Last updated at 14:03, Thursday, 08 December 2011

LOVED ones, friends and members of the public are being asked to send their Christmas messages to our servicemen and women abroad as part of a festive project run by the North-West Evening Mail.

SERVING OVERSEAS: Kirstie Bamber from Barrow

CLICK HERE TO SEND YOUR MESSAGES

Anyone who wants to support our troops overseas is invited to write festive messages to them via our website and Facebook page.

The messages can say whatever you like to anyone based anywhere in the world.

We will publish the messages in the Evening Mail in a festive special.

Our local regiment the Duke of Lancaster’s is not currently deployed overseas.

However, men and women from Furness are engaged in military operations in countries like Afghanistan.

Barrow fitness instructor Sarajane Bamber’s daughter Kirstie, 20, will be in Afghanistan this Christmas.

Mrs Bamber, 48, of Hare Ghyll, said she had already sent dozens of parcels to her.

As a former soldier herself, she knew the value of receiving support from home.

She said: “I think they need to know that we are all behind them. It is good to know that people are thinking of you.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has asked well-wishers sending Christmas presents to soldiers in Afghanistan to stop – because they are clogging up the postal system and stopping letters and gifts from military families getting through.

Army bosses said they greatly appreciated the torrent of gifts sent to those serving abroad but appealed for them to make donations instead.

Major John Leeper, commanding officer of Operation Herrick Postal and Courier Squadron, based at Camp Bastion, said: “For personnel deployed overseas, personal mail from loved ones is very important.

“Unfortunately, the system can be overwhelmed by the public’s generous donations, which results in mail from family and friends being delayed.”

First published at 13:09, Friday, 02 December 2011
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk