FRONTLINE soldiers in Afghanistan have received more than 700 morale-boosting shoeboxes in just three months thanks to the generosity of Echo readers.

Now that the last batch of shoeboxes are on their way to Afghanistan, the Treats for Troops campaign has ended and thanks have been pouring in from named soldiers, sailors and RAF personnel.

The Echo joined forces with the Dorchester Comfort Box Appeal in July to increase the number of shoeboxes donated for troops.

The majority of the parcels were sent to soldiers working in the highly-volatile Helmand region – which has suffered a significant amount of bloodshed and death this year.

The overwhelming support from readers meant that the shoebox collection bins were filling up daily and more shoeboxes than ever were being sent out. In the last few months shoeboxes and letters have flooded in from all members of the community, ranging from nursery children to pensioners.

Throughout the campaign support in the community was strong, with firefighters, police officers and footballers all backing the campaign to help the troops.

Echo editor Toby Granville said: “I would like to personally thank all of our readers for embracing the Treats For Troops appeal.

“Thousands of you donated treats – and gave our brave soldiers a well-deserved morale-boost, making their lives in the front line that little bit better.

“These items may have been small to you – but they have meant the world to them.”

For more stories and letters from soldiers visit dorsetecho.co.uk/campaigns/shoebox. Here are some of the letters: MY name is Tricia Hill, I am 19 years old and from Northern Ireland. I am a frontline medic.

My job out here is to go on patrols with my boys (4 Rifles) and if anyone gets hurt, save their lives and fly them on to Bastion, where all the top serjeants work to continue treating the casualties.

I am writing to say thank you very much for the parcels. They are a big morale boost, especially as I am only in from a three-day patrol.

I want to thank you for all your support. The support gets us all through the tours. I have seen so much out here and am looking forward to our tour finishing in five weeks. The parcels made me so happy. Once again thank you.

Tricia Hill, 4 Rifles.

MAY I start by saying how touched I am with the parcels you’re sending out to troops in Afghanistan. All the treats you provide us with are well appreciated, I thank you and all the other people who have been involved in making Treats for Troops happen.

On behalf of all 2 Rifles C Coy I thank you all for showing your support for our boys in Afghan. I am Rfn Hughes from 2 Rifles C Coy based in Fob Wisltan, Sangin. I live in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

My Fob has not had a good time, we have lost seven blokes so far from my company, which is not good. We recently lost another two blokes on Thursday, which was the elections. So if you could make a contributions to our Fob we would very much appreciate it.

Thank you once again for all people who get involved to make this happen.

Rifleman Hughes, 2 Rifles.

MY name is Andy McAtee, I’m a member of A Company, Fire Support Group, 2 Rifles. We are currently based in Fob Jackson, Sangin.

I am writing on behalf of the FSG to thank you, the staff at the Dorset Echo and all your readers for your continued support while we are on our tour in Helmand Province. Your support and help at home is greatly appreciated by us all. Please thank everyone involved in the collecting and packing of the welfare parcels that come out to us on a regular basis.

Each and every item or message of support is divided and read out to the guys.

It is good to see such small but essential things like shower gels, sweets and magazines brighten up the guys’ faces.

It is especially important to see the junior soldiers brighten up with messages from home.

For that I personally thank you all.

You are all in our thoughts and prayers for taking the time out to help us.

Life here in Sangin is pretty good, if a bit basic, but we are all well looked after on the admin and welfare side.

We are lucky enough to have the benefit of the Helmand Canal flowing through the centre of the camp. It is a very welcome relief to come in from a long patrol and swim in it. Others elsewhere are not so lucky.

Miriam, I will continue to write when I am able and I will update you as our tour progresses. Thank all your readers and let them know that all their parcels reach us and are put to good use.

Cpl Andy ‘Mac’ McAtee, FSG 2 Rifles.

HAVE been delighted to see the parcels sent out to our riflemen under your Treats for Troops initiative. They have been the most fantastic morale boost for the guys who are doing a very difficult job out here.

The thought that has been put into the boxes has been staggering and I know they are appreciated very much by their recipients. I’m sure that you will receive letters from a number of soldiers, but as an inhabitant of Whitcombe, I just wanted to write to say how proud I am of the way in which the county is supporting us.

I am sure that you are aware, as the whole country is, of the daily struggle that troops out here face, but what is not so often reported is the amount of support that they are getting in terms of letters and parcels such as the ones you have been sending out. They really make a difference – to taste a fruit gum at home is an everyday occurence, and if it were not for the kindness of folk back home, it is likely that the young men out here would forget the taste of such things. I just wanted to take the time to pass on my personal thanks to you and all those who are contributing to the parcels. Please be assured that the effort that you put in puts a smile on a lot of very dusty faces!

Capt Tim Illingworth Adjutant 3 Rifles.

I want to say thank you for all your support. We really appreciate it and it’s nice to know everyone back home is supporting us. Please give our thanks to everybody that has contributed towards trying to make our lives easier. You are doing just that with your very kind gifts and parcels.

Kai Phillips, 3 Rifles.

FIRST I would like to thank you on behalf of the troops that have received parcels. The support of communities in the UK is invaluable and provides a much-needed lifeline to the UK. As you are probably aware many of our soldiers come from Dorset and probably have families in the area. Your continued support is most welcome.

David Freeman, 3 Rifles.