School - thanks to Mrs Lesley Lockhart for organising the wonderful collection, of 184 toys and two huge boxes of stationery, and delivering it across the water to Ayr!
Dailly Primary School and Annbank Primary School - fantastic collection of Soft toys and Stationery
Mrs Marian Rainbow and daughter Alice - 78 beanies in mint condition and a bag of toiletries and T-shirts for troop parcels.
Thanks to the following people who contributed to Jennifer Brown's collection in Dundee:
Ina Brown - beanies
Anne Reid - beanies
Marion, Raymond & Tegan Gloag - soft toys and beanies
Staff at the Help for Abandoned Animals Shop - beanies
We received a lovely letter from the gulf last week, which we would like to share:
"Dear Agnes,
I am currently based in Basra, at the palace. Your collection effort has been most impressive and your good work has gone a long way. All the items you have collected have gone out to the children's' wards, orphanages and shortly schools too.
The local people, particularly the poor, have been most grateful. More importantly it has helped build bridges between the British Army and the people of Basra. We have delivered the gifts directly to the child's' hands ensuring the needy get them and it has given them great pleasure.
The heat out in the gulf takes all your energy and most of us are exhausted; looking forward to coming home, hopefully leaving behind a safer, free Iraq which can only improve over time, but right now you have given something when there is nothing immediately available here.
I thought you would appreciate a hand written letter, from someone who has personally opened and delivered the gifts you have provided.
Many Thanks
Best Wishes..."
*The Grand Total of toys collected here at SOS Scotland is 1,441 and 50 boxes of stationery have gone to the gulf too.*
The appeal must now be tied up as Monica, the captain who has very kindly been receiving our parcels, is coming home. Thanks to Monica and the soldiers in her unit for making it possible- it must have been quite daunting to receive all the parcels, 50 at a time! A final thank you to everyone who has made the send a smile appeal such a success and, collectively, achieving our original target of 1,000 more than three times over!
Support our Soldiers
I have to begin by offering our most heartfelt condolences to the families of those lost in Iraq last week. We can only imagine what you are going through but our thoughts are with you at this terrible time and we hope you can take comfort in the knowledge that your loved ones died as heroes doing what they loved.
The tragic news has only served to highlight why the efforts of 'Support our Soldiers' must and will continue. The war is far from over and the troops still need to know they are not forgotten.
Therefore it's over to this week's acknowledgements...
South Ayrshire Council employees have responded amazingly to the e-mail appeal for parcel fillers.
The first boxes were collected in this week.
Many thanks to the staff of :
HR Office (Pamela)
Maybole Area Office (Evelyn Walker)
Newton House
County Buildings
The Gaiety Theatre
The Benefits Office
The Joint Valuation Board
Planning Office- Burns House
Riverside House
Alloway Primary School
Pictured are some of the council staff with mum, Scott and Maud.
These donations alone filled an amazing 55 parcels.
Mum's friends from the council PA's social group (also known as the Woo Woos!) very generously offered to help with a pack and wrap on Friday night. They packed an amazing 55 parcels in under three hours - very impressive for beginners! A very big thank you to Lynda, Caron, Jennifer, Dianne, Helen, Carol, Fiona and Steven- you cut our workload by a couple of shifts! (Maud and I were honourary Woo Woos for the night and in case you are wondering, they are named after their favourite cocktail- the 'Woo Woo'!!)
A Big Thank You to the staff and clients of Overmills Day Care Centre for their collection of parcel fillers, organised and delivered by Mrs Christine Weir.
Thank you once again to Mrs Audrey Philips for another collection of £30 at her Kincaidston sequence dance club. Maud was despatched on a shopping trip last Thursday and another batch of T-Shirts and underwear is winging its way to the gulf!
We need new names for parcels as a lot of our contacts are, thankfully, heading home soon. If you have the details of someone who has gone to the gulf to replace them please get in touch.
Support our Soldiers Calendar
Karen has all the details for this on the main noticeboard but I would just like to add... if there are any 'dishy' young squaddies in the Ayrshire area who would like a trial photoshoot get in touch, my camera is ready!! Seriously though, we are open to offers of help, particularly companies interested in sponsorship which would help bring our costs down and increase the profit margin for the forces charities, please get in touch!
