A CAMPAIGN to boost morale for Dorset soldiers in war-torn countries over Christmas has been ‘more successful than ever imagined’.

More than 270 boxes have been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of an Echo-backed scheme to send Christmas gift parcels to battalions from the Rifles regiment.

The campaign was launched in July by Dorchester councillor and mother Molly Rennie to increase support for the national Support Our Soldiers parcel appeal.

Councillor Rennie ran the campaign with her husband John, and support from Dorchester Town Council.

Their son Alexander, 35, has served abroad with the Rifles regiment in countries including Iraq and will be deployed back there in March.

He said: “Seeing what my mum has done has been really nice. Having been on operations before I know that things like that bring morale to everyone.

“I have had things sent out to me in the past but not anything on the scale of this.

“This and all the work Help For Heroes are doing shows that at the moment there is more recognition for the soldiers out there.”

Coun Rennie said the support from people in Dorset has been ‘overwhelming’ and said it captured the imagination of people who wanted to show their support for the troops.

She said: “The whole idea was to send presents for soldiers from Dorchester but it was amazing how many soldiers heard about the campaign from the Echo online and my list grew and grew.

“The whole thing became more successful than I ever imagined.

“Families and companies have been so generous and I have had so much support to pack the boxes, especially from some of the serving soldiers’ families which was nice to do it together.”

Coun Rennie said that the most popular items put in the boxes were jars of Marmite, sweets, Christmas presents, stocking fillers and letters.

On top of the presents handed in by the public, there were also donations handed to Coun Rennie so she could buy essentials for the soldiers.

Top Drawer in Dorchester donated hundreds of cards for the soldiers so they could send them home to loved ones. Coun Rennie said she wants to thank everyone involved for making the campaign so successful.

The shoebox campaign will continue for the next nine months to keep providing the troops with morale-boosting packages. Boxes can be donated to Dorchester Town Council in North Square, Dorchester or the Keep Military Museum, Bridport Road, Dorchester.

You can also take them to the Dorset Echo offices on the Granby Estate, Weymouth, and Antelope Walk, Dorchester, or the Bridport News office in East Street, Bridport.

Thank you from soldiers

SOLDIERS stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq have thanked Dorset Residents for playing ‘an important part in the war effort’ by donating gifts for them.

Since the shoebox campaign started in the summer, more than 270 boxes have been sent out to the Middle East to local soldiers and navy personnel.

Territorial Army Sergeant Nigel Scott, of the 6th Rifles of the Dorset Regiment, returned home to Dorchester last week for a short holiday before flying back to join his regiment in Helmand Province.

He said the soldiers are completely overwhelmed by the level of support from the residents in Dorchester.

He said: “Some of the men don’t have anyone writing to them so you can imagine their faces when they get these parcels and letters.

“It is uplifting and it completely changes the mood amongst the soldiers when the parcels arrive.

“Some of the guys have written back to the families to say thanks and some have struck up regular correspondence.”

Sgt Scott said he has had to hide away the latest batch of parcels so the soldiers can open one each on Christmas day.

Organiser of the campaign Dorchester Town Councillor Molly Rennie said the campaign became bigger than she ever would have imagined.

She said it shows how much people here are thinking of the soldiers that are stationed a long way from home at Christmas.

Soldiers from various companies in the Rifles regiment were all sent personal parcels, as were naval servicemen from Dorset.

Coun Rennie said she has received dozens of thank-you letters from the soldiers as well as requests to be added on to her mailing list.

Corporal Bolam from the Corunna Company wrote to Coun Rennie in October and said the sweets and presents were a real treat, especially on 12-hour patrols in the desert.

He said: “Even though our presence here in Afghanistan is still quite controversial back in the UK, it is really nice to know that there are still people back at home that support us.”

Another soldier said that sending the boxes was ‘an important part of the war effort’.

He added: “I’m proud to hear that the local community has been in high spirits in gathering these items for 1st Rifles and all the soldiers are really grateful for all the effort you have put in.”

Officer Carter serving in the Royal Navy in Afghanistan wrote to Coun Rennie and said: ‘Your efforts are magnificent – the parcels are a true gift to everyone.’ A letter received from the St John and Red Cross medical welfare service said that the boxes were very warmly received and thanked the community.

The letter said that news of the arrival of the parcels travelled very quickly and that afterwards they received requests from ‘half of Camp Bastion’.

Another officer from 42 Commando in the Royal Marines said all the parcels received boosted morale hugely and added: “It just keeps us ticking over at times.”

Sgt Scott said that most of the 86 territorial soldiers based in the Helmand Province took part in the Freedom march through Dorchester on September 22 this year.