Thank you for visiting this page. Public support means a great deal to those who are serving, and particularly to those on operations.
Support from home is an essential part of the morale of our Armed Forces deployed overseas amid the stresses and strains of the operational environment.
Ways to show your support
There are many ways in which members of the Public can support our Servicemen and women such as making a donation or sending parcles for troops. This factsheet highlights some of the best ways to provide support, whether for troops deployed on operations, for personnel who have been wounded or for ex-Service personnel.
Support a Service Charity
Often the best way to provide support will be through established charities which understand the most effective ways to help.
See Related Pages >>> for a list of the major Service charities.
Donate to the uk4u Thanks! Christmas Box Scheme
uk4u Thanks! is a registered charity which provides Christmas boxes full of presents (affectionately known as the 'square stocking') as a gift from the nation to all those serving in the forces overseas away from their families on Christmas Day. They ensure that all Servicemen and women who are serving away at Christmas receive a box, whether they are in the Army, Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force, and wherever they are in the world. Feedback from troops who have received the box since the charity began in 2004 has been extremely positive, and a significant boost to morale at what can be a lonely time.
The charity does not receive any public funds, but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) supports the charity with advice and guidance. The also help by sending the parcels for troops in any transport going out to operational theatres which has spare capacity. It is important that the boxes are not sent through the British Forces Post Office system, so there is no chance that they will ‘clog up’ the supply chain and delay parcels from families and friends getting to their loved ones.
For 2009, the charity aimed to send 23,000 parcels for troops to those on operations in Afghanistan, and to locations such as the Falkland Islands, Ascension Island and Diego Garcia, plus sending boxes to those in ships and submarines across the world.
To donate a donation or find out how you can sponsor a box, please visit the uk4u website under External Links >>>
Send parcels to troops by donating to Support Our Soldiers
"Support our Soldiers" is a Tri-Service Charity which allows the public to show their support for both members of the British Armed Forces serving overseas and their families back home.
The founders of the Charity are both mothers of soldiers, keen to do something positive as a result of their personal experiences.
SOS have a bespoke arrangement with the British Forces Post Office to facilitate the sending of high quality parcels out to named Serivce personnel which is coordinated to ensure minimum disruption to the operational postal system.
For more information see the SOS website under External Links >>>
Donate to Thank The Forces
"Thank to Forces" is a Tri-Service Charity which allows the public to show their support for members of the British Armed Forces serving overseas.
Thank The Forces has a bespoke arrangement with the British Forces Post Office to send an agreed quantity of parcels for troops out to each of the chaplains in theatre every week for onward distribution to where they will be most appreciated. The delivery of these parcels is coordinated to ensure minimum disruption to the operational postal system.
Any monies raised in excess of that required for the parcels for troops will be passed direct to the SSAFA Operational Welfare Fund.
For more information see the Thank The Forces website under External Links >>>
Help provide support for wounded personnel
A number of charities exist with the specific aim of providing help and support to soldiers, sailors and airmen who have been injured in the line of duty.
See Related Pages >>> for a list of the major charities which help wounded Service personnel.
Send a Personal Message [Family and Friends only]
Family and Friends of Service personnel can send them messages for free via the award winning e-bluey system. This is a hybrid or electronic mail system that allows the relatives and friends of Armed Forces personnel serving on operations to maintain regular contact.
The e-bluey system allows users to compose a letter using e-bluey software at an overseas operational location, a rear-party location in UK or a home PC and know within 24 hours it will be in the hands of the recipient - in some cases we have recorded receipt within 12 hrs. You can also include pictures within an e-bluey.
For more detail please visit the BFPO website under External Links >>>
PLEASE NOTE: This service is available only to Family and Friends of deployed personnel.
Send a Parcel [Family and Friends only]
The Family and Friends of Service personnel deployed into or in support of certain operational theatres, currently Afghanistan and Iraq, can send parcels to troops for free via the Enduring Families Free Mail Service.
This allows them to send a small packet weighing up to a maximum of two kilograms.
The packet will be accepted by Royal Mail Post Office Counters only if the address contains the name of the person it is being sent to.
For more detail please visit the BFPO website under External Links >>>
PLEASE NOTE: This service is available only to Family and Friends of deployed personnel.