Heartfelt Thanks direct from the Gulf
We now have a stack of 'blueys' from soldiers who have benefited from a parcel and would like to pass on their thanks to everyone who has contributed. There is no doubt that the parcels have made a difference but it would not have been possible to continue without the generous donations from the Ayrshire public and the few companies who have responded magnificently to our pleas. THANK YOU!
Scott was pictured this week in the Ayr Advertiser delivering a donation of just over $150 from the gulf to the Children's Hospice Appeal Scotland (CHAS). The money was collected by Scott and his fellow soldiers who were so overjoyed to receive their parcels that they wanted to 'give something back'. They chose this very worthwhile cause as CHAS are currently raising funds to build a second hospice at Loch Lomond, which will be open to children from all over the UK. In addition to the initial donations, once back at camp in Kuwait, Scott purchased cans of juice from the American px shop and sold them at cost price in the hope that people would throw their spare change in also. He wasn't disappointed and it's very touching that the soldiers were thinking of others at a time when they themselves were suffering hardship. 'Proud of you bruv!!!!
Scott has now returned to base and bought a car so beware all those out and about in the Yorkshire area, actually make that England... in fact if you were planning to emigrate now would be a good time!!!!!! (Only joking Scott!)
Finally...
 before
We held a joint party last week to celebrate Scott's homecoming and my 21st. It was a fantastic night and we were delighted when Karen and Emma came all the way from Yorkshire to join the fun. It was brilliant to meet up properly for the first time after weeks of e-mails and phone calls and we really appreciated the distance they travelled to be with us.
 after
Those remaining in the gulf were not forgotten though. We held an auction with some of the larger soft toys, which couldn't be sent to the gulf, under the hammer. A wonderful £210 was raised for parcel supplies- thanks to all the partygoers who made a bid. (Unfortunately Scott's offer of £25 and a chicken leg for the lion was beaten by Kirsty but Martin was delighted to be taking 'Gary Gorilla' home!!!!)
On a personal note...
I spend a lot of time giving out ' thank yous' on this page but there is one person I am missing....
On behalf of Scott and myself, a big, BIG thank you to mum for all her hard work in organising the party..... in between shopping for parcel supplies, wrapping parcels, collecting donations, baking cakes, running about after us (!)...oh and her regular job working shifts as well! I know everyone thinks their mum is amazing but we have a mum with a huge heart who takes a lot on her shoulders and always comes through the worst times with great strength and humour.
All our Love MUM you're one in a million! xx
Well I think that's all the news covered so until next time...keep smiling! :o)
Heather and Agnes x
*STOP PRESS !
Literally just before hitting 'send' to submit this update, I have heard that Monica is back in Germany and will be home to Winchester on Friday. We are absolutely thrilled for Christa, John, Julia and Simon who have had a long and anxious wait. Hopefully we will have a chance to meet up - I can't wait!!! Welcome Home Monica- thanks for all your hard work!
A click a day shows we're thinking of them whilst they're away.
WEDNESDAY 11TH JUNE 2003
Hi everyone - sorry it has been so long since the last update! It has been busier than ever over the last couple of weeks.
We have received loads of donations in for troops parcels and send a smile is still going strong!
Thanks to:
Girvan Sequin Dance Club - £30 donation- used to buy T-shirts, socks and underwear for parcels.
Kincaidston Sequin Dance Club - £17 donation- converted into food and toiletries.
Mainholm Stores - again for another load of fantastic parcel fillers!
Nicola McLeish - more fantastic parcel fillers
Lizzy Grant & friends in Dalrymple - Stationery for Send a Smile
Auchinleck Academy - donation of rubbers and pencils
Thanks to the following companies who have assisted us this week:
Dendron - Who gave us 2 cases of Blistex Sun Protection, a very appropriate product to be included in the parcels!
Chasco - Who gave us a very generous discount on tablet bottles to decant large bottles of shampoo and suncream into!
We have had many letters back from the gulf thanking us for the parcels. The difference they have made is immeasureable and everyone has asked that their thanks be passed on to those who have donated towards them... THANK YOU!
Mum and Maud packed, wrapped and posted another 50 troops parcels this week- well done girls!
(If I have forgotten anyone, please accept my apologies and heartfelt thanks two weeks is too long between updates!)
Send A Smile
I had a very enjoyable visit to Heriot Primary in Paisley last week to collect their send a smile donations. Many thanks to Mrs Kathleen Birney for organising the collection.
The children of Primary 1 plus a few of the older children had collected a wonderful 120 toys and several bags of stationery. A huge thank you to them for their kindness, it will mean so much to the Iraqi children.
*The total at SOS Scotland for this week is 376 toys.*
This filled 48 boxes plus another 32 boxes of stationery, expertly packed and wrapped again by Maud and Mum!
Thanks again to staff at Burns Statue Sq PO who have seen the volume increase from an initial five parcels at a time to five bags full!
And Finally...
Scott finally made it home to sunny Ayr late on Friday night for three weeks of R&R (or so he thinks!)
Welcome Home Bruv!
Tomorrow I am taking the day off for my 21st birthday- to have my wee brother home is the best present ever!
That's all for now... Until next time... Keep Smiling :o) H & Ax (& Scott!)
A click a day shows we're thinking of them whilst they're away.
WEDNESDAY 28TH MAY 2003
The donations are flooding in to SOS Scotland this week!
Many thanks to:
Ayrshire Post Readers - thanks to all the anonymous donors who handed in toys and stationery to the Ayrshire Post Office and thanks to the staff for collecting them!
Mrs Audrey Phillips, Ayr - Troop parcel fillers
Mrs Lizzy Grant & Friends - Dalrymple - More Soft Toys & Stationery!
Laura, Melanie & Blair Stobie-Ayr - Beanies
Jennifer Brown-Dundee - Beanies
South Lodge NH - Ayr - Soft Toys (inc. Gorilla and Panda - see below!)
Limonds Court/Sims Lane SHU - Ayr- Troops Parcel Fillers and Soft toys
Lloyd's Pharmacy - Maybole - Soft toys and children's socks
Louise, Jonathan and Chris Kitchen-Maybole - Kid's parcel
Stephanie Tweedie-Maybole - Girl's parcel
Scott Owens - (Mum's work colleague!) - beanies...expertly modeled!
We would also like to thank the following businesses this week:
Ikea - Glasgow - a HUGE roll of brown paper for wrapping troops and kiddies' parcels!
Lucky Star Fish& Chip Shop - Ayr - Sauce sachets for troop parcels
Mainholm Stores (& Customers) -Ayr - they have been hosting a collection box for troop parcel fillers and so far, we have emptied it twice!!
Priceless Shoe Shop-Ayr - supplying shoe boxes
New Look - Ayr - continue to supply hundreds of shoe boxes per week!
**The SOS Scotland Total for this week is... 245... bringing the Grand Total to... a fantastic... 565! Thanks to everyone who has made this possible.**
OTHER NEWS
A.G.F.S.G. held an impromptu 'welcome home' gathering last Wednesday when Paul Young came to visit, fresh from the Gulf. It was lovely to meet Paul and we hope he is enjoying his well deserved rest! He gave us valuable feedback on parcel contents and tips for favourite items!
Mary, Sandra and Shannon have been hard at work selling cards this week and boosting the troops' parcels fund - thanks girls!
I am looking forward to visiting Heriot Primary in Paisley tomorrow morning to collect their 'Send a Smile' donations - more news on that next week.
Daily Primary School are also busy organising a collection and we look forward to visiting them at some point in the next couple of weeks.
Monica has received the first 'Send a Smile' parcels in Basra and is delighted at the contents. She is busily distributing them before the next load arrive.
In between this she also found time to get a new school up and running for 15 and 16 year olds and the stationery will be very welcome for teachers and pupils alike. Photos are on their way and we hope to have them on the site soon. Watch this space!
I would like to personally thank Neil and Gerry Darnton for the lovely article in the Ayrshire Post this week. It highlights exactly why parcels are so important to our troops.
GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS!
This week Callum Reid has returned home to Ayr. Welcome Home Callum and thanks for your nice letter whilst you were out there!
And Finally...
I leave the very best news until last!
My wee bro' Scott is on his way home as I type! It has come completely out of the blue, as he expected to be there until July at least, so I'm taking my own advice and not getting too excited until I know he's on that plane. If everything goes to plan we will be dashing to York on Friday to meet him. It's been four very long months so words can't describe the feeling but for everyone waiting patiently, it's worth the wait! We hope it isn't long until everyone is home safe and well.
Until then, the parcels and support continue- we are busier than ever! Scott doesn't know it yet, but he'll be getting the sleeves rolled up and getting stuck into parcel wrapping in the very near future!!
As the next wave of troops are going to the Gulf to replace those coming home, we would like to appeal for details of new troops we can send parcels to.As always they'll be held securely and won't be passed to anyone else. The usual contact details apply!
Until next time......Take Care and Keep Smiling :o) Heather & Agnes
A click a day shows we're thinking of them whilst they're away.
Monday 19th May 2003
This week has seen a lot of fantastic donations arriving at SOS Scotland HQ.
Firstly, a big, big thank you to the kind-hearted children of Struthers Primary School in Troon. Mum had the pleasure of visiting the school on Friday to collect an awesome donation of 200 beanies and soft toys and a huge box of stationery for the send a smile appeal. They hadn't forgotten the troops either, presenting mum with a cheque for £35 to buy supplies. Many thanks to Ms June Sorley, headteacher, who co-ordinated the collection. Pictured below are some of the senior pupils with the display of toys.
The Struthers pupils have led the way in organising a collection but we are pleased to hear of a further two schools who are gathering donations this week and we hope many more will follow suit. Mrs Kathleen Birney has been collecting all week at her school in Paisley and we are looking forward to visiting them on Friday. The appeal has also spread to the Isle of Arran where Mrs Lesley Lockhart, of Lamlash, is organising collections.
Mrs Lizzy Grant, family and friends in Dalrymple have collected 84 toys for the appeal, with the promise of more, and donated further supplies for the troops' parcels. We would like to personally thank Lizzy for all her help in collecting donations and the support she has given us while Scott is away.
Thanks to:
Mrs Helen Cuthill - who gave me a big bag of stationery for the children.
Mrs Sandra Rogers - 3 beanies
Stacey & Jardin Owens - 8 beanies
Louise Wilson and the people of Maybole - thanks for your ongoing donations of toys and baby clothes
The total to date for SOS Scotland is a marvellous 320 toys and a huge box of stationery, growing by the day!
Mum and Maud are busy wrapping as I type. 47 boxes of smiles will be heading to Iraq tomorrow.
(As you can see by the wine glasses- 'pack & wrap' evenings have their bonuses!)
The troops have not been forgotten this week either.
Thank you to the residents of South Lodge Nursing Home,Sims Lane & Limonds Court sheltered housing units who gave us ready prepared parcels to put names on. Their generosity is very much appreciated by the troops...and us because the hard work of packing was already done for us!!! It has been brought to our attention that these parcels were originally prepared for the British Legion to transport, however the British Legion then refused them as they could not send them without names. If you have parcels sitting waiting for names please get in touch as we will be quite happy to collect them and send them to a named soldier for you.
"Many thanks to Nicola McLeish again, this time with the members of Weight Watcher's Coylton branch - who donated goodies for the troops parcels."
Thanks also to Mrs Margaret Baker, who handed in a donation of goodies for the troops.
As the donations tumble in, it is getting more difficult to mention everyone by name so please accept our most heartfelt gratitude and know that your generosity is so much appreciated by the Iraqi children and troops alike.
CAMPAIGN
Many of you may be aware of the disgraceful situation faced by our troops both home-based and in Germany - they are having to pay their own fare home from barracks. This is an insult in view of the fact they are returning from war. Please contact us if you would like to form a united front to tackle this issue.
The jubilee medal issue is not forgotten...
... we are still awaiting a response from Mr Hoon!!
GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!
Jackie Young (pictured last week) has welcomed home her son Paul on Saturday night. We are absolutely delighted for the family and are looking forward to meeting Paul on Wednesday night.
Dave Marr has returned to Dalrymple- welcome home and thank you for the nice letter we received while you were out there!
Also Ryan O'Lone has returned home to Ayr and his mum Mary this week. Thanks to Mary for keeping me updated at the shop whilst he was away and welcome home Ryan!
Some of Scott's colleagues from York were lucky enough to get home this week, unfortunately Scott was not among them. Thanks to Tori Turner for her lovely letter, with news of Scott. 'Welcome home' all Scott's pals, I hope my bro' will be joining you on a famous York pubcrawl very soon! {"NOT" says mum!...." (unless I am invited!)"}
Once again, if you came home this week "Welcome home and Thank You". If you know of anyone returning this week, drop us a line, and we can post a 'Welcome' message for them.
On a sadder note, Mary Slattery was looking forward to the return of her son John this week. Having sent the majority of his kit home - he was told he's not getting back until July now and Mary has had to post him a new pair of trainers!
Keep smiling Mary :o) - hopefully it won't be too long before we're posting a welcome home message for John too.
This is a warning to everyone expecting a loved one home- don't get your hopes up until they're on that plane!
Think that's all for this week so until next time... Keep Smiling :o)
Heather & Agnes x
A click a day shows we're thinking of them whilst they're away.
Monday 12th May 2003
The war may, officially, be over but the work of our troops over there goes on and, while they are there, they still need our help.
Having sent 130 parcels this week, we are now running very low on parcel fillers. If anyone would like to give a donation, big or small, please contact us on 07779 762932. If there are any shops in Ayrshire who would be willing to host a collection box for beanies, stationery and parcel fillers please also give us a ring.
The continued publicity by Caroline Paterson at Ayr Advertiser and Alan Campbell at Ayrshire Post, keeping the appeals to the forefront, is very much appreciated.
Many thanks to the staff of Burns Statue Sq Post Office in Ayr, who never grumble when we appear laden with parcels!
We have a new contact in the Maybole area. Louise Wilson is collecting donations of beanies & stationery for the children and parcel fillers for the troops and passing them on to us. If you would like to donate please contact Louise on 07986 953624.
Thanks to Louise for all her hard work to date in collecting a variety of donations and if anyone would like to be a contact in their area please get in touch.
Yesterday we received a donation of labels from CV Labels in Irvine to use on the parcels.
Today we have been gifted a donation of Tunnock's products from Thomas Tunnock Ltd (Uddingston).
We are indebted to both these companies. 'Thank you' -your generosity is very much appreciated by the families and the troops out in the gulf.
If you are a company who would like to donate items, they would be very gratefully received and an acknowledgement will be posted here. Please get in touch!
Jubilee Medals
We have received replies to our letters to Tony Blair and HM The Queen. Predictably, we have been referred to Geoff Hoon at the MOD. We wait with bated breath to see if we receive a reply from him on this occasion.
And Finally...
Welcome home Colleen! We were delighted to meet up with Colleen when she made it home to sunny Ayr on Tuesday night.
Colleen has already put in her first shift at 'Parcel HQ', helping those she left behind in the gulf!
Until next time.....Keep Smiling :o) A & Hx
A click a day shows we're thinking of them whilst they're away.
Monday 5th May 2003
We have a lot of 'thank yous' to hand out -
Firstly, we have to thank the staff of Tescos in Ayr for a wonderful donation of goodies for parcels. We sent 70 parcels last week and we still have half the box to use up!
Thanks also to the staff of Woolworths in Ayr who had been collecting for a corporal who has since arrived home, therefore they kindly passed on the donations to us for those who remain over there.
The latest A.G.F.S.G. 'pack and wrap' evening was held tonight and we still haven't found our dining room table!
Pictured from left to right are Agnes, Sandra, Mary, Jackie, Steven, Janice
and Me (Heather!)
Maud couldn't be with us tonight because she received some great news today... see below. We have had letters back from soldiers who have received their parcels and wanted to thank the group and the wider public who have contributed. Our efforts are certainly not in vain, are much looked forward to and will continue until the last soldier is home.
Ongoing thanks to New Look in Ayr, who continue to supply us with shoe boxes.
Westsound radio have agreed to highlight the 'send a smile' appeal and have been broadcasting an interview with mum throughout the day.
The Ayrshire Post are going to feature the appeal this week again and photographed us with some of the beanies we have collected so far. They have kindly agreed to be a collection point for locals to hand in beanies and stationery and we will send on.
Many thanks to Mrs Una Connaughton from Cards Galore, Newmarket St, Ayr who gave us a very generous donation of beanies and has also agreed to be a collection point. We would also like to mention that Cards Galore are running a fantastic special offer - 3 beanies for £5 - a brilliant opportunity to maximise your donation!
The 'send a smile' appeal is supported by Jackie Young, the world's second strongest woman - recently featured on BBC 1 over Easter-who also happens to be one of our mums!
Mike Mc Cabe, the director of education in South Ayrshire has given approval for schools to participate and the appeal details have been circulated. It's hoped that schools throughout Scotland will follow suit.
If you would like to host a collection point anywhere in Scotland please get in touch and we will send you the relevant details. Please also contact us if you have any news from your area you would like to be included in the SOS Scotland page.
Thank you to all our friends and contacts who have been plastering their local areas with 'send a smile posters' - keep up the good work!
Finally, to the great news of the day....
Maud couldn't be with us because she is at RAF Brize Norton to meet her daughter Colleen off a flight. She last saw her on boxing day when Colleen left for Kuwait.
Alison's son Kris and Collette's daughter Katy also arrived home on Saturday night- we send them our very best wishes for their forthcoming wedding in July.
We are delighted to hear these good news stories and are looking forward to reporting even more over the next few weeks.
For everyone who has returned home from the gulf in the last few days "Welcome home, well done and thank you for your service and professionalism"
Until next time..........Keep Smiling :o) A & Hx
28th April 2003
SOS SCOTLAND
We're delighted to announce that Agnes and Heather Hunter have joined the SOS team and will be running operations 'North of the border'!
They'll be giving us all the latest updates and news from their region so keep a look out. Welcome on board girls!
Hi everyone, Agnes & Heather here!
First of all we would like to thank Karen for inviting us to join her fantastic site.
Just to introduce ourselves- we live in Ayr and about 10 weeks ago, when our son/brother Scott went out to the Gulf, we decided to launch a support group to get in touch with other families in Ayrshire - we now have contacts the length of the country! Ayrshire Gulf Families Support Group (along with our friends further afield!) has gone from strength to strength and, having succeeded in having the postage costs removed, our current focus is collecting donations and sending parcels to the gulf, as you can see by the photo, it's going well!
Of course the latest project is the 'Send a Smile' campaign and we are delighted to be a part of this wonderful appeal. We would like to personally thank Christa and John Clutson for their part in getting this off the ground. We are looking forward to seeing that thermometer rising on the Send a Smile page and if anyone north of the border would like to donate a beanie or stationery please contact us on 07779 762932, we hope to have collection points available in the next few days...
Today, we have had a fabulous donation of 16 parcels, wrapped and ready for names, from Nicola Mc Leish and the ladies of the Annbank WRI.
A big thank you to them for their generosity, we know they will be very much appreciated by the guys and girls out in the gulf. If anyone would like to give us details for a serviceman or woman who would benefit from a parcel, please contact us on the above number. The details will be kept securely and will not be passed to any third party.
We have written to the Prime Minister and HM The Queen registering our concern that not all servicemen and women received a Jubilee Medal as part of the celebrations last year - it was only those who had more than 4 years service at the time who were given the award. We feel this was unjust, especially in view of the fact that, very soon after, our loved ones were being called into active duty for 'Queen and Country'.
We think the fact that the youngest casualties of the war, who made the ultimate sacrifice but would not have received the medal, highlights exactly why they should have been awarded it. We know, personally, that when Scott enlisted he pledged to serve HM for the full term of 22 years and therefore, the fact that he only had 2 years service at the time, should not have been a barrier to acknowledging his commitment. We would like anyone who shares this view to get in touch and we can produce a 'united front' to call for a rethink.
We did receive a reply from 10 Downing Street this morning, passing the matter on to Geoff Hoon at the MOD. We await his response with interest...
For everyone who has a loved one out there- we hope they will be home soon and safe- and to those who don't know any service personnel but are showing their support- thank you, it means so much to the families.
We look forward to providing regular updates over the coming weeks and 'fingers crossed' for the Send a Smile campaign!
A & H :o) |